The Nome nugget., 1903-12-05

Unalaklik, Nov. l2. To the Editor of THE NOME NUGGET: In one of the recent editions of your widely y-read paper, 1 read letter from a correspondent of TIE NUGGET requesting the facts concerning the conditions of the Eskimo and the remedy thereof with the mtimatiOn that II help was needed. the government was Wiling. The condition of the Eskimo in and around Nome is too well known by the people of Nome to need much comment here: they have on more than one occasion. gone down lin their jeans so that the Eskimo would not starve in the golden streets of Nome Even this fall the Rev. Dr. Ryberg, with the aid of the people, had to erect cabins and sup ply them with food for the winter. The govern ment wants to know what to do for their benefit.
 First, and primarily, there should be rigid and nhexible crusade against the depraved white nonentties who make their living by catering to the inorlinate appetites of the Eskimo for whisky. There are, you know, men. or things, on thls coast, who are so far lost to the name of men as to have lost all right to be treated as human. who year after year, make it their business to cater entirely, or nearly so to the native demand for hootch. The result, MT. Editor, and have seen it and you know of it. is that villages of semi starving natives. destitute of rifles, fishing gear and all that % to make natives wealth. Such a condition of things is deplorable in any cOmmuni ty, let alone in a country where the laws of free dom liberty and justice, the laws of the U. S govern Eskimo men and women debased through hOOtch, the women forced through theH poverty to sell themselves to exist, depravity drunkenness. immortality aud semi starvation go hand in hand The young men hanging on the outskirts of the whites do not fish or hunt, and the consequent result cOmplasant acquesence to any means employed to live. These facts are sef-evdent to anyone that has even superfcially investigated the matter The officers not to be blamed: they have done their duty, but the difficulty to secure a conviction because the nec- cSsary witnesses not produced, has no doubt made the officer careful before he would make an arrest
 Secondly, let the government establish select cd points with stores under government super vision to sell or trade with the natives This proposition may not seem feasible, but there are already here government supplies for the Lapps, and I presume it be done for the Eskimo. There are several stores along the coast that trade with the natives at their own figures, and, naturally, make a good thing out of the natives by the government keeping the needed food supplies for the Eskimo, and taking in exchange their dried fish, curios etc., the profits of the trader would be eliminated, and the result an increase in the material comfort of the Eskimo.
 do not believe in the so-called phlanthrophy of societies, individuals. etc. in giving to the na- tives, for as soon they realize that they can have what they need without working for it, idle ness and its consequent evils are the result; but by making them understand that they must-as they really are-be self lfsupporting, their conf dence in themselves increases, their standard of