The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-03-15
LAND or THE MIDNIGHT SUN.
Gov. A. p. Swineford Talks on
Various Alaskan Topics.
New Mines discovered = Mrs. voor-
hees Charges of Craelty-rri-
bal Marriage Lava

other passengers. Gov. 4. p. Swine
ford OF Alaska. Last evening the gov
error was seen at the Arlington by a
rspor ter.
What are yoa down here for, gov
ernor p was the first query put to the
chief executive OF the land OF the mid
night sun.
II am on my way east on private
business, on leave of absence. which
lasts for 60 days, beginning February
IS. Mrs. Swineford and nay daughter
are with me, and | intend to leave
them in the East, aud then return to
Alaska, where / viii be most of my
time for the next five or six years
rs there anything worth noting of
recent occurrence in Alaskan
1.-The most noted thing. perhaps, is
the discovery of a number of gold
hedges on Admiralty island. This
island is 40 miles long and 30 miles
wide. and is located about % miles
from Sitka. One OF the lodges assays
from $aoe to 5000 to the ton. This
property has been bonded for $50. 900
To r. Nj. Antisell, of San Fran
CISCO, who will, on his arrival at San
Francisco, organize company so tn at
the mine may be developed as soon as.
possible. Another ledge found is 100
feet wide and its ore assays from a
trace of gold up to S25 per ton. Be-
sides those have mentioned there
are others. the value ef which | am.
not conversant with.
Ion Sheep creek about four miles
| from juneau, galena lodges, which
carry both gold and silver, have been
discovered which assay from 500 10
$500 per ton. Last fail 200 pounds
OF this ore was sent to San Francisco
and a check for $lI3 was received
back, which was the net result after
all the expense OF transportation and
reduction had been paid for.n
Have YOU anything further to saw,
governor, in regard 10 the charges
made by Mrs. Voorhees,, the lady
physician OF Philadelphia. as TO the
iii-treatment OF Indian women and
girls by the white men of -Alaska?"
lit is not true. lt is an infamous
SANDER on the people of the territory. !"
Is the general treatment OF the In
dians by the whites good?r
THE whites are kind to the Indians
and furnish them with employment,
for which they receive from 81 10 81 so
per dav. The men are bright and in
dustrious, but am sorry To say that
the women do not appreciate or seem
TO admire chastity. The only founda-
ton for the charges made by Mrs
Voorhees, lies in the tribal marriage
laws. which so far as settlement is con-
cerned resemble those which prevail
insFrance, with the difference that the
suitor in Alaska settles the dowry ON
the girls parents instead of ON the girl
herself. Ii a man wishes to marry
| native girl he negotiates with her par
ents and gives them presents. The
more he gives the higher they value
their son-in-law. When he has given
sufficient to satisfy the father and
mother they give him their daughter
as his wife and the marriage from a
tribal point of view is good and valid
one.
were about 40 white men in Sitka and
Juneau who had contracted marriages
with native women in this primitive
fashion. / thought the system was all
wrong and consulted with the
United States district attorney in
relation TO the matter. He decided
that these men and women were as
legally married rs though minister
or priest had performed the ceremony
In church. When Judge Lafayette
Dawson became Judge of the United
States court of Alaska he took an en-
tirely different view of the situation.
When the grand jury was convened
he charged that body TO indict every
man who had been married under the
tribal laws. The grand jury as directed
indicted every one of them. One OF
the members of the grand jury was
living with native woman whom he
had married according to the tribal
custom and be voted to indict himself
with the rest. Then all the men I'M
dicted met before court, parson aud
priest and were married in the ortho-
dox tsShion. This custom of making
presents TO the parents of sweethearts
In order TO secure them for wives was
the foundation ON which Mrs. Voor-
hees built up the SANDER about the
purchase OF young girls and women in
Alaska. At the time Mrs. Voorhees,
was there don't know that there was
single man who was living with a
woman In Alaska under tribal mar
riage.
Mrs. Voorhees, charged that young
girls and women were ruthlessly and !
iorcibly stolen from their parents. |
Owing to the lack OF virtue on the part |
OF The native women of Alaska such
force is not necessary.
You can say for me that q more
quiet or orderly mining camp than
juneau cannot be found in the United !
States. The miners are manly. hon.
est, upright lot of men ard God help |
the man who would treat human |
being In the manner described by Mrs. |
Voorhees, Why, they would hang
him To the nearest tree
Another statement about Mrs. i
voorhees,, which has not yet been pub |
lished and that is this: This lady left |
the Sound for Alaska on the Olympian
on the 10th OF June, 1887, and arrived |
at sitka on July g. The Olympian re-
manned at Sitka for two or three hours
and left for Juneau, arriving there the /
4th. On the same day the 0lyrnpian
left and arrived back ON the Sound on
the 18th OF July This gave Mrs. |
Voorhees, but few hours for observa-
ton. Yet she waited until November
1883, rs months alterward, before she |
published her wonderful ro-
mdiice concerning crueltieS IN
Alaska. On the same steamer ina
which Mrs. VOORHEES, travelled were
Hon. Thomas Reed of Maine, Con
gresham Hiatt OF Illinois, Senator
Farwell of Illinois, Don Cameron OF
Pennsylvania, Senator Vest OF Mis-
souri,, y. Il. Shepherd OF the New York
Mail ard Express and number OF
other distinguished citizens, and vet
nobody saw or heard of the cruelties /
except Mrs. Voorhees,. The whole
matter, in my opinion, originated with
DR.. Sheldon Jackson aud another
Presby terian missionary for the pur-
pose OF influencing the president in
his appointments. | think this was
the beginning and ending OF the al
leged ou'rages committed on the
Indian native women and girls of
Alaska have nothing bat good
words for the missionaries sent TO
Alaska by the Presbyterian home mis- !
sion. but the two men | have men
toned are exceptions.
VIII there be a large influx OF
miners into the Yukon placers this
season."
There are about $50 miners who
rot ftrf 1er -. nd ~