The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1900-11-09
CONDITIONSSE SERIOUS
Report Of Commander Of Depart
ment of Alaska.
'LAWLESSNESS PREVAILED

Boodshed Prevented by Arrival OF
the Troors-Reoommendations That
Some Methods be Taken to Relieve
the Condition of the Natives.
Washington, Nov Brig. Gen. Geo.
M. Randall, commanding the depart
ment of Alaska, under date of Septem-
Der Goth at st. Michael, has submitted
his annual report. A great deal of the
report is devoted to conditions at
Nome, which he found upon his ar
rival at critical stage. 1t was diff
cult to obtain convictions by jury trial
in the United States commissioners
court, which emboldened the lawless.
Labor organizations prevented men
from working for less than 81 an hour,
and were the cause of much destitu-
ton and want, and destruction Of prop
erty.
Fully $4,000 people arrived at Nome
in June Claim jumping was the order
of the day. Nearly every one seemed
to think he had divine right to take
possession of a claim or town lot
wherever found. Many property own
ers were disposed to defend their
rights by taking the law in their own
hands. The arrival of troops prevent.
ed bloodshed and serious disorder. On
the request of the chamber of COM
merce the military took charge, thor
oughly examined into all complaints,
and where the rights of property could
be determined, placed 1t in the pos
session Of the lawful owner. Capt. w.
A. Bethel, who acted as judge advo-
cate in these cases, is highly praised
by Gen. Randall.
Gen. Randall devotes considerable
space to the natives of Alaska and
says that the Esquimau has been unno-
ticed by those he has befriended and
has been allowed to die for the lack of
proper care and food. For years he
has extended his hospitality to adven-
turous white men, and his hut has
been the shelter for shipwrecked sailor
and frostbitten miner. From all points,
Cape York, Port Clarence, Topek, Col
ofin bay, Yukon river, and elsewhere
reports have been received of sickness,
starvation and mortality so great that
it promised to wipe out almost the en-
tire race Lieut.. T. II. Jarvis of the
United States revenue service report.
ed these facts TO Gen. Randall. and the
tug Meteor was placed at his disposal
for relief work and about a hundred
destitute natives cared for at Nome
The revenue cutter Bear has been dis
tributing supplies to the destitute ma
tives, while others in the vicinity at
Fort st. Michael have been cared for
by the commanding officer of that post
The work of Lieut.. Jarvis is highly
commended by Gen. Randall.
In closing this particular feature OF
his report Gen. Randall says: "In
many parts of the United States pro
vision has been made for the Indian
Reservations have been set apart fol
him, and food and clothing supplied
In Alaska it was not necessary hereto
fore to do much but the great rush OF
white men that followed the discov
cries of gold has completely changed
everything. The game and fur bear
ing animals have about disappeared
and the natives means of sustenanc6
are gone.
81 therefore recommend that the
government afford some relief to the
natives until such time as they car
| take care of themselves"
Gen. Randall also has the following
to say regarding relief to white mel
who venture into Alaska:
81 am of the opinion that it would
be mistake for the government Il
| give any general aid In future to the
venturesome classes of white mer
who come to Alaska. About 300 hav,
been sent out on transport and othel
vessels this year and many more will
be sent before the close of navigation
The conditions are now general,
known throughout the states and tn,
expectation of government aid in re
turning to their homes in case of fail
ure has without doubt been the mos
hopeful prospect in view to a consider
able number who have come to tn,
country since 1897, and especially il