MONDAY, OCTOBER 18TH,
WAS ALASKA DAY
(Continued from Page 2.)
i E. Storey, of the revenue cutter Cor
win; the De Long expedition, which
sailed from .San Francisco in 1870 to
search for ihe .North Pole; the journey
of Ensign W. L. Howard up the.valloy
of the Noatak river across the divide
to the valley of the Colville river,
across another divide and down the
Chipp river to the Arctic coast, thence
along the coast to Point Barrow; the
information collected and distributed
Ijy numerous prospectors and individ
. uals; and last, and. most important of
s all the work of the U-. S. Government
, Survey, which was begun in a syste
matic manner in 1898 and continues to
t' the present .time. Dr. Alfred H.
Brooks, was placed in charge of this
i work.. -SChe ..first year’s explorations
were conducted,x>n.:the Kuskokwint,
; Susitna,.Tanana^Matanuska and Oop
! per'i-irer.-,.' Sincc-‘dHtat time approxi
mately 800,000 square miles of terri
tory have, been investigated and
mapped. So efficient, has been the
. work.-erf..the 1L, S. Geological Survey
and its -chief, tht- late d) ■Alfred' H
Brooks,' thatr it-has often been re
, marked that there were but two who
,iuew. the truth about Alaska’s re
vets—namely, .Providence and Dr.
rooks.
urchase of Territory From Russia.
.Asaeqrly as 1854, during the Cri
; ean W'piy'vthe Emperor of Russia,
fearing that the English would seize
ssian America.i offered to-sell the
E\.rritpry/to'th6; United States. The
x offer was declined. During President
Buchanan’s- administration negotia
tions for purchase were opened, but
were called?dl ijy Russia after an offer
•1^5,000,000 had been made. Credit
• for the final put chase is given to
William. H„ .Seward, Secretary of
• State'tinder President Jm‘-nson, who
was a.bly «sapBogt>d by' Charles Sum- j
ner, General Banks and others.
The treaty of purchase was signed !
i by Baron Stoeckl, for Russia, and!
Secretary Seward, for the United
! States,-at. 4a. m., on March 30, 1867,;
and sent to the Senate for ratification
on the same day. The measure was
confirmed, after much debate and con
.- siderable opposition, on April 10th.
The confirmation was secured largely
: as the nestilt, of a masterful address
1 by Senatof Charles. Sumner, in wihch
1 he summarized-all that waseknown re
i garding the Textritgry. Articlt s were
t exchanged and the treaty proclaimed
by President Johnson on June 20,
1867.
Considerable difficulty was ■experi
»- enced in obtaining the necessary ap
propriation to consummate the pur- j
chase, $7,200.000-r-d.wo oents per acre.1
The appropriation bill, however, was |
passed on July 14. A controversy
sir which country was..to meet the
uole expenses incident Ao the pur
■ ..chase then arose. Russia refusedvio
jpay her share, and the bill was finally
settled by the United States after the
b’e company had reduced the
. odm. The.foolishness of the quib
or purchase appropriations and
-uses is apparent when the total
p^rts from Alaska since its pur
chase by the United States have ex
ceed a billion and a quarter dollars.
The formal transfer of Alaska to
- theflTnited States took place at Sitka,
• October IS, 1867. Brigadier General
+■%} tc?T
l
‘ McGrath |
j Pool Hall |
—
Fresh Fruits
Candies
' Tobaccos
Pipes'
Cigarettes i
Soft Drinks ]
Cigarette Holders 11
Geo. Mutchler
Proprietor
Lovell H. Rousseau acted for the
United States Government, and Prince
Maksoutoff represented Russia, al
though the actual ceremony of the
transfer was performed by Captain I
I Alexei Pestehourof. The American
flag used in this ceremony now re
poses in a vault of the Department of
State. The Russian Hag was lowered
■ a Russian sailor, and the Stars and 1
i Stripes hoisted by George Lovell
' Rousseau, a son of Brigadier General j
, Lovell II, Rousseau.
