St. Landry democrat., 1886-12-11
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ALASKA.

! Governor Swineford's Report to THE secr"-
tary of the Observation-Disclosures impress
| sions Corrected-An UndeyefoPed Source
| of Fish SuppIy-An Appropria tdon Want
Ell for Educational Purposes.
| WAsHINGTON Dec Ex-Governor Swine
ford of Alaska, in his annual rerers 70 the
Secretary Of the Interior, estimates the
white population Of the Territery at 1850,
the native population at g, OOD. OF the ma
tive AIaSkans he says they are very SUI
perior race intellectually az compared
with the people generally i;Cnown as North
American Indians, and are as a Tale, IN
dustriOus and providcut, and wholly
self-sustaining. They live in neat,
comfortable homes Of their own sonstruc-
ton. They are shrcwd and natural born
traders. some are passaby COED carpen-
tCrS. and others are shillful workers IN
woods and metals. not u few speak Eng
lish, and some of the Younger men and
women have learned to read and write,
and nearly all are anxious for the educd-
ton of their children.
The Governor comments UPON what he
terms the widespread but erroneous be
lief that Alaska is a region 90 perpetual
winter, and appends d meteorological
summary for the year, which shows that
y
), when the mercury sank to four degrees
above zero. where it remained for half a
day only. The industries OF Alaska, says
the report, are as yet principally confined
to the fur trade. mining aud the curing
and canning Of fish, of which there are
about sixty food varieties, the oD1 sal
mon and halibut being the most important.
AS to the cod banks. he SAYS q market l.
all that is required to make them d scene
of even greater activity than was ever
known in those of Newfoundland. AS 70
tlc salmon, he says they are DIS plentiful
a. The cod, and keep in operation eight
canning establishments.
The fur trade, the report says, may be
approximately stated at the market value
Of s2OoO,0OO annually, nearly all Of which
is controlled by the Alaska Commercial
Company
Coal has been found at various points in
the Territory. but as yet no we'll directed
effort has been made to doVcl0Pc any o.
the seams.
The Governor asks that ga eos l,e appro-
priated for school purposes. he com.
plains that the officers of the United
States steamer Pinta, stationed at SitlEa.
have not afforded him the courtasies that
United States officials should have roceiv-
ed at their hands, and to tins lack OF OH
cial harmony and assistance he attribute
the non-punishment of the offenders in
Chinese Outrages in that Territory last
summer and the failure to bring back the
Chinese who were sent to WraggIc Land.
Although the law prohibits the importa-
ton of spirits into Alaska. thc law. the
Governor says. is not enforced but much
contraband liquor is Struggled in. Ts
remedy this state Of affairs he suggests
that the present law be rcpe3ted and
stringent license regulations be adopted,
as they would be far preferable to
"prohibition which does not prohiRt," A
law for the better protection of seals and
other fur-bearing animals is needed to
prevent the destruction of this industry
In conclusion, the Governor says Alaska
should have a delegate in Congress and
should have a territorial form e. govern,
ment, similar to that Of other Terrieofres-