The Portland daily press., 1895-10-28
IN BIG ALASKA.
The Seals and the Natives Fast Disappear
ing-Development of the Mines.


as he treats Of topics that are OF cohsiuoi
able moment, but during the summer no
| took a trip on the revenue cutter husn'
with Captain Hooper, and he senus W
the Interior Department some OF MS op-
servations In fact, it was while on tnis
trip to the Pribiloff Island that he had AL
opportunity to gather the informaoion
concerning the destruction of seals tnao
he reports to the government.
The governor says that people may 10
able to realize the extent of Alaska When
they know that they can sail for S'Uuo
miles directly west of Sitka and yet are
within the borders of Alaska.
THE GREEK CHURCH.
1t appears from the governors account
that Alaskan Villages have few white
settlers, as the Americans are denoml-
mated, and some Russians, but major
| ity of them are Indians of the Aleut tribe
or race In nearly every one OF these
villages there is Greek church and
priest OF that faith One of the places,
Kodiak, was settled by the Russians pack
| in 1889, and the first Greek churcn ~
America was established there more than
one hundred years ago, and still ex1sts.
In some Of these villages the Protestants
have established missions and churches
At these villages the Alaska CONNER,
cial Company has headquarters, ana
there are also headquarters for other !ur
companies of less Importance, and wnlch
do not have leases for taking the TUT
seals.
The names of the different villages Wis
| tpd hU ho
Island, Ka1luk, Sand Point, Unga, BEL.
| kofsky, Unalaska, and the seal ISLANDS OF
ST. George and ST. Paul.
Unalasak, on an island of the same
name is one of the most Important
points in the summer season in Alaska.
It is occupied by a number of government
officers, and is the headquarters for the
Alaska Commercial Company. From
this point the company ships its goods to
| the Aleutian Islands, and to many points
in Bering sea and to the Yukon mining
districts. Whaling ships call at that
place on their way to and from the arc
| tic. Sealing and fishing schooners rem
devious there, and it is the headquarters
for government vessels patrolling Bering
sea. The governor was there on the
Fourth of July, and four revenue cutters
patrollipg Bering sea assembled there
gave an old time Fourth of July celebra-
tion, which the governor says was very
patriotic lesson to the natives Ihere
| were salutes from the cutters, an oratlon,
the reading Of the Declaration of Inde-
pendepce, besides the boat races and
sports that usually accompany country
| Fourth of July.
! On the cruise westward Governor
| Sheakley stopped at number Of Indian
villages He found these people on the
islands living almost entirely upon . nsn
and such little stuff as they could buy
from the traders in exchange for the furs
they were able to procure. The primeval
| fur animal is the sea otter, and these are
rapidly disappearing. These Indians
have little fuel, depending upon drift
wood, grass and the oil of the animals
they catch The governor says their con-
dition will soon be deplorable. On ac-
count of the lack OF food and other neces-
saries the race is diminishing year by
year.
A STRANGE VOLCANO.
"Along the Alaskan peninsula and the
Aleutian Islands for thousand miles, ~
says the governor, "can be seen the semi
active volcanoes emitting blue and white
smoke. which in the night assumes a
brilliant and interesting appearance.
Eleven years ago the Island OF Bogiloff,
situated in Boring sea, near the Islands
| of Four Mountains, came suddenly out
of the water and arose to the height of
q thousand feet, but being composed OF
lava and ashes it has orumbled away
until it's present elevation Is about three
| hundred feet We sailed close by and
saw hot lava seething in washing sea-
| An immense number Of sea lions were
| collected in an estuary, probably on ac-
count of the warmth they found there.
| The ships crew fred cannon ball into
their midst, hitting none, but they all
sought safety in the. sea. -
The agents of the Alaska Commercial
Company, the officers Of the government
and others are located on the islands OF
st. George and ST. Paul, (which are the
seal rooleries. 1t was from these islands
that the governor made the observations
that convince him that the seal herd is
rapidly disappearing. The families OF
| the men, who are..obliged to stay on these
islands, are with them, and the governor
dined there expressing his surprise that
away out on this verge of civilization is all
the substantials, and luXuries as we'll,
were found which would appear on the
tables Of those who live In the certer OF
cultivated society. roast OF seal meat
was prepared espec ally for US, and en-
loved it, he adds.
Aside from the seal industry the salmon
catching and canning is an important
business in Alaska. There are several
fine salmon streams, which are being
worked with great d3al OF profit
MINING PLANTS.
But it appears from the report of Gov
Shealkey that mining will in time sup
plant and surpass all other branches. Ht
describes one plant on Unga Island
which is now producing $50, 900 In goit
every month. Besides there is the rlcf
mining district Of the Yukon river. Il
is supposed that there are now abou
|. 500 white men in the Yukon mines
The governor thinks the Yukon distrlc
will be second only to the gold fields O
California in production when s they ar ar
Ragl1l'ah ing in the Yukon districts is carried OF
under great difficulties. The seasons ar #.
frozen. The earth must be thawed by
fire before it can be mined The winter
} are long and the mines are far distan
!; from supplies. These mines are thous
and miles from Sitka. They can b.