The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-01-24
Random Remarks
By ]. A. HALL, in the Decatur (Ga.)
New Era
RUSSIAN AMERICA"

RUSSIAN AMERICA"
Suppose w. H. Seward had not been
a good trader for Uncle Sam but had
allowed the Russians to retain Alaska,
what predicament would this country
now be in? 1t is hard to realize that
the word of the czars was once su-
preme as far south as the Bay of San
Francisco. Southwark from San Fran
cisco for a thousand miles the Pacific
coast country was but thinly inhabited
by few Spaniards, mongrel Mexicans
and lazy root-eating Indians.
When the writer was a small school
boy he studied an ancient atlas which
showed large part of northwestern
America printed in dark green. This
was Alaska and other adjacent terri
tory, but was designated on the map
with the ominous title Russian Amer
ica." A narrow green strip extended
from Alaska southwark along the
coast and several towns and trading
posts were shown and, by each one Of
these, was a little picture of Greek
church.
The history of Russia's adventure
as a colonizing power in America is
lost in obscurity. Sometime in the re-
mote past, trappers and fur traders
from the northern shores of Siberia
appear to have established trade with
the Esuuimaux on the American side
of Behring Strait. In the course of
time, the Russian-American Company
was established by the Russian gov
eminent. This was in the year 1899
and the power was given to the COM
pany to regulate trade and to adj
minister the government in all Rus
sian possessions which included Alas
ka and parts of what is now Canada.
49,
Under the aggressive administra-
ton of the Russian-American Com
pany, trading posts were pushed rap
idly southwark. In the early 40's Sltka
was an important port. A Russian
colony had established itself in a Cal
ifornia valley on stream which still
bears the name of Russian River,
and another colony had established
itself with much military pomp and
pretension in the delightful glen ~
ing north of the Bay of San Fran
cisco, now known as Mill valley. This
post now called Ross was provided
with a great stockade inside of which
were located homes for officers, bar
racks for soldiers and sailors, church,
warehouses and was defended by num-
erous heavy cannon. Russian ships
came and went regularly through the
Golden Gate and handsome young
Muscovite officers, dressed in gaudy
and picturesque uniforms, played the
double role Of diplomats and spies in
the luxurious fiestas Of Monterey
More than one dark-eyed senorita lost
her heart to strapping Russian lieu
tenant who when he sailed away SOL
emily vowed he would return, but
never did But new and strange fate
was in the making for the California
Russians, the easy-going Spaniards,
and indeed for the whole Pacific coast
country and its many kinds of strange
people.
The presence of the Muscovites on
Russian River and at Ross aroused
the opposition of Spain and soon the
commandant at Ross found it advis-
able to sell out his trading post and
leave the country. Here Russia turned
back from what she might have made
some day a great American empire.
The Spaniards, who had long been IN
the country and enjoyed its glorious
climate and the bounty of its fruit
full lands did not give up readily. They
made a show of fighting to hold their
territory; but the country was now
full of rough and tumble American
miners who had crossed the Rocky
Mountains in search of gold and who
had no intention of being deprived of
the opportunity to gain what was pos
sible from the mines and the land.
After a number of so-called battles
which were of little consequence, the
L tNry0 ~ ri
the authority of Mexico was pushed
far southwark. Now the sturdy Ameri-
can nation which had trudged west
ward through snow-covered noun
tains and through great hardships,
stood at last with it's boyish toes
thrust into the blue waters of the Pa
cific. Fate had decreed that California,
a region upon which Fortune had law
- o1,oJoooa Of nond thin