Year: 1879

REPORT OF NAVAL COMMANDER BEARDsLEY-


NECESSITY FOR SURPRISING THE LIQUOR


TRAFFIc-NEw PUBLIC SPIRIT. sr.s-t


WASHINGTON August 6, 1879.


Commander Beardsley. of the jamestown. now
stationed at Sitka. reports to the Secretary of the
Navy that the settlement is in no danger from
Indians at present but that trouble is to be appre
hended in the fall. when the Indians return from
hunting and fishing and drink themselves into .
state of frenzy. as they usually do. 1881 oHaf


THE BANEFUL LIQUOR TRAFFIC.


Commander Beardsey says


Left as this community is without vestige of
civil law authority its position is so undeter-
mined that to consider it not Indian terri
tory will involve the risk OF serious error The
community is devoid of the moral force that it
would have did not the Indians consider that
it has been abandoned by its natural protectors.


great evil arising from this state OF affairs is that
while the Introduction OF even gallon of good or
ordinary liquor is sedulously prevented, material
from which the most poisonous liquor be and
is made in great quantities. is permitted to be i'm
ported by the ton. The first and only step by
which Alaska can ever be saved or developed
will be the enactment by Congress of
law which shall place the importation Of
restrictions that the manufacture of hooichenoo
can be stopped. The whites OF Stka may be divided
into three classes-namely very few respectable
people worth saving; larger number Of Russians
and hali-breeds. poor miserable. lazy. pow
be 4 worth while to take much trouble
about were it not for our pledge to Russia
and few unprincipled white men, mostly dis
charged soldiers deserters who make what little
money they can by any schemes however nefarious
Belonging to all three OF these classes are certain
| naturalized American merchants, mostly Jews, who
sell liquor to Indians and sailors and at the
time that they thus ncite danger and ncapac-
tvte protectors, call loudest for '.protection" or
those who signed the petition to the President two
at least OF this class and others suspect.
RAID ON STILLS


On the 18th ult organized raid upon the Illicit
dlstillrieS. had but awaited sufficient
murder in the white settlement and a continued
drunken row ending in big fight. which had to
send armed party to SUPPRESS in the Indian vii
lage furnished me with The result of our
raid the destruction or caeture Of
three stills and large quantity OF ma
terial and liquor in the houses of sdis-
charged soldiers and OF thrtyeight stills $50 gal
Ions Of liquors. aud much mash among the
Indians


On the 9th called n meeting Of the citizens, and
ably assisted by the Deputy Collector. Mr. Dulaney
and by Mr.. John Brady, hava, hope. started pub
lie opinion which will result in the formation of q
local government with police regulations sufficient
to restrain disorder and regulate IL check the
traffic in liquor.


The health OF the ships company is good. The
climate is not damp. We have had more pleasant
than unpleasant weather. and there Is never fog
which penetrates apartments. Our books, guns,
clothes, &C.. are kept perfectly free from mould.
None Of US subject to neuralgia or rheumatism.
While it is raining wet clothes hung under the
awning will dry. M