Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-14
COUNTING THE ALASKANo
AGENTS TRAVELLED THOUSANDS OF
MILES BY DOG TEAM.
Great Suffering Among the Natives
Future, of Nome Peninsula
Assured.

The census bureau recently completed the
enumeration Of the district of Alaska The
schedules have been received at the office
and are now in process Of tabulation.
Mr.. Samuel c. Durham, who had charge
of the work in the northern district re-
turned to Washington few days ago and
submitted his final report. Mr.. Dunham
left Washington May i, 1899, and arrived
a. St. Michael July 8. He established If
teen enumeration districts and appointed
fifteen special agents, who We're paid 50 d
day. with an allowance of 81 a day for dog
team and interpreter. The period Of en-
pioyment Of the special agents varied from
three to eight months, according to con-
ditions prevailing In their various districts
Many of the special agents had great diff
cultes to overcome and suffered great hard
ships. but all completed their work. Per-
haps the most difficult district to enumerate
was that comprising the Arctic coast, from
Point Hope 10 Demarkation Point.
Mr.. Charles D. Bromer. the agent for the
district Travelled 900 miles by dog team
during the winter and enumerated $50 per-
sons-24 whites. Japanese and 1857 ma
tives. The native and mixed population
of the northern district Of Alaska is 12,652
Destitution OF the Natives.
The most populous district with respect
to the native population IS the country lying
between the mouth Of the Yukon and the
Kuskoquin rivers and extending back from
the coast 100 miles. Nj. Maurice Johnson,
the agent for this district. travelled over
1000 miles with dog team during the win
ter, and enumerated 3,013 persons. all of
whom were Indians. The Indians in this
region are probably the most destitute peo-
pie in the North American continent. Mr..
johnson reports that from December l to
March Is he visited seventy-four indian viii
lagos. and during that time saw but three
fires burning In the shacks or dugouts.
The poor creatures huddle together in their
miserable dwellings during the long winter
and subsist on frozen fish and little seal
OIL, which they secure on the coast during
the summer.
The fur-bearlng animals, which formerly
furnished them with natural clothing, are
nearly extinct, and they have been forced
to adopt the white mans garb. and as Their
poverty prevents them from securing
enough to cover their nakedness thc.e )
great suffering from the cold. The spirit
ual condition Of these neglected natives Is
no better than the phys.ca as the mis-
sionaries devote their attention to the fields
In the gold regions aud along the river.
The Nome District.
The Nome district Ia the most popuous in
northern Alaska. The enumeration showed
a permanent white population on June l OF
2.7O4. During the summer about $4,000 per-
sons landed at Nome. about $500 OF them
coming from Dawson. About 1900 nave
returned to their homes in the states, leav-
Ing about 1900 persons IN the region con-
tiguous to Nome. 1t Is probable that the
population of the town of Nome during the
winter VIII be between 1900 and 500.
The future Of the Nome peninsula Is as
sured. The developments during the past
summer have shown the region about Port
Clarence, eighty miles to the westward OF
Nome, to be as rich as Nome, If not richer.
The Topkuk district, seventy miles to the
eastward of Nome. Is show -ng many rich
creeks, and some promising quartz has been
found. Many good creeks have been found
from so to 100 miles inland, and 1t Is safe
to predict that the Nome region will prove
to be as rich as the Kiondike.