The Daily Alaska empire., 1936-10-09

It may De true llidt eiiC aAoShoAio have never made much real history, but no one can deny that they have always put on a good show with this statement the author starts his book. and it is this show he refers to that constitutes the Alaskan Mel odrama. The title is fitting. Little in fiction could transcend the melo- dramatic story which this book un- folds.
 The first chapter is devoted to description of the country - the stage setting. Every portion of the Territory is described in such way that the reader gets a clear idea of what Alaska really looks like.
 Then the natives are dealt with The origin of the Alaska natives is assumed to be similar to the or igin of the native races of North America generally, and the theory of Professor Wegener that the con- tinents were at one time adrift IS held out as the most plausible the ory advanced by those who seek to account for the presence of the na- tive races in America.
 In discussing the character and institutions of the Alaska natives the author advances theory of ms own which is both new and lar reaching. It is to the effect that in the process of evolution it was not primarily the strongest individual that survived, but the strongest group: and that the struggle for ex- istence was primarily not struggle between individuals but a struggle between groups. This theory ex- plains many of the peculiar char acteristics of the Alaska natives and it also explains how their in, stitutions developed. While the author employs the theory only for the purpose of shedding light upon the character and institutions of the Alaska natives, the theory ad- mits of a much wider application and one of the highest importance in that it accounts not only for hu- man nature, the existence of good and evil, but also for the rise and growth of Government. No one can read this chapter without gain ing vast amount of information
 
 The story of the discovery or AL aska is then told with all its dra- matic and colorful incidents. Si- beria was then settled by convictS, exiles, and fortune hunters, but all the residents of Siberia, regard less of what classes they belonged to, were interested in but single thing, and that was the getting of furs. It followed that when this new land of furs was discovered ev- eryone that could joined the stam- pede. Ships were built out of green lumber with very little iron, and they were navigated by men who knew nothing about ships and still less about the sea, but fortunately, the authorities say, as none of these fortune-hunters possessed any mon- ey the result was that they all be- came partners in the enterprise. A ship carried certain number of men, each of whom shared in the profits, so that the profits were widely distributed and everyone prospered For 50 years the Rus sian hunters continued to thrive as holders and partners; they didn't become millionaires, but most of them became well-off and they all retained their independence.
 Then came the Russian American Company After that, those who had been partners became employ ees. It all came about this way. One of the traders, Shelikof, was man of vision. He saw what could be done if the fur trade could be brought under the control of a single concern, and he set about to organize that concern. The story of how this was accomplished is, to say the least, fascinating. As the result of Shelikof's efforts, the Russian American Company came into being, and Shelikof selected Baranof to manage the affairs of the company. Both of these men were empire builders of the first order. Baranof founded Sitka and made it the commercial metropolis of the Pacific Coast; at the same time he made huge profits for the fur company. The effect of the entry of the Russian American com- pany into the fur trade, upon those engaged in it, is best portrayed in the language of the author. The author says: For fifty years, men with little or no money had been able to enter the fur-trade and be- come well-to-do, now all this was changed-the little fellows day was over. There was to be as many or more persons engaged in the trade as before, but they were to be em- ployees. Those who would have beer independent operators under the olc regime must now content them selves with a job-that was all that even Baranof was to get out of it. Paranof hecame an autocrat witf