TANANA LEADER
9*1. /
Published Every Thursday at Tanaka, Alaska.
SAM J. CALLAHAN, EDITOR
Ceo. M. Arbuckle. Manager
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Muvenibing ndies on nppncauoni
A FEW TRUTHS CITED
The Yukon river is navigable for fifteen hundred miles
in American territory. Leaving out of consideration the
important portions lying in Canada, the Yukon and its
tributaries constitute a system of navigable waterways the.
combined length of which nearly equals a quarter of tiie
distance around the earth. Moreover, nature lias provided
this vast system of waterways with a process of self im
provement that eliminates from it the cost of artificial bet
terment, which has always been a vexed problem on other
water systems. The annual movement of the ice effectually
clears the channels of snags and the hard-frozen banks con
fine the summer waters and cause the sediment to be sluiced
away, so that the great cost of ripraping and dredging re
quired on other1 rivers will not enter into the situation here.
It is a universal law* that industrial development shall fol
low the navigable waters and that centers of greatest ac
tivity shall be located where there is deep-water navigation
readily accessible to the craft plying the smaller streams.
There is not a topographical fact, an economic principle, or
a logical, course ot reasoning that does not’accentuate the
force of this law.
In view of the undeniable facts above set forth, it is
exceedingly interesting to note thd progress of events be
tween the dividing ranges to the south and the north o!
the Yukon and to speculate upon what the future of tilt
region will be. • There are many evidences that people not
only here, but in the States—(not merely for mental exer
cise, but with a view to material advancement)—are com
mencing to look upon the great Yukon basin as a field
where very shortly mining development will reach gigantic
proportions and agriculture will lie a common and remuner
ative pursuit. The geology of the country is being studied
for evidence of the extent of the coal measures and gold
deposits, with results more and moi’o assuring; and statis
tics are being analyzed to determine how soon the United
States will become an importer of wheat and cattle—and
Alaska a profitable producer of them. It may be that indi
viduals will reach extravagant conclusions; but opinion on
the whole will crystalize into a germ of truth, and, to be
conservative, it is not risky to conclude that advancement
is inevitable.
So much for the region as a whole. As to the perma
nent metropolis—the central city from which will issue the
business life of interior Alaska after affairs shall have as
sumed a normal’condition, it must be on the Yukon. The
site of the city of Tanana is central to the development
that has already taken place. It is at the mouth of one of
the big river’s richest tributaries, and it has considerable
prestige because it is already established and because the
military post is here. But it is time now for the recognition
of a changed condition that may be said already to have
come. If it would live and play an important part in the
future of the country the town must assume a less repellant
attitude. A very few years might show it occupying a sim
ilar position relative to the business of the interior that
Chena now does to that of the upper Tanana.
This paper is not attempting to act the part of a calf
hunching a reluctant cow to induce her to “give down” the
milk. It is weaned and is able to live on such fodder as
the surrounding hills and valleys afford, till, in due course,
the summer sunshine shall bring a more succulent diet.
It is exercising a pleasant privilege, however, in citing a
few truths that business men with capital and sound judg
ment might ponder with advantage to themselves and a
people who are laboring under unnecessary difficulties.
SOME NOTABLE OPINIONS ABOUT NATIVES
To a student of political affairs—and especially of free,
modern political affairs such as Americans are supposed to
Remember
The Grand Hotel
WHILE STOPPING IN TANANA
UP-TO-DATE ROOMS AND BUNKS, ALSO GOOD DOGHOUSES.
FINE WINES, LIQUORS AND CIGARS,
Pool And Billiard Tables In Connection.
Charley Chanquist Prop.
JACK HUNNEWELL
JACK O’HARA
The Northern
SULLIVAN CITY
Again at the Old Stand in. Our Brand-New Building.
We Garry Only the Best Wines, Liqnors and Cigars
be thoroughly conversant with—the spectacle of two peo
ples living together under the same law, yet wholly in
inequality before that law, must present questions which,
sifted to the dregs, will reveal pretty muddy answers.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the processes by
which the Alaskan native finds himself required by law to
maintain a fairly respectable standard of citizenship while
foregoing any of the honors and privileges of civilized life,
are little understood, even by his more fortunate white
brothers. White men who take the trouble to think about
the unusual state of things at all probably dismiss it with
the assumption that it is the natural fruit of the vine
planted by missionary hands and watered by the tears of
the ultra good in far-away states.
However, there are missionaries and missionaries. All
of them are essentially politicians; and some of them adopl
purely negative tactics,- while others are progressive and
distinctly constructive in their methods. The late Dr.
Sheldon Jackson was of the latter class. In his report as
general agent of education in Alaska as long ago as 1886,
regarding the natives Dr. Jackstn said:
This native population, with the possible exception of the
Tinneh, is not Indian. Because many of them are uncivilized, pop
ular opinion, without giving the matter due consideration, has fre
quently classed them as Indians. This is a mistake. The United
States district court for Alaska has affirmed that they are not In
bans—that they can sue and oe sued, make contracts, go and come
it pleasure, and do whatever any other person can do lawfully.
Dr. Jackson quoted approvingly from the report of
Hon. A. P. Swineford, Governor of Alaska, to the secretary
of the interior in 1885, as |ollows:
The native Alaskans, as a rule, are industrious and provident,
living in permanent and substantial home. , and all are self sustain
ing. These people, it should be understood, are not Indians.
Their appearance, habits, language, complexion, and even their
inatomy, mark them as a race wholly different and distinct from
the Indian tribes inhabiting other portions of the United States.
