The Ketchikan miner., 1908-07-18
INTERESTING ADDRESS.

Following is the concluding portion of the address delivered by Dr. J. l.. Myers in Ketchikan on the 4th of July last. The Miner has withheld until now in the hope that it might find space for the publication of his ad. dress in full:
 ''The story of Alaska is the telling of great things, the word itself mean ing great land. To describe the country is to portray land rugged in appearance; whose scenery is most picturesque whose shore is longer than the earths circumference; whose river is one of the largest in the
 world; whose snow capped mountains are invitations to climb to places Oi
 broad vision; whose glaciers are mag nficent, icebergs majestic and water falls sublime. In fact Alaska is greatness itself, the land of the mid night sun.
 And today we are Alaskans, though gathered from all states and nations of the world-and yet we are Ameri- cans. For four decades that flag, the ensign of freedom, has hoated over our land. The first years however
 were years of strife. discord and dis sension. Avaricious, interruptions
 men made might right and deeds were committed which were a travesty on justice.
 "By way of comparison, let us go
 back to 1776 and see what Alaska was then and note the changes of one hun dred and thirty-two years. Then there
 were but few white men in this country, if any. The natives lived in crude houses with fire in the center, and they were clothed in furs; now they more and more affect our manner of living and they are clothed as we are. Then they spoke language Of dialects varying as to their tribe and location: now most of the younger generation speak English. Then there
 was war, feud and bloodshed; now there is peace. industry and friend ship. Then they lived by hunting and fishing; now they are engaged more or less steadily in saw-mills, cannaries and other industries of civi.- ization. The last century and third has produced great change among the natives. It has made great change among white people. The change that has come over the civiliz- ed world in that period has been sufficiently amazing to races who have lived in and progressed with it. The native Alaskan has not had even such au advantage. All that the civilized world has to offer has been thrust up- on him not during century or cen- turies of progress, hut within the last twenty-five and most of it within the last ten years. Their bewilder- ment is not surprising. Think of flashing search light in the eyes of one whose only artificial light has been the rays from burning pine knot-imagine his consternation and you will have some idea of the be- wilderment of these people. Ocean going steamers instead of canoes manned at most by few oarsmen; the gasolene launch instead of the single paddle canoe; electric lights in the streets. land in some instances, in the home, instead of the smutty fire in the middle of the room serving for both heat and light; canned meats. fruits and vegetables furnish ing the staple of food; marshals, at- torneys, judges and Jails instead of being tried before a council and chief; and for punishment imprison- ment instead of paying blankets. All these and many other things are mys tifying to the Indians.
 'sBut as population increased, as new states were formed. the white man has moved to newer regions and at last he has come to Alaska. From universities and colleges he has come. Allured by stories of wealth, physi- clans, attorneys, business men, and others engaged in enterprises of greater or less importance in varlous states and countries of the world have left home. abandoned the country and k1 ;, alone we find, the frontiersman is here too-that man who 'blazes the trail for civilization. Unique char acter, he!, From childhood, perhaps, he has been in the wiIds; naught does he care for banquets or balls, and as civilization crowds, he moves to lands farther on. Having endured hard- ships, braved and grimIy smiled on