St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-03
Special Correspondence of the Globe.

SITKA, Alaska, Oct. 9.-In again adj
dressing the readers of the GLOBE from this
far-away land. particularly those resident
at st. Paul, beg to assure them that | re-
main conscious of my obligation to advise
them at proper intervals, as to how men
act think and converse in Alaska, A
twelve months residence on this remote
island fully confirms my first impressions,
that the portion Of the territory washed by
the waters of the Pacific ocean has the
wealth OF resources to amply repay the gov
eminent for the few millions invested in
the title in fee of the whole of it.
The unreasonable wealth of mineral
In its mountains. the vast GUAM
titles of marketable food-ishes that
swarm its waters, exclusive of the
large sum annually derived for the privi-
lege OF taking the fur seal within its bOun-
daries will eventually provide tenfold re-
Enumeration at each succeeding decade
For the truthful and intelligent details con-
cernlng the resources of the new country,
all are referred to the annual report of the
governor of the territory to the secretary of
the interior, which he now is busily engaged
Ill writing, to be forwarded by next mail
III Is safe to assume that the report will be
aole, as well as full and complete. in its
treatment of the resources, conditions and
needs OF this long-negected region.
THE ILLEGAL SEAL FISHERMEN
We. the residents of Alaska. assume that
our remotely considered territory has
recently acquired national notoriety, if not
importance, Oh account of the recent
seizures of British vessels in our waters
while killing our fur seal with impunity.
We feel that we have evened up, as it were.
and Snothed the lacerated feelings of our
Yankee fishermen who go out ON the waters
of the northeast coast in search of the
Jrsnsc0ntinental mackerel and cod. We
feel that in this enterprise we have twisted
the lions tail to the satisfaction of the
most faStidious, and greatly to the relief
we consider, of Sundry patriotic gentlemen
of self-imposed and self-intereSted labor
Of love. In this we feel that we have
done big thing, and are glad Of it.
The three British vessels, Onward, Caro-
lena and Thornton, are moOred in the har-
Dor OF Ounalaska, at the island of that
name. situated 1000 miles due west from
this island. You will observe that we
cover considerable space in these parts
There also are stored the 2, 100 sealskins
taken from the prize vessels. The Ameri-
can malefactor is the schooner San Diego
known along the coast as the San Francisco
hoOdlum. She is an old offender having
for several years been engaged in contra
band traffic in the North Pacific ocean. 1t
is stated that in the winter of 1884 she was
purchased by her present owner, fitted and
provisioned for illegitimate sealing. all at a
cost of So, 800, and that she returned to San
Francisco last fall after nine months alb
sence, with cargo of seal skins valued at
S45, 900. Capt. Abbey, of the United
States revenue cutter Corwin, when
gathering the prize fleet at Ounalaska,
dispatched the San Diego to Sitka
laden with the prize property, except
the seal skins, taken from the
several vessels. together with their crews,
as prisoners of the sealSkn war, where she
is now safely moOred and in common with
her associate alien offenders, in the custody
of the United States marshal, awaiting
their condemnation and sale for the benefit
of whom it may concern. The captains
and mates of the several prize vessels have
been tried by our United States court, adj
judged guilty of violating section 1855 of
the Revised Statutes and sentenced to i'm
prisOnment for from thirty to sixty days
each and to pay fines ranging from $40 to
5000. On their trial all save one pleaded not
the witness stand in their own behalf made
A PETTY SPECTACLE
in giving evasive testimony. The man
Blake, mate of the Carolena, pleaded guilty,
and when questioned by the court, made a
clean breast of the matter. saying that he
went to the Behring sea to kill seal,
with the understanding that it was unlaw-
full; that he did kill seal and
hat hn in,
lying about it, whereupon Judge Dawson
remarked that he being the one man in the
whole outfit who had sworn to
the truth, he would sentence him to
ten days Imprisonment without fine.
All of the convicted parties accept the stu
alton with cheerful spirit, and seem to
enjoy the novelty of their changed situation.
They are confined in a separate apartment
from the common herd of prisoners, besides
being favored in the quality and manner of
serving their meals. Altogether they are
good lot, and facetiOuSly claim that hOnOrs
are easy as between themselves and the
ankee fishermen in limbo on the northeast
coast. In this respect they contrast favor
ably with some belligerent-inOuthed British
COumbians, who suggest that the formida
bic British man-Of-war now moored at Vic
toria should be steamed up to Alaska and
annhilate us all with one grand outpouring
of her guns. However, we are not easily
intimdated. being confident of our safety
bv virtue of our peculiar situation, needing
only to HE ourselves to the rear of q con-
yenient mountain, where the guns of the
frigate could neither penetrate nor overtop
THAT EXPLORING EXPEDITION.
The sensation next in Importance to the
seizures, now agitatng this people, is the
well advertised exploring expedition to
Mount ST. Elias, under the auspices of a
prominent Gotham newspaper. The avowed
object to be attained was to scientifically
unfurl the stars and stripes on the highest
peak of the most elevated piece of Uncle
SANS real estate, or that of any other man.
on this continent, fully 90, 600 feet upwards
from sea level. The party passed on from
Sitka early in July last, and returned here
on the 10th of September. In plain Saxon,
leaving out scientific terms, the narrative
runs about thus: Scientific explorer ar
rives al Sitka and delivers lecture, char
ters United States man-of-war and pro-
ceeds I'D the coast, making landing at the
base of the mountain, erects camp and
proceeds to explore, chambers to the top of
convenient glacier and takes photograph
of Mount ST. Elias; returns to
camp and drinks down quart
of alcohol taken along for scientific uses.
The effect of the alcohol causes highly
demoralized camp, the f1inging out the en-
trance thereof the remainder of the scen-
tific stores, among which was a case of ar
senic. The native residents being fond of
the white mans canned groceries, picks up
the arsenic, ON which he and his family
make meal. First practical results:
three dead Indians. Then the man Of war
goes up the coast on voyage of discovery.
Discovers the scientific explorer and re-
turns with him in triumph to Sitka. For
the next two weeks the scientific gentle
man employs himself in making a full re-