The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-02-03
ASK FOR HOME RULE.
Alaska Citizens Will Send q
Delegate to Congress.
LEAGUE FORMED At JUNEAU,
LeGislation For the Interest OF the Ter
ritory Demanded-Prohibitlo
That Does Not Prohibit.

loe people OF Alaska are calling aloud for
nome rule, and are setting earnestly to work to
secure 1t, according to advices received from
Juneau by the steamer City OF Topeka, now in
this port.
The initiative in this movement was taken on
January 25. when the citizens OF Alaska met
ana organized Home Rule League for the pur-
pose OF advancing aud fostering the interests of
the territory. The people generally we're in
vlted TO join, the only qualification being
United states citizenship. Branch leagues are
to be organized at Sitka, Wrangel, Kodiak, Uuga
and Douglas island.
The object OF the league is to unite the people
OF the territory so they may work as unit for
the Advancement OF the country. A convention
VIII De called to meet in Juneau some time this
month to discuss the needs of the territory and
to elect a delegate who will carry to congress a
petition asking for the following iegislation
for Alaska:
First-A delegate in congress.
Seeond-Home rule.
Third-A modification of the present prohib-
itory hquor law SO as to admit OF licensing under
certain restrictions.
Fifth-A law by which public lands may be
TAKEN up by actual settlers.
This is only brief outline of the legislation
that Is desired. Col Charles II. Isham, of
sitka, is leading the movement and is meeting
WIKI cordial support from all who have inter
ests IN the territory.
Uncle sam has given Alaska can well Be doubted
when :he list OF crimes committed day after day
Dy drunken Indians and whites Is recOunted.
intoxleation is so common that il causes no re-
marx, and the sQuaw dances held at all of the
leading towns are nothing less than great pub
lie debauches. One of these dances at Juneau
on January 20 was attended by crippled So aw.
AS the evening progressed everybody got drunk
aud the crippled sQuaw was piled with liquor by
eluaw9 ia
Ing the cripple was found dead on the beach
close by the dance house. She had fallen while
leaving the dance house. The friends of the de-
ceased Immediately charged the tribe to which
the two squaws belonged who had furnished the
liquor with being responsible Tor the cripple's
death, and potlach or pow WOW was held For
time war seemed imminent but the tribe OF the
cripple finally received 300 blankets to assuage
their grief, and peace once more reigued in this
portion of the land of the midnight sun.
On January q Deputy Collector of Customs
j. G. Tolman, OF Wrangel, made quite all i'm
portant seizure of smugged liquor. and with
the aid OF Deputy Marshal Thomas succeeded in
arresting the snuggler one johnson, a Russian,
who is now in jail at Sitka.
The United states steamer Pinta, with United
States District Attorney Charles s. Johnson,
Deputy Marshal George kostrometinoff, and
United States Commissioner W. A. Kelly on
board, has just returned from a cruise to Cape
Fox. They arrested the two white men on Mars
island who sold the whisky to Indians and
started war there between the tribes. They
secured the witnesses and settled the feud.
The following letter from Kodiak may seem
trite old, but it is the very latest intelligence
from that settlement almost within sight of the
north pole:
KODIAK. Dec %, 1s92-Could some one of
the many writer's on the Frozen North" be
landed on the island of Kodiak today they
work, for the soaked EARTH steady down pour Of
rain and total absence OF snow are more sugges-
tive OF Oregon than the ice-bound coast of
Alaska, and so it has been during the two last
months past, with frequent gales TO break the
monotony and gladden. the heart of the sea Otter
hunter. So far there has been no damage done
here by the gales, but it is reported That the
roof has been blown off the Royal Packing Com
pany'S cannery at AtoQuak and tina, their
steamers Royal and Aieaut are ashore. But
although the winds have done NO damage here
the heavy tides of the last moon he'd ont the
cribbing and made a wreck of the Alaska Com
merclal Company's wharf. But ''its an ill wind
that blows no man fair, aud the same wind
that costs wealthy company few hundred
dollars may bring wealth TO a poor hunter In tho
form OF a sea otter driven ashore by the storm.
The town OF Kodiak is very quiet this winter on
account OF eli the hunters being away sea otter
hunting, aud il is the sincere hope of every one
that they may do well, because the actions of
the revenue cutters so intimidated them that
they were afraid 20 hunt last summer, and in
consequence they are almost destitute Gener-
ally The natives do not hunt during the winter
months, rs they suffer severely from the ex-
posure, which Is very great. In fact, sea otter
hunting III winter Is the hardest kind of work
imaginable. It Is carried on in two ways.
known respectively ''net,ing'' and "clnb-
blng.'' neither OF which methods can be under
stood without some knowledge of the animal
ana its habits
The sea otter teuhydris cu.ris) or sea cat, as it
is sometimes called, ia a true child of the sea-
being born aud spending its whole life in tho
water, only landing for sleep and rest when tho
winter gales have dashed the sea in fury for
MANY hours and prevented il doing in its
natural element but even at such times, like
the proverbal weasel. he sleeps with one eye
open and his nose towards the sea.
Ii ls at these times when tired with the buf-
fe ting OF the waves and want of sleep that the
sea otter in seeking land falls a prey to the
watchiui hunter. In coming ashore ii generally
has a certain place To land, which il reaches IN
long dive, coming up close 70 the rock in
which it intends to sleep.
The hunter having located a "hsnd out" sets
his net in such a manner that the otter in its
"ciubbng" is simply catching the otter
asleep and killing him by blow on the head
with club.
Jan. |. 1S93-lt is now learnt here that during
the late gales at AiuguaA Mr.. - Jones, TIE
Waterman d. the Russ ian Anericeu Packing
Company's eannery, at that place, killed by
a Il. hhouse falling on HIM. Joues was "A Welsh
man, So years Old, and had been in ALASKA
three years. He Is reported TO be worth So. coo,
which he had earned and aved as n day labOrer
lie had no family. The United States deputy
marshal has gone 10 Aiuguak TO take charge OF
the property