Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-17
ALASKA's APPEAL.
The People Up There Becoming Inn
patient for q Territorial Government.

The People Up There Becoming Inn
patient for q Territorial Government.
Commander James Carroll the master of
a steamship which on its trips between
Puget sound and Alaska, has on many &C.
casions received the benisons Of congress
sional junketing parties on dog-day excur-
sions to the rocky slopes Of Sitka and
Juneau, is registered at the Shoreham. He
is in Washington to attend the convention
of masters and pilots which begins its ses-
sions here on Friday. Capt. Carroll is q
gentleman whom the mellinuous w. Clark
Russell would delight to meet. In the rud-
diness Of his skin. the speaking trumpet
breadth of his voice, and the picturesque
roll of his gait he is a perfect specimen
Of the sea novelist's well-known delinea-
ton of the steamship master. Capt Car
roll, who is a well-educated man, Is of the
opinion that the government has treated
Alaska with extreme shabbiness ever since
that country was acquired by the United
States from Russia.
1.-The people of Alaska, - said he. ARE be-
coming exceedingly weary Of the lack of
attention paid by Congress to their fire.
quent supplications for a territorial gov
eminent for the country and the 5000
United States citizens living in Alaska are
outspoken in their disgust at the absolute
LEX of practical results which has follow
ed the solemnly organized jaunts of con-
gressonal committees. AS a simple matter
of fact. although the American inhabitants
of Alaska are, as a class, a most peaceably
inclined colony, the government of this i'm
mense block of American territory Is to all
intents and purposes in condition of
anarchy pure and simple. About all of the
governmental power of the country is GEN.
tered in the four commissioners, who hold
their positions by appointment, and the
major part of whose functions are not dis
similar to those of police court justices in
the cities of the United States proper The
country just floats along and takes care of
itself, as far as government is concerned.
in curiously ramshackle fashion. Alaska
may be able to patiently brook this sort of
thing for the present, but ii cannot go on
for many years. In the face Of a thousand
natural obstacles, the resources of the
country are being developed at a rapid
rate. and the discoveries recently made i'm
Alaskas interior bid fair to make the
country eventually rank as one Of the great
gold-producing regions Of the world. The
magnet Of gold Is attracting hundreds of
prospectors and miners from California
and elsewhere. and 1t will not be long be-
fore the establishment Of a territorial gov
eminent will be an urgent necessity, II the
avoidance of a repetition Of the horrors
and inequalities of the old California vigil
lance committees is worthy of considera-
ton. You can't put lot Of mining men,
all of them looking for the best Of it, in
any one spot in North America without
trouble resulting, and 1T will require a thor
a general prevalence Of Cripple Creek con-
ditions up there inside Of a few years
Alaska has paid into the United States
treasury in taxes about 81 100000 since it's
purchase from Russia which Is just 81
100000 more than the purchase price, and
1t Is difficult to understand the neglect with
which 1t is treated by the general govern
ment."