Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-02-27


traditions Of the territory.
The history of Alaska covers just about
$50 years, and, roughly speaking, it may be
divided into three periods of so years each.
The first so was the period of exploration
and discovery. The next so was that of the
Russian occupation and the last 40 years
covers the time since we purchased the ter
rltory.
Alaska was discovered by the Russians
during the eighteenth century, but very lit
tie was known about it until almost the be-
ginning of the nineteenth. 1t was in III
that Peter Popoff sailed from Siberia
around through Bering strait and brought
back rumors that continent existed on the
other side of Asia. Seventeen years later,
Peter the Great Of Russia, who had heard of
these stories. sent Vitus Bering, a Danish
navigator who had become Russian out
from Kamchatka to find out if they were
true. Boring went through Bering strait,
but it must have been foggy, for he did not
see the American shore or even the Do
mede islands, which lie half way in the
strait The strait is only 90 miles wide and
on clear days it is possible to look from
America to Asia. SO he came back and re-
ported that he had found nothing. He tried
it again nine years later with similar re-
suit, and it was not until 174l that he saw
the American continent and discovered the
Shumagin islands. At that time he an
chored near the mouth of the Copper river
and went on back through the Aleutans to
the Island of Boring, belonging to Siberia.
He was wrecked on that island and died
there of scurvy. Some of his sailors made
their way back to the mainland and they
carried the story of the existence of Alaska
and the wonderful furs of the Aleutans.
From that time the Russians made many
expeditions to the Aleutians. They brought
back furs, and the reports went out over the
world OF the great wealth of furs in the
northern Pacific. This attracted the atten-
ton Of other countries and other navgators
and there were a number of exploring tours
made by Spanards and Englishmen which
did much toward the opening Of our great
land at the north. 1t was in IVA and l775
that Juan Perez was sent by the king Of
Spain from Mexico to the north. He
reached Dixon entrance, our international
boundary, in IVA, and the year following
came to Sitka sound. Captain Cook sailed
from Plymouth, England for this part of
the world at just about the time that Jeffer-
son was writing -the Declaration of indie
pendence. 1t was he who established the
fact that there was no land connection be-
tween America and Asia and he surveyed a
part of the coast, outlining the chief features
through more than II degrees of latitude.
He then went south to Hawaii, where he
was killed by the natives.
Later still there were other explorations
by the Russians, who formed trading COM
panies, and there were independent fur
traders from England and from our Atlantic
coast There were five ships from New
England that came to Alaska in the latter
part of the eighteenth century to buy furs,
and one of these, commanded by Captain
Gray, took his cargo of furs to Canton, in
China and there got cargo OF tea, which
he carried on around the Cape of Good
Hope to Boston, making the first voyage OF
an American vessel around the world. He
landedin Boston August 10, 1870.
In the meanwhile the Russians had been
gradually making their claims to Alaska,
and along about the beginning OF the last
century they made treaties with England
which conceded to them the Alaskan coast
down to 81 degrees 40 minutes OF north lat
itude, including the whole of the Alaska that
we bought from them. At that time it is
said that Russia had great ambition 20
control the Pacific, and that it was her aim
to grab the whole OF California and the Ha
waan islands as we'll Baranof. the man