Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-08-03
FORMER BADGER
NOW RESIDES
IN FAR NORTH
6ARABoo TRAVELLERS MEET PRsN.
SlCIAN FROM ADAMS COUNTY
IN ALASKA-ENJOYS A
PROSPEROUS PRACTICE
(By H. E. Cole)

! (By H. E. Cole)
I One Of the worst features In connec-
ton with holding property in Alask&
is the title to the land. The goveEn-
ment has not given many patenes,
and person owns just what he ocOW.
pies. Quit claim deeds have bee@
given and in rare instances patenks.
At Juneau citizen claimed quite q
J large tract of land on the outskirts OF
the city, and one morning woke up no
+, find others were taking part of his
property for homes. He was not using
the land and had no way of stopping
them. Others came along and all oT
his land was taken except the portion
he actually occupied. OF course ha
had not given anything for it and
suffered little except disappointment.
The Indians at Juneau occupy valu-
able water front and, not having titles
to the land they occupy, will probably
ere long be obliged to vacate. Oe
course they will be paid something,
but it is unlikely that they will be
able to hold the property, though they
desire to do SO. Some OF the populo@s
centers have been surveyed by the
government and good titles are ex-
| pected soon.
! Indian Customs and White Man'~
Laws Confusing
AS to property inheritances there ts
serious conflict between the customs
of the Indian and the laws of the
/ white man. The Indians are divided
into clans, such as the bear, eagle,
frog, wolf and others The children
take the clan name of the mother.
and according to Indian custom, coma
into possession of the property I'm
most instances. Where an Indian has
been married twice and there are tww
sets of children, the property all goes
to the children by the second wife.
The same occurs in other instances,
mans court there is often serious
controversy.
Long Ways From Washington
| In the past the judges and other Of
, ficials in Alaska have been appointed
largely from among the citizens of the
states One Alaska resident said that
often these office holders were men 10
whom the party in power was indebt-
ed and who were not wanted at home.
The political debt was paid by send
ing these men to far-away Alaska.
The citizens of the territory are anx-
iOus that congress pass a law max
ing it necessary to fill the territorial
! offices from residents of the territory.
When it comes to needed legislation
the people of Alaska claim that it is
4,500 miles from juneau to Washing
ton and $4,000 miles from Washing
ton to Juneau. The same complaint
holds with regard to the fisheries in
Alaska. The big corporations have q
foothold in the business and maintain
a big lobby at Washington, so big, in
fact, that the sounds of distress in
Alaska are not heard in the nations
capital. The salmon and halibut mo
| nopoly goes merrily on without halt
An Auto View of Juneau
While in Juneau we enjoyed q
pleasant mountain ride in the auto
mobile of Dr. L. P. Dawes, formerly
a resident of Adams county, Wiscon-
sin. DR.. Dawes parents still reside
in the Badger State, and others OF
the family are in Juneau. The Alas
ka capital is the leading city of the
territory. The place has reached q
population of about 5000 and is rap
idly growing. The building sites are
limited and land is becoming very
valuable. There is a narrow strip
along the shore extending up the val
ley, but the width of the city can new
er be great on account of snow-cap-
ped mountain crowding close to the
shore. The location of the city ia
most picturesque, part of the houses
standing on piling and part on the
slopes. The streets are short and
very much inclined. All of the so
automobiles in the place have high
power in order to do the necessary
climbing. In juneau are found many
prosperous business firms, three hos.
pitals, banks, newspape and big
mines near by. DR.. Dawes enjoys a
large practice as a physician and sur
geon, having Office rooms in tho