The Irish standard., 1894-12-01
PROGRESS OF ALASKA.
The Country Enjoying a Period Of
Unusual Prosperity.

The Country Enjoying Period Of
Unusual Prosperity.
| Population Materially Increased and All
Kinds Of Business in Flourisbing
Condition-Facts About
the Natives.
James Sheakley. governor of Alaska,
! lately submitted his annual report to
! the secretary of the interior of the gen
! eral conditions of the territory. He
| says:
| Notwithstanding the unfavorab bic
climatic conditions of the spring and
early summer months many new enter
! prises We're entered upon and old ones
completed. The fisheries have been
| successful, the mines have yielded
| profitable returns, the population has
| been largely augmented by immigra-
! ton, and the people have enjoyed q
| season OF unusual progress and pros
perity. The civil officers have been
vigilant and faithful in the discharge
| Of their duties. and in view Of the ex-
tent of the territory over which they
i exercise authority, and the absence of
transportation and other facilities in
| dispensable for the execution of the
law, crime is less frequent and law
and order quite as we'll enforced as IN
some of the more densely populated
and highly civilized communities.
THE building of saw1nills and the
| manufacturing Of lumber in the terri
! tory has revolutionized and improved
the manner Of constructing habitations
| in all of the villages.
The leading trait in the character
of the Alaska native is imitativeness,
! being possessed of considera BILE me-
chanical skill and willing to work.
They purchase lumber and erect mod
ern houses. Some Of them are built in
an original style Of architecture and
| painted in colors of barbaric state, but
are comforta BILE to live in and indicate
the progress they have made toward
civilization. They have also much i'm
proved in the way Of preparing food
and clothing. The impress Of the mis-
sionary is visible in all parts of south
eastern Alaska, and they deserve the
communication Of all for the good they
have accomplished among these native
! people.
He estimates the population at about
thirty-two thousand. The Siberian
! reindeer experiment. he thinks, will
prove successful. Good progress is
! made in education. Considerable
trouble has been experienced III pre-
! 81, -
He says that Alaska has four thousand
| miles of sea coast and twenty thousand
miles Of shore line, and the revenue
officers have serious difficulty in pre-
,, venting smuggling.
The patrol of Behring sea has not
prevented poaching. The governor
says: ''Lieutenant Commander Drake,
! Z. 5. N, in command Of the United
States ship Albatross who came into
the port Sitlxa September 27, ten days
from the seal islands, reports that forty
J vessels were in Behring sea hunting fur
seal during the months Of August and
Septemb Der, and that they had taken On
All average Of one thousand skins each,
seventy-two per cent. Of which were
females. He also sta ted that but
twelve per cent. Of these vessels were
American, the others being mostly
British.
''It is obvious that if this destructive
marauding is allowed to continue it
will be but a few years until the seal
rookeries of Alaska will be entirely
deserted and the business Of fur seal
ing will have passed into history. The
North American Commercial company,
lessees of the seal islands in Alaska,
have complied with the conditions Of
the lease and the natives have no cause
for complaint"
Alaska, Gov. Sheakley says, is 81
great fishing country. While the fur
seal, sea otter and other valuable sea
animals have been decreasing food
fishes are inexhaustible. Cod, salmon
and halibut are the most important,
but there are nearly one hundred other
kinds
More governments buildings are nee
essary for the accommodation Of public
business. Mining is developing in
Alaska and promises to be an i1npor-
tant industry. Some veins of rich
gold-bearing quartz have been discov-
cred. Veins of rich collaborating
quartz have been discovered within
two years past, but most OF the mines
which were first worked to successful
development in Alaska were mainly of
low~grade ores, which are found in
lodes of extensive dimensions. The
Alaska Treadwell Gold Mining COM
pany in one year made a net profit Of
four hundred and forty-four thousand
dollars. This is the largest quartz mill
in America, it having two hundred and
forty stamps.
SLEEPLESS NIGHTS.
Scientific Explanation OF the Absence Of
Natures Restorer.
Formerly sleep was believed to be de-