Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-06

and tho government gave me Jurisdiction
over 1t with the powers Of . United states
marshal.
Of its limbs and nailed the United States
flag at its top and then held a service OF
thanksgiving and praise"
How to Become Member.
Any Indian may become member of the
probation. This being satisfactory, he sub
scribes to declaration, in which, in brief,
he promises:
First-To reverence the Sabbath, attend
divine worship, refrain from secular work
on that day, to regard all true Christians
as brethren and to be truthful, honest and
industrious.
Second-To be faithful and loyal to the
government and laws Of the United States.
Thrd-To vote for the election of the
town council and to obey the bylaws and
orders imposed by said council.
Fourth-To attend to the education Of the
children and keep them at school as reg
ularly as possible.
Fifth-To abstain totally from all intox-
icants and gambling and never attend nor
countenance heather customs in surround
ing villages.
Sixth-To observe sanitary regulations.
Seventh-To identify ourselves with the
progress of the settlement and to utilize
the land we hold.
Eighth-Never to ALLEVIATE, give away or
sell our land or building lots, or any part
thereof, to any person or persons who have
not subscribed to these rules.
Annette Island is eighteen miles long and
nearly ten miles wide. Father Duncan says
there is very little gold there, but the enter
prising prospector, who has been nosinS
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
and iron. The ketchikan country, hard by,
Is attracting any amount of capital. On
Gravina Island there is a quartz claim that
runs 10 per cent copper and $40 in gold AT
Thorn Arm a stamp mill has been put up,
while a little way up the channel, on Cleve-
land peninsula, they have found some of the
richest gold specimens that have come out
of Alaska. All this history makes the pros
pector look longingly over toward Annette
Island
A well-known mining expert from Cali
fornia. who was passenger on the steamer
with me, said that in 1892 some Yankee
miners found ore Annette Island that
went $500 to the ton. Father Duncan, Hcom-
missioned of God, as his admiring histor-
ians say, took the matter to Washington
and had the miners called or.
The Emperor Hostile to Miners.
The miners, impatient to prospect there,
argue that this government has no right to
give a handful of disgruntled Canadians
title clear to important strip of territory
in the United States, to build an indepen-
dent community, to make laws and religion
for themselves. If we must do such a
thing, says the kicking prospector, let us
give the country to white Canadians.
white man is good an Indian, after
the Indian has become civilized.
But while the prospector is complaining
of Father Duncan's dominion over the
island, Father Duncan is asking for more
authority and more pull for his people. AL
though he has long since abandoned all
the old isms and established creed of
his own, he has the sympathy and sup
port, of course, of all the religious orders
in the United States, in his efforts to hold
the island for his converts. Briefly the
Indian ask:
1. For an absolute government conflrma-
ton to their title to their land and homes.
2. For the protection of the fisheries OF
the district.
g. For the power to forever enforce pro-
hibition on the island and to preserve their
united undenominational church from the
contentious and rivalries of other sects.
4. For the maintenance of public schools
and the ultimate granting of civil rights
and citizenship.
When the lines had been cast off and the
Rosalie backed out, the CHEEKY voice of
the emperor called merrily, goodbye, 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 it away in the freight
house. Although it was nearly midnight,
the white village showed plainly, sleeping
peacefully on the gentle slope. A brisk
breeze blew down from the north, the sal
mon 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
A Happy Community.
1t is a happy community. To be sure
they are not all happy nor all good An
Indian came out on the Resale. He was
very bitter against the white-bearded
father. He had dared to take wife, whom
he loved from out of town, and Father
Duncan had banshed him. So the man
said many hard things about Father Dun
can; but he was an Indian, an Alaska In
dian, an outraged outcast Indian, accord
ing to his statement, and very probably
he lied.
But that Father Duncan rules the island
no one denies. steamer stopped there
not long ago, the mate made a remark
that displeased the father and the father
notified the captain that the ship must
never touch at Metlahkatla again with
that mate aboard To be sure, the boat
could land, spite of the ruler of the island,
but it could get no freight, so they pro-
NOTED the mate, made captain Of him,
and the incident was closed.