The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-18
TROUBLE IN ALASKA.
The People Want to Be An
nexed to This State.
TO BE A WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Great Injustice II Done to Litigsnts,
Crime 10 Rampant and Refugees
from Justice Find Shelter.

PORT TOWNSEND, Aug. 1.-lSpeclal.J-
large majority of the people Of Alaska
are seriously agitating the proposition of
asking congress to annex that territory to
the state of Washington in the form of
county. They do not expect to exercise
the election franchise for state officers. but
would like representation in the legisla-
ture and enjoy the privileges and ODE
diences Of our laws. The organic act of
Oregon, since the country was ceded to
the United States, has extended over the
territory and the laws are inapplicable to
the needs of Alaska. In many instances
great injustice is done to litigants, for
which there is no remedy. except an ap-
peal to the United States supreme court at
Washington City, which is very ex-
pensive.
William Millmore, of Wrangell, has been
in the city several days, and is quite con-
versant with the needs of the country. He
has lived there almost continually since
1874. He went North the last time in
August, 1882, and has not been out of the
territory since. He has held various fed
eral offices, and his travels have been
more extensive than any other PERSONS At
present he is deputy United States mar
shall. He said to the Posr-INTELLIGENcER
correspondent:
What we need the most are practical laws that
will give the people of the territory the same
rights and benefits that are accorded to resi-
dents of the states. An organized effort il being
made to have the national government annex
Alaska to the state OF Washington
a county. We wish to enjoy the beue-
fits OF your laws and form of government. The
state of Washington would be greatly benefited
by the acquisition. The headquarters OF that
county would be Puget sound, and all Of the
supplies and machinery would be shipped from
this district AS at present We are tied to Ore
CONS apron strings, and the yoke Of her defect
ivelaws is strangling the prosperity of the ter
ritory. Your congressman, John l. Wilson, of
Spokane, introduced bill at the last session OF
congress with this object in view. His bill,
while not perfect, came the nearest to fulfilling
the wants OF our territory than any other pro-
posed.
The rough sea coast of Alaska and the
great distance between settlements, to-
gether with the primitive means Of travel.
are serious barriers to officers exercising
their duties. Under the present law dep
uty marshals are allowed $3.50 per annum,
and must pay their own expenses. If
criminal escapes the officer hires
a canoe, attires himself in the
dress of an Indian. and, accompanied
by a couple of natives starts after the in
dividual. Sometimes the trips last for
months and severe hardships are endured.
Thousands of miles are thus travelled along
wild seacoast, through inlets. ascend
ing rivers or weathering storms. Still
greater perils and hardships are endured
after effecting the capture. The officers
must be eternally vigilant during the
many days and nights necessary to return
home, or his captive might secure his arms
and then turn the tables.
Similar to all other frontier countries,
Alaska is the great dumping-ground for
refugees from justice. Criminals fleeing
from the laws in the states usually head
for Alaska. There they secure miners
outfit and plunge into the wilderness of
the Yukon region. They have from two to
four weeks start, and it is exceedingly
dangerous to follow desperate man into
the heart of Alaska, or the very rim of the
Arctic circle. The country is full Of des-
perate characters, who are under no re-
straints of laws or civilization, and thew
hate an officer. If an officer should 20
into that country to effect an arrest the
chances are largely in favor Of the loss of
his life. Occasionally faint rumors come
out that the miners on the Yukon river
have had trouble; that one or two men
have been murdered. The matter is
finally hushed up and no complaints are
made. They are supreme in their lawless
power, and the only thing to keep them in
subsection is the fact that whisky is a
scarce article. Miners who have returned
from some of the camps on Forty Mile
creek. large tributary to the Yukon
river. testify that more lawless characters
abound in that country than ever existed
in the palmy days of '49 in California.
They are able to accumulate s., 900 or S., 600
year, and after sojourn of few sea-
sons, when their identity and appearance
are completely lost, they go down the
Yukon to st. Michael's island and there
embark on whaler for San Francisco. A
few months ago there arrived in Juneau
City a man who bore evidences Of refine
ment and usages of good society. He Sc
cured a miners outfit and went into the
Yukon country. The next steamer from
the South brought his description ana
reward of 81. 200 for his capture. He was
defaulter from Wisconsin.
The smuggling of whisky from British
Columbia into Alaska by canoes is more
extensively carried on than generally sup
posed. Numerous white men have sloops
laden with liquors and are continuously
plying their traffic with the Indians along
the Southeastern coast. The government
has made no provisions for steam launches
and it is impossible to detect and arrest
the smugglers.