Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1884-12-16
THE INDIANS OF ALASKA.
Much Inferior TO their Cou-
sins or Arizona.
The Thlinkets, Tribe without ) Single
Redesming characteristic.


4 correspondent says in a letter
from Alaska to the San Francisco
Chronicle: 4 southern Alaska Indian
looks like his Arizona cousin and has
bis vices, but In other respects he II
usually an inferior article. Cunning
workman though he Il. fashiOning Curl
Gus and weIl-carved household utensils
out Of native woods and bone. making
nets and baskets and silver bracelets
and rings for nose AMI fingers, still the
pueblo dwelIer distances him III manu-
featuring blankets. dyeing woods, carv-
Ing stones and making silver orna-
ments, and is generally handsomer,
cleaner, Drawer and altogether more
attractive man. An Apache meanest
Of southern Indians will fight and
show spirit. but an Alaskan never
The FAR south native Is low-souled
tramp; an oily. lish-eating .superstitious
creation; treacherous and wilful He
IL IS stolcal as though carved from
wood; he Is without pride; abigamist;
9 sordid creature, afraid even Of his
wife, whom he always asks to trade for
him and always leaves penniless and
helpless. That is. the Thlinklets were
generally q mean class before they
began TO see the benefits Of the white
mans civilization. AS general thing
It does not improve the moral standing
Of Indians to have white men come to
livenear them. They copy but few Of the
virtues of the newcomers and are pretty
sure to indulge In most Of their vices
When Alaska was more forsaken than it
Is at present the Indians did not get
drunk whenever they could, which they
do now; nordid they sell their wives and
daughters. But they had other faults
such as putting innocent people to
death, because they thought they had
an evil spirit; burning q wife with her
dead husband. that both might 60 to
happy hunting grounds together. and
other such pIeasantries: and while
civilization has rendered them moro de-
PRAYED In some things. it has, on the
other hand, brought work TO them and
offered glimpse. at least. OF better
modes Of living, Of which some have
taken advantage.
There have been converts to Christi
anity made here and there and few
have moved into comfortable quarters
and very many have learned to work
hard and to save little money. One
notices the few advancements made
with pleasure and only regrets that
there has not been more progress. If
Montesquieu was right in calling thatI
people happy whose annals are tire
some. Alaska Indiana must have been
supromely contented. During the
years Of their occupancy Of Alaska
they have done actually nothing
towards developing the natural re-
sources o. their possessions Not only
have they never built any towns, but
they have neglected the timber, over
looked the ores and refused to cultivate
the garden districts Whatever has
been done up 70 the present time Is ]
2ue 10 the white man. Before his ad-
rent native was content 70 paddle
about TIE waters ii his canoe and to
i've upon tie lish and game which
hunger compelled him to catch As
an aetuallty. an Indian here i badly
housed. olly. depraved and lazy being
As ! possibility. be may Be useful ID
developing. under proper tutelage. tbo
xsal resources II tho little nnderss 1
bat unneniably rich Territory Win i
we own.