Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-12
SCENES At ST. MICHAEL
Hundreds Waiting at the Mouth Of the
Yukon.
DIR. Sheldon Jackson Describes the
Too Low for Navigation.

At the cabinet meeting today an interest
/ ing report Of DR.. Sheldon jackson, United
| States general agent Of education for Alas
| ka. was read. The report was written on
board the u. s. R. c. Bear of st. Michael.
Alaska, and dated September ID. The.
| report states:
Il am still detained at this place. waiting
upon tho movements of the Bear. Since
reaching here. August "a. several expedi-
tons Of miners have arrived on steamers
and sailing vessels from Puget sound,
Seattle and San Francisco. They bring
| with them lumber and mechanics, expect
Ing at this point to build small river steam
ers and barges in which to proceed up the
| Yukon to the mines. There are eight or
ten OF these vessels now in the harbor. and
| tnirteen more are expected from the south.
| me season is now closed for getting
up the river this year. The most that the
miners now here can do will be to get per-
| maps hundred miles up the river to tim
DER, then go into winter quarters erect
ing log huts for shelter Those that come
| up later VIII be compelled to winter at this
place AS all these people were pledged
to be taken to the mines this fall You can
| lnaslne that there is not only much disap-
poiltment' but also much irritation and
a asr .nat Is liable at any moment to
oteak Out into open violence
| , mong the hundreds now canned unon
sie peacn IN tents are all classes from the
t pesl 10 the lowest; professional men of abi.-
| ny ana standing, gamblers and desperate
| roushs. the wealthy and the Door and the
| presence Of the Bear is the only restraint
on iawiessness. We are hourly expecting
ene arrival or another cutter, and when she
comes the Bear will at once sail for the
| Island >N ~ -1'-" e''ee
| some of the tents have been flooded for
three days past and all are uncomfortable
! 1t has been showing for two days and the
| whole landscape is white.
| Mr. John w. Kelly finally located the
siberian Station on st. Lawrence Bay and
not on Mechigme Bay. On the LIST of July
| there were 1.459 domestic reindeer in
alaska. At the several stations, except
Cape Prince Of Wales-no report being re-
OF lawns born-there were born this spring
az fawns that lived. The miners are clam
orfng for deer.
Alaska will have next summer from
| NIFTY to one hundred thousand white popu-
| lation and several new schools will be cali
| ed Tor, and they will be expensive ones.
Ihere Is reasonable expectation that
Congress will allow $4,000 for education in
J Alaska"
DR.. jackson concludes his letter by saying
he cannot form any idea when he will be
able to reach Washington.
Capt. Tuttle's Report.
Captain Francis Tuttie Of the revenue
| cutter Bear has written the Secretary of
the Treasury, unOeT uate Oh september
| 16, at st. Michael. something of the move
ments Of his vessel and the situation at
| the port where he was staying. Capt. futile
says that at the time he writes there were
| In port at st. Michaers seven sca-going
vessels and six river steamers. One
steamer and one barge were IN process of
| construction. He continues:
About 300 people encamped on the
| beach awaiting the completion of the two
vessels spoken of. From newspaper re-
ports at least seven vessels are yet ex-
| pected to arrive, many of them with pas
| sengers. There is no possible chance of
| these people reaching the upper Yukon this
| season, and they must either winter here
or at come point inside the mouth of the
Yukon.
| While there will be an abundance of pro-
| visions here, the trading companies having
| their main depotS here, trouble is likely to
| arise from those who have no provisions
| and no means to purchase them. This
! however, is small matter when taken into
| consideration with matters above Fort
| Yukon, on the Yukon river.
Water Too Low for Navigation.
| ION the 18th instant the river steamer
Hamilton returned from her up-the-river
| trip, having been unable to reach Circle
| City. Capt. Hill reported the river low
| as to prevent reaching his destination. He
landed his cargo on the river bank and
| returned to st. Michael. Five steamers
| are now on their up-the-riveT trips. The
| prODaDl1ty Is tnat tney Will not DE aDle
| to reach Circle City or Dawson. In that
| event there will not be sufficient provisions
to support the people during the winter"
| Captain Tuttle says that there is too
| much business at st. Michael for the one
! deputy collector of customs. who is sta
| toned there Captain Tuttle detailed one
| of his men to assist the government OFF,
cial. He thinks there ought TO be GUS
toms official on every vessel leaving ST.
| Michael carrying bonded goods. If this is
| mot done the government will be de-
| frauded.
Capt. Tuttle intimates that something
| ought to be done in regard to the inspection
| of steam vessels. The laws on the subject
| are entirely disregarded, as no inspectors of
hulls boilers have visited St. Michael's
| At least sixteen vessels are running into
| the port which ought to be inspected. Hun
| dreds Of people are travelling on these ves-
sells without the safeguards to which they
| are entitled
Capt Tuttle is cooperating with DIR.
| Jackson on educational matters and the
propagation of reindeer in Alaska.
Before leaving st. MichaeFs the Bear in
tended to go to st. Lawrence Island, the
| last stopping place in northern Alaska. The
Bear is going there to take away the school
| teacher and his wife, who are Stationed
there.