The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-14
ANCE sTRY OF ALAsKANs.
Judge A. j. Pruden Thinks Their Or
igin Chinese or Japanese.
From the ChicdQo Tribune.

Judge A. j. Pruden Thinks Their Or
igin Chinese or Japanese.
From the ChicaQo Tribune
Judge A. J. Pruden and his son Thomas
of Cincinnati, o., arrived at the Grand
Pacific yesterday after having Travelled
$4,000 miles since Leaving home about two
months ago. During this absence the vest
ern states, Mexico and Alaska were visited.
Twenty-Five days were spent In the latter
country, and the travellers while there
closely studied the habits, etc., OF the ma
tives, and they came back with the firm
conviction that the Alaskans are not Indians
or their descendants, but of Japanese and
Chinese extraction.
II am almost certain that the Indians of
of Alaska, as they are called, originally
came from ASIA" said Judge Pruden when
at the Pacific yesterday. THE resemblance
of the natives to the japanese aud Chinese
Is so strong that there Is 10 room for doubt,
in my mind, about their ancestry. The ma
tives of Alaska have not one Indian charac-
terestic. and | do not understand why the
alleged scientific men who have visited the
country claim the people there are descen-
dants of the red men. They are a thrifty
race and are not at all like other restless
western Indians, who, being to lazy to work.
depend u on the government for support.
They are superstititious, however, and that
is pronounced characteristic of the Mon
golian race. They discover omens in the
most ordinary occurrences. They believe
that hades is a place Of ice and all their
dead are burned, they say, SO that the de-
parted will not be cold.
but the men and women are skillfui
carvers. The female always acts as the
head of the household. When anything is to
done the woman's advice is asked"
Judge Pruden Is also of the opinion that
the contract labor law of the United States
is being violated in Alaska. One of the
large industries there along the coast is sal
mon canning, establishments Of the kind be-
ing situated at Point Ellis. at the Chilcat,
and at LorIng on Revilla Gigedo Islands,
and at other places.
1.-THE employees of these canneries are
Cinnamon, who, with but few exceptions.
work by contract, arrangements having
been made with them by their employers
before coming to this side Of the water ;"
said the traveller
Glacier Bay was also visited by the trav-
elers, and they say the scene they had the
pleasure of looking upon there is one of the
grandest sights Of the world.
AT Port Chester, or Metlah iatlan, is
Nichols Bay" said the judge, natives are
most religious. They have been taught
Christianity by a missionary named Dun
can, and is strictly observed. At Port
Chester several hundred cases Of salmon
were TO be placed on board, but as our yes
sci arrived there Sunday we were COM
PEELED to wait until the next day as the ma
tives refused TO perform any work.
Alaska is certainly remarkable for its
resources and vast stores of wealth, and |
return to America with the impression that
the United States has bonanza in it's pos
sessions there. This country. / recently
learned, has already received from Alaska
almost the original cost Of the country