Omaha daily bee., 1884-06-17
GOVERNING ALASKA.
Effect Of the Law Recently Enacted,
The pan of the New Administration
of Our Northern Possession.
San Francisco Chronicle.

Upon j.. :, Oakford, the late ooliecVor OF
customs al Fort Wrangell, Alaska, to
learn some particulars about the govern.
meut with which the territory IS to be
provided. 1t may be mentioned that
MIR. Oakford has been the chief mover in
the passage of this bill. He secured from
the chamber of commerce a resolution
that a government was an absolute neces-
sity and a similar one from the board of
trade. Well pleased with his success,
Mr.. Oakford went to Sacramento and
procured q concurrent resolution from
both houses of the legislature, ~instructing
the California delegation to use all
reasonable efforts to secure the passage of
the Alaska bill through the house of re-
representatives., and it was due to this body
that the bill was finally passed.
STATUS OF THE POSSESSION.
"Before proceeding to speak of the
benefit that will accrue to the territory
by the installation of q government, |
would like to give a sketch of the past"
said Mr.. Oakford. "You are well aware
that the greater part of Alaska is an un-
explored country, and that the strip of
county known as Southeastern Alaska
is where the Europeans are resident"
"What does this country includel"
''It begins at 54:40 and continues till
it strikes the Mount St. Elias meridian.
You cal see that along the coast are dot
ted myraids of small islands, with some
few large ones. Sitka, the capital, is stu
ated on one of these islands, and here is
the ter nination of communication from
the civalized world"
"Do you mean to say that the only
white people that are to be found are in
this strip2'
"No, not exactly. But with the ex-
ception of some few employees of q pack
ing company living at Cocks inlet there
are no European residents in any other
part of the territory out of the employ of
the Alaska Fur company"
$50 practically the government will be
for Southeastern Alaska2'
"Practicallg, yes. But let me give you
an illustration of how this country has
been arranged. Hitherto it has been
under the treasury department and the
only resident officials have been custom
house officers. There was no way to col
lect debts or punish crime except by local
vigilance committees. In the case Of
two outrageous crimes the people took
the law into their own hands. In 1879
they hanged a white man at Wrangell
island for killing a countryman in a
drunken brawl, and at Harrisburg, last
year, three Indians were hanged tor the
murder of two white men,"
THE NANAL FORCE.
"But the government used to have a
military force there, did it not r
eyes, it did. At the time of the trans.
fer to the United States detachments of
troops were stationed at Sitka, at Fort
Wrangell and at Fort Tongass, in south
eastern Alaska. In 1876 they were all
withdrawn: Three years later a serious
disturbance was apprehended from the
the Indians, and, at the earnest request
of the inhabitants of Sitka, the British
man-of-war Osprey, from Victoria, came
to their rescue. There she remained till
she was relieved by the United States
ship Alaska. Since then the following
ships have been on the station The
Jamestown, the Wachusett and the
Adams. The last vessel is waiting to be
relieved by the gunboat Pinta, which is
now on her way to this port from
Panama.
"Well, has the presence of these men
of-war been beneficial2"
Certainly it has. Besides keeping
the Indians in subsection, it has also
served to support various trading estab'
lishments, especially in Sitka, at which
it was estimated thrt the crews of the
jamestown, Wachusett and Adams spent
moro money in each month of their stay
than did the regular white residents of
the town in three years. The small gun
boat Pinta, with her crew of forty men,
is amply sufficient for all needed protect
ion ia supporting the government off
Gals in the exercise of their duty"
THE NEW GOVERNMENT.
"What will be the personnel of thu
new government"
"The bill provides for a governor,
district court, with a Judge, a clerk o!
the court, a marshal and a district attor
ney. The court is to mold three SESSIONS
in each year-one at Sitka, one at Wran
CELL and one at Harrisburg or Juneau
1t will a~djudicate on all mining ant
property claims. 1t is a most importan
consideration, as up to this time Their
has been no tribunal before which dis
} puted claims could be settled. In add
ton to the officials already mentioned
four commissioners are to be appointed
one to be resident at Sitka. one at Wran
CELL, one at Harrisburg and n at Don
alaska. They are to try all petty often
ces; in fact they will act a, police magis
trates. This is much needles
as the Indians are greatly addicte'
: to thieving and hitherto there has beer
no way of furnishing them. The marsha
will have tho power of appointing deput
! marshals. Besides, | forgot to mention
that there are two treasury officials sta
toned at the Seal islands, whose duty i
! is to see that the employees of the Alask
Fur company do not violate the terms c
the contract they have with the govern
ment. The present law provides than tn
, governor is to make a yearly report o
the Seal iAlands, but l canpot see how
1 can be done. There is no possible mean
of communication except by a governmer
steamer"
THE FUR COMPANY.
"Will the officials have much to d
with the Alaska Fur company"
"The government is not likely TO inter
fere in any way or shape with the Alask
} Fur company. They hold the Seal il
lands under a lease which does not expir
until 1890, and as | have already said
! there are two treasury officials TO loo
after infringements, and the visit of tn
governor is an impossibility. i will tel
! you one good which will result from tn
establishment of a government, and tina
. l "a that - tut1I a..nnrnasa nn,a faut I.aha.a.