Alaska Under United States Control.'
The lowering of the Russian flag 1
j and the raising of the Stars and
Stripes did not usher in in era of de-1
' velopment for Alaska. On the con-1
| trary a period of stagnation ensued.
Those who recount tho events of the
first quarter century of United States!
control in Alaska are inclined to draw ■
uncomplimentary comparisons with
the last quarter century of Russian'
rule.
1 he period trom 1807 to 1884 was
one of almost absolute governmental
neglect. The United States Army,!
which had taken over Alaska from !
Russia, remained in charge for the,
first decade. Military rule did not
make for phogress. During this period
Sitka remained the center of activi
tiestary posts were established at
Kenai, Kodik, Sitka, Tongass and
Wrangell, with detachments on the
islands of St. Paul and St. George.
All troops except those at Sitka were
withdrawn in 1870. Alaska was made
a customs collection district in 1868,
and deputy collectors were stationed
at Wrangell and Sitka. The with
drawal of the remaining soldiers in
1877 was regarded by the few white
residents of Alaska as a boon, espe
cially to the native population; who
had suffered in many ways because of
their presence.
From 1877 to 1870 there was no
government of any description in
Alaska, but, apparently .lawlessness
was no more rife than during the
period of military rule. Alaska was
officially “dry” territory. However,
imported liquor and the product of
the hootchenoo stills, operated by In
dians and whites alike, were in abund- |
ance, as was also the ease during the
military regime. The deputy collect
ors of customs exercised broad powers
and served as adjudicators of disputes,
but they Lacked authority to enforce
law and drtler.
Late in 1878 trouble arose at Sitka
over the murder of three white men
by Indians, wtio outnumbered the
whites, including Russians, three to
one. Notice of impending trouble was
forwarded to Washington, but elicited
no response. An appeal was then
made to the British admiral at Vic
toria, who despatched the Osprey, un
der command of Captain A’Court, to
the scene of the rouble without delay.
I rTiK7nt7mtrtwTrrc urn ,'iiu n ;iiu nut am ;iin tun
In April, 1879, the Osprey was re-1
lieved by the Alaska, an American
i vessel, which was in turn replaced by
j the Jamestown, Captain Leslie A.
ucarusiee, commanaer. This vessel
was the United States Government in
Alaska until 1881 when the Wachusett
replaced her. The Wachusett was re
placed in 1889, by the Adams, Captain
Merriman, commander.
Unuerwood, in Ins "Alaska: An Em
pire in the .Making,” describes the
work of the Navy and of Captain
Merriman as follows:
“Captain Merriman became a power!
among the Inmans, and he and his i
.mp piayed an important part in the
! history of the country. Peace arid
I ..rder reigned at Sitka. Indians and
miners at Juneau were chastised when
I they desirved it and protected in
whatever rights any of them had in
the abandoned territory. Crooked
traders and distillers of illicit liquor
generally had a most unpleasant tune
of it during this period Caple.Lt
Merriman, besides exercising a gen
erul police duty about the Territory,
acted as referee, umpire, probate arul
appellate judge, arbiter of many
vexed questions, and frequently the
judgment of a modern Solomon had to
be called -into requisition in deciding
issues in local tribal wars, M'ivy
times he was called upon to tear osun
der those whom Indian ceremonies
had made one, to protect young na
tive Beau Brummels, who scorned the
proposal to marry their uncle’s widow;
to save those doomed to death bv tor
ture for witchcraft; to prevent killing,
of slaves at funerals and potlatch fes
tivals, and to administer the estates
of deceased chieftains. These duties
demanded the exercise of tact and no
inconsiderable portion of diplomacy.
His departure from the wharf was
witnessed by waiting groups of na
tives, who regarded him as the Great
White Father of t'n6 Country.”
Teacher—Remember the saying,
“It’s better to give than to receive.”