They are far superior intellectually, if not in physical develop
ment, to the Indian of the plains; are industrious, more or less
skillful workers in woods and metals; and that they are shrewd,
sharp traders, all who Rave had dealings with them will, I think,
be willing to testify. They yield readily to civilizing influences,
and can, with much less care than has been bestowed upon native
tribes elsewhere, be educated up to the standard of good and intel
ligent citizenship. Just in proportion to their educational progress,
they should have the rights and privileges conferred and the duties
and penalties of full citizehship imposed upon them.
Dr. Jackson also quoted from an offic-iall communica
tion made as long ago as March 14, 1872, by Hon. F. A.
Walker, commissioner of Indian affairs, to the secretary of
the interior, concerning these people, as follows:
For myself, I have never believed that the natives of Alaska
were Indians within the meaning of the constitution any more than
are Eskimos or Kanakas, and I am disposed to avoid entirely the
use of the word ‘‘Indian” as applied to them. The balance of
probabilities seems to me to incline toward an Asiatic origin, at
least so far as the inhabitants of the coast and islands ai-e con
cerned. The inference from their geographical position, strong
■is it may be, is hardly so strong as the inference from their singu
lar mimetic gifts and the high degree of mechanical dexterity
which they are capable of attaining. These are qualities charac
teristic of the Oriental, and they are precisely the qualities in
which the North American Indian is most deficient. But without
attempting to establish their connection with the Chinese or Japa
nese, or to ti’ace their descent from the lost tribes, it is sufficient
for the purposes of this report if it be shown that the department
is not concluded by any irresistible sequence to treat the natives of
Alaska as Indians within the intention of the law organizing the
Indian office.
\ \ \
■V N \
THE DAWN IS BREAKING
The cry of Alaska is being: heard. The sound is reaching
the East “as the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare
ye the way” for the kingdom of self government is at hand.
They have set rulers over us who have scourged us with lashes.
Our hearts have been ti-oubled and by the waters of the Yukon
we have sat down and wept. We stuck a knife into a few of
them before we sat down- to weep. We asked for home-made
bread but they gave us a carpet-bagger. We have made gold
bricks without straw. The voice of lamentation is now stilled
for our deliverer in congress is being heard. The East is tak
ing up our cause and on all sides the press is heralding our
grievances. The dawn of political liberty is breaking, and be
hold! joy cometh in the morning.—Ketchikan Miner.
The delving genealogist has made another marvelous find.
He—or in this instance, she—has discovered that Miss Elkins
is of royal blood, even as her famous lover, the Duke d’Abruzzi.
More, it seems that Miss Elkins’ royalty is Italian, dating clear
back to Charlemagne or some other imperial gent of the ninth
century. It is stated that this discovery removes all possible
barriers to the marriage of Miss Elkins with her mountain
climbing lover. The Italian court, unalterably opposed to
plebeian alliances, is quite willing to take to its royal buzzum a
descendant of ninth-century Italian kings. In view of the hap
piness which is thus assured, it seems cruel to remark that
there were no Italian kings in those days. On second thought,
we believe we won’t remark it. We’ll let it pass, says the Den
ver News. But we cannot quite restrain our grief at the mis
fortune which has thus overtaken this loving pail—misfortune
in the guise of a blessing. True, this discovery makes possible
a marriage too long deferred. But think at what a cost. It
was bad enough for the man of the pair to carry the burden of
royal descent. If the lady, too, is infected with the same mic
robe, then our fondest hopes decay. Ah, well, love can endure
almost anything; and they do say that these two young ones
are very much in love with each other. If that be the case,
they may even bear up under this burden. But it will be a
pretty severe test.
OUR YANKEE ROYALTY
TO GO TO INNOKO
BY WINTER TRAIL
Frank Fox, of Grant creek, expects
to be one of the early inushers over
the winter trail to the Innoko. He
will take in two dog sleds well laden
with provisions for Whitedog Smith,
who is working a lay on Little creek.
Mr. Smith wrote out for the supplies,
expecting them to be sent in on the
open water. The letter was dated Au
gust 15, but it failed to reach Mr. Fox
before the season was too far advanced
to take chances on getting the freight
through before the frcezeup. When
winter traveling gets good he w'ill set
out with it over the cutoff from Dave
Lewis’s. Over that route it is 90 miles
from the Yukon to Diskaket and about
J5 miles further to Little creek.
Fred Brulin, the new U. S. com
missioner for the Iditarod distiiet,
was a passenger on the Tana last
Sunday for tire scene of his new
iuties. He was accompanied l>y
Mrs. Brulin.
First Snow of the Season
At 9:2U a. m. Monday morning the
irst snow of the season landed on the
walk in (rout of The Leader office.
The Leader is on sale at the post
office lobby.
Stanley House
HOT SPRIN6S’ NEWEST HOTEL
Flrst-Ciass Restaurant Frank 8. Stanley, frrp
!
I
|
i
I
i
CHAS. B. ALLEN,
Attorney at Law
Rampart, Aka.
Lejfal Papers Carefully Drawn.
Stoddard Kay
THE
NORTHERN.
BEST WINES
LIQUORS AND
CIGARS.
Pool Tables In Connection.
Stoddard Kay
V-K? GIBBON HO. 35, Arctic Brother
g hood, meets every Monday nifjht
fcj in A. B. Hall, corner Second st.
and Campbell ave. at !) o'eloek.
I Visiting Arctics cordially invited to at
• tend tlie meetings of the Camp.
Phii. Gai.laher, Arctic Chief.
J. Russell Walle, Arctic Rec.
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