The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-13
ALASKAN HORRORS.
A Lady Traveller Tells Some Tales
That Make tho Blood Boil With
High Indignation.
White Miners Appropriate Young
Indian Squaws.
This Is Done Publicly and Well
Known by officials.
If They Are Refused the Girls by Their
PARENT, They Get the Red Men
Drunk and Kidnap tho
Poor Creatures.

returned from an extended tour through
the great Northwest To World reporter
she related some OF the experiences Of her
travels:
Il have journeyed over $4,000 miles by
land and water" she said, "but the Incl
dents Of the trip have been, / dare say,
much like those OF other tourists who fol-
low the same route. What has. impressed
me most profoundly and filed me with
horror which grows with the recollection
Of il, is the awful condition Of the Indian
woman in Alaska. Travellers hint vaguely
at this evil, official reports allude briefly
and apologize for II, but the great world is
ignorant OF its existence. II people real
lied that in the wlds of its Alaskan Terri
tory, this civilized, refined, advanced
nineteenth century United States holds
perfect inferno Of crime and torture where
helpless women and children are held as
sacrifices and gradually exterminated,
surely some remedy might be found.
I'm all that country there is-no law
there can be no restraint, and the lowest
animal passions OF the rough miners,
trappers hunters. soldiers and sailors rage
unchecked. The Indian woman is con-
sidered the lawful spoil OF these men.
They steal them II they can; II not, they
buy them from their parents with knife,
jug OF rum or n string OF beads. IL these
considerations do not weigh, then they
make the Old people drunk and carry off
the girl. A miner will come and decker
Tor child OF fourteen and bear her of
shrieking with terror. She becomes the
slave Of the whole camp, and is finally
sent back TO her people to die. A lady
with whom | talked Of these horrors OF
Sitka told me OF case which had come
under her own observation. and she could
vouch for It's truth in every revolving par.
Ocular This lady. by the way, is the
iirst white woman who ever went TO Alas
Ia. OF course there may have been some
Russian women there before, but | mean
the first woman from our country or
England.
"Well, she know Of n little girl having
been carried Oh iorcibly by some soldiers,
and one day, a few months after, an In.
dian woman came 10 her exhibiting signs
OF great grief. aud begged the white
mother, n she called this lady, 10 go and
look at her daughter vino was dying. The
lady went 10 the place where the girl lay
or the ground, a mass II rags, filth and
people by her captions, 20 whom she was
no longer useful. Such horror is felt by
the Indians at the approach OF any one
afflicted as she WIS. that they avoid the
victim ~ though she was plaguc-stricken.
In the case Of this poor child, who was
only fifteen yoars Old, they had built
etockade about the place where she lay,
completely inclosing her. small aper-
ture had been left on the side, close 10 the
ground, through which food aud water
were thrust 10 her The white mother
crawlcd through this hole 10 reach the
fuilcrcr, aud did what was in her power
Tor the wroicLod young creature. One
ear was entirely gone aud the girls face
horribly dishgutcd. Because she had
been kidnapped by soldiers, the brave
white lady sent word 10 the garrison that
they must give medical aid physician
came, through whose efforts the child's
He was saved. This girl now keeps vigil
liant watch over the young Indian children
In her vicinity. She is q pupil In the
school.
"when arrived at Tacoma, called on
Mrs. McFarlanc, the lady In charge OF the
Missionary School. / spent Saturday and
Sunday with her and learned some very
startling facts regarding the liicoi the peo-
rlc in that neighbofhood, knew some
thing about the Indians before; but what
learned from her was new revelation.
Ms. McFarlane Is Nirginian. She went
out "a a missionary years ago aud has been
working ever since. She has started three
schools for Indian children, aud is regarded
with the greatest esteem by all classes.
could not repeat the details Of the dreadful
story she told me Of The barharous condi.
ton Of life In that ncighborhood. II is
really unspcakablc. The story | have lust
repeated is a mild instance Of the brutality
which seems the birhright Of these poor
little squaws.
'Somc Of the criminal practices prevail
ing came within my own observation. We
were ut Juneau on the Fourth Of July, and
celebration was arranged. II was intended
ss patriotic demonstration on the
part Of the whites, and thcn was an
Indian dance. Now, Il Is unlawful 10 sell
liquor 10 an Indian there, but, as ! have
already said, law does not prevail. so the
fist move was 10 ply the Indians with
rum until they were stupidity drunk.
Then the white men carried them outside
like logs, flung them ON tho ground In
their sOddon sleep, and returned TO the
women, when there onsucd q scene that Is
beyond description No bcastly orgie
ever conceived could surpass IL. You
could not print the story. Tho Alaskan
horrors are more dreadful than the pine
woods atrocities. They are worse than
anything known In modern tines"
"Do none OF the Indians exhibit desire
10 protect their women" Mrs. VOORHEES,
was asked.
''scldom and II they do what would II
nyail2 Soldiers are kept there at the ex-
pensc OF the Government 20 prevent their
rising. What do they dol They work In
the mines, hunt and fish, that Is when
they don't drink themselves 20 death, rs
IN the case not long ago Of Whole tribe
perishing In one winter from rum. They
had sold all the furs and skins which they
had In their possession for liquor, and
when those who had survived the inn
mediate effects Of their poia,ions had 10
meet the bitter winter without clothing,
they frozo 10 death. II Is n common law
among the Indians that they must not dis.
pose OF daughter without the consent Of
he mother squaw, aud an the mother
Usually has an instinct at least which