The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-07

Duncan says there is very little gold
| there but the enterprising prospector
| who has been nosing about says the
| island is rich in mineral. 1t is good
! country Prince of Wales Island, to
| the west, is known to be rich in copper
hard by, is attracting any amount of
| capital. On Gravipa Island there is a
| quartz claim that runs ten per cent.
copper and $40 in gold. At Thorn Arm
a stamp mill has been put UP, while
little way up the channel on Cleveland
Peninsula, they have found some of
1.-THE richest gold specimens that have
come out of Alaska All this history
makes the prospector look longingly
over toward Annette Island.
A well-known mining expert from
California, who was q passenger on
the steamer with me, said, that in 1892
some Yankee miners found ore on An
nette Island that went $500 to the ton.
Father Duncan, commissioned of
God" as his admiring historians say,
| took the matter to Washington and
had the miners called off.
The Emperor Hostile to Miners.
The miners. impatient to prospect
there. argue that this government has
no right to give a handful of dis
gruntled Canadians a title clear to an
important strip of territory in the
United States, to build an independ-
ent community, to make laws and re-
ligion for themselves. If we must
do such a thing, says the kicking
prospector, let us give the country to
white Canadians. An white man is as
good as. an Indian, after the Indian
has become civilized.
But while the prospector is COM
planning of Father Duncan's dominion
over the island, Father Duncan is ask
ing for more authority and more pull
for bis people. Although he has long
since abandoned all the old isms and
established a creed of his own, he has
the sympathy and support, of course,
OF all the religious orders in the United
States In his efforts to hold the ISL
and for his converts. Briefly the In
dams ask:
First. For an absolute government
confirmation to their title to their land
and homes.
Second. For the protection of the
fisheries of the district.
Third. For the power to forever
enforce prohibition on the island and
to preserve their united undenomina-
tional church from the contentious and
rivalries of other sects.
Fourth. For the maintenance OF
public schools and the ultimate grant
ing of civil rights and citizenship.
When the lines had been cast off
and the Rosalie backed out, the cherry
voice Of the Emperor called merrily,
good-by. and, as we steamed away, we
saw him holding a lantern high over
his head and directing the Indians to
pick up the freight that we had left
and put 1t away In the freight house.
Although II was nearly midnight. the
white village showned plainly, sleeping
peacefully on the gentle slope. A
brisk breeze blew down from the
north, the salmon scampered hither
and thither about the boat, flashing
their silver torches above the waves.
One by one the lamps went out, and
the little Emperor sank TO rest.
Happy Community.
1t IL q happy community. To be
sure they are not all happy nor all
good. An Indian came out on the
Resale. lie was very bitter against
the white-bearded Father. He had
dared 70 take a wife, whom he loved,
from out Of the town, and Father Dun
can banished him. So the man said
many hard things about Father Dun
can; but he was an Indian, an Alaska
Indian, an outraged outcaet Indian,
according % HE statement. and very
probably he He'd.
But that Father Duncan rules the
island no one denies A steamer
stopped there rot long ago. the mate
INSIDE a remark thar diHpleased The
Father and the Father notified the