The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-11-20

traces and works as to make their
authorship beyond question. After I
had reached manhood and had gone
into this particular study found unde-
hiable facts tending to this conclusion.
II am aware that eminent men OF all
nations have a share in the claim that
the Chinese either by accident OF storm
or by Intentions, were carried from our
country to the then strange land OF the
far west. do not know that one par
ticular man headed an expedition to
this continent from China, but all signs
point to the truthfulness Of this opinion
II would like to call attention to a
fact which may or may not be generally
known to your people. For centuries 1t
has been reported that Chinese boats
have been driven to the shores OF Alas
ka, and even on the coast farther south.
There is no denying that Chinese junks
have been found in a partially dis
mantled condition on the Pacific coast
within our memory. 1t Is fair to pre-
sumo that my ancestors met with the
same fortunes while at sea, and that
they, too, were carried by currents and
winds far to the east, and of necessity
were landed upon the coast of this con-
tinent.
EVIDENCE IN ARCHAEOLOGY.
II know that evidences of the Chinese
have been found in Mexico and Cali
fornia. and can point to different au-
tthorities on archaeology to bear me out
in this assertion"
Minister Wu takes 1t for an acknowl-
edged fact that his countrymen were
cast upon American shores ages ago,
and there is no disputing the authori-
ties, he says, on this point.
Right upon the heels of his statement
is another corroborative of this inter-
| esting story. DR.. Sheldon Jackson,
chief of the Alaskan division In the
Office of commissioner of education,
| spent q number of year in Alaska and
took away from that country numerous
evidences of Chinese visitation. He
/ brought a coat of mail from Alaska,
which he presented to the museum of
Princeton university, and which proves
| conclusively that the Mongolians visit
ed Alaska. In an interview today he
said:
| II obtained this coat Of mail from
the natives at Cape Prince Of Wales
| They told me that 1t had been relic
of great value to themselves and their
| forefathers and was centuries old.
| IN ALASKA YEARS AGO.
This coat was of walrus skin, prob
ably three inches thick, and was in a
state of excellent preservation. 1 sup
pose II would render harmless any spear
that was thrown by an enemy in those
times. It was covered with Chinese
coins, that bore every sign Of Chinese
origin. The natives when they present
ed 1t to me said that Chinese had land
ed in Alaska ages ago and that .this
was a memento of their visit. Eminent
archaeologists have said tEat there .s
no question that the coins are Chinese
Believing the article of historic value
I presented it to Princeton university
and suppose 1t is still in the museum OF
that institution.
II found other traces Of eastern civil.
zation in Alaska, but what regarded
as the best evidence Is found among
certain natives along the Alaskan
coast. II you should transport one OF
these fellows to China I'll warrant yor
could not pick him out from among tho
Chinese. The test was given me one
day. Some one told me that in banI
Of natives there was one Chinamau
and challenged me to pick out the righ
man. l was utterly unable to do so.
am personally convinced that there !.
a strong diffusion of oriental BLOOD
among the natives along the Alaskan
coast"
DR.. Jackson also commented on tn,
fact that Chinese and Japanese junk.
have been found on the western shore
and corroborated the testimony Of Min
lister WI on this and other points.