Pupil—My father says that is his
maxim.
Teacher—What is your father?
Pupil—A pugilist.,—Munich Flie
gende Blaetter.
ORDER AND NOTICE OF ELEC-j
TION
To Be Held On Tuesday, November 2,1
192b.
In the Office of Lhe Lnited States
Commissioner at McGrath, Alaska.
Fourth Judicial Division.
Now, on this day, pursuant to «is
Act of Congress approved May 7,
1906, entitled “An Act Providing for
the Election of a Delegate to the:
House of Representatives From the
Territory of Alaska,” and an Act at
Congress, approved August 24, 1912, j
entitled “An Act to Create a Legisla
;aiivtiiittnitTCimiiaitt ^arcra/rruntTEn tekai
tive Assembly in the Territory of
Alaska, to Confer Legislative Powers
Thereon, and for Other Purposes,”
and in conformity therewith;
It is hereby ordered that for the
purposes of the general election to
be held on November 2, 1926, all the
territory in the recording district
known as Mtt. McKinley Recording
District, outside of incorporated
towns, is hereby divided into voting
precincts in each of which a polling
place is hereby specified.
The said voting precincts are desig
nated, described and hounded ee fol
lows
McGrath Precinct, No. 1—United
States Commissioner’s Office,
Judges of Election
Ed Stephenson,
R. M. White,
T. II. McLean.
Takotna Precinct,-’ No. ?—Pioneer
Hall.
Judges of Electron
Chris Peterson,
Gus Gallrkson,
Jake Estleman.
Medfra Precinct, No. 3—JSpe cer’s
Store.
Judges of Election_
F. C. II. Spencer,
Walter Stephens,
F. A. Matthews.
Notice i -, hereby given tnat a gen
eral election v ill be held on Tuesday,
November £, 11)26, for the rurpose of
electing the fallowing- officers, to-wit:
A Delegate to the House of R, pre
sentatives from the Territory <&
Alaska.
One member o'f the Senate of the
Territory of. Alaska.
Four members tof the House of
Rcpresentaives of the Territory - o*
Alaska.
Two 'Road. Comrnissiosiers for Boac
District No. .4.
The election will be held ill the vot
mg precincts above named and at the
polling places therein specified. The,
said poMing paets will be open be
tween toe hoars of eight o'clock a. m
and sewn o'clock p.;.m.; of *sM~ day.
Dated at McGrath, Alaska, October
: 1st, 1326.
W. T. VANDERPOOL,
i U.'Si'r aramissioner for .the Mt
McKinley Recording rDist.icx
Fourth Division, Territory o4
Alaska
"Row’S Smith in. the high jump—
any gaud”
“Maw, t.e.can.-hardly clear hie.
■ threat.”-*-Oojtopus.
Du Rand’s j
Cafe anio ;
HoteJ v
flat at
VOTE FOB
Thomas A. Marquam
Independent Candidate f or . Delegate
to Congres:
lr elected, he wil? sr*c aoinething JFdc Auski besides untaTorable
■and false noter>!» bv thf puhlic prws.nf thf Frsited SisAes.
Paid CAdvt.
John W* Dunn
OF RUBY
! M
i ntfeperident’ Candidate' fw
Territorial Senator
i ‘ Paid ‘ Actrt. I
I 7„ . ; -~ = - - —
•^^^^^^^t********''*"" «■.. «l
UtTnKtiU.VTH 7IUT7HK 7TTC TUT /UVXElOnv JiTIT TITPC nun tin MR JOTT TmmrrT-rrTr ‘nrtr
Thrice elected, he has served ’you d terms,
faithfully,u conscientiously, His • record
proves him an Alaskan who works for
Alaska. Keep him.there. Show you*
appreciation of his efforts'—do tor
Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 2.1926
; Paid Ad,..
Wf/Btin^r/atitVadfrgitaa
T~ iSSEEES
i