Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 12, 1889)
THE OMAHA DATLY BEE : SUJTOAY MAY 155. 1889' SIXTEEN PAGES. BROWNING , KING nufacturers and Retailers Southwest Corner Fifteenth , and Douglas Streets , Omaha. 2 ? ' Money Cheerfully Refunded if Goods do not Suit , t ? | Specialties in Children's Suits ] J SEE THE SUITS. ? "We are selling for $4 and $5 , thelat6' T 4 est novelties in Kilts and Knee Pant * 4 Suits , from 6A % t j I $ l,5Ko ( the Very Best ! A MEN'S SUITS , f Which We are Selling for ? i 4 $8 and $10. \ 4t Others ask you $15 and $18 for same quality. You will see samples of these t -1 4 4 4 bargains windows. displayed in our 15th street T - 1A 4 , f Is replete with the newest and most desirable slmpes in * 'A 4f - H j Silk and Stiff Hats. CO 4 . 4i All of which are fresh , new go ds. Wo call your attention to i 6 Our Light Derbys , which we are selling I * - f- 4t J. ' | for $1.50. They are beauties. Other f stores ask $2 and $2.50 for the same t Mail Orders will Receive Prompt Attenti A hat. nm , Kin SEAL HUNTING IN ALASKA. How a Monopoly of the Business Was Obtained. is OUR UNCLE SAM A TYRANT ? AVIint a Hen Captain Und to Say About the Holzuro or Certain Vessels The Annual Slaugh ter. Alaska's l c Monopoly. - VICTORIA , B. C. , May 3. [ Special Correspondence of Tmc BEK. ] Do you know anything about the origin of the Alaska Commercial company ? " This was n question asked mo by an old sonlor while in Port Townsend one day last woolc. I replied that it was a subject dbout whinh I was little acquainted. "Well , sir , " said ho , "General Rous seau was United States commissioner at tlio time of the transfer of Alaska , and there was at Sitku certain buildings belonging to the old Russian Fur com pany. General Rousseau , on account of his oHlciul position , Could not be come a party to any private transaction that grow out of his relations with the government , but there happened to bo a young man by the name of Hutchin- sou near at hand , who had accompanied the general to Alaska in the capacity of private secretary , and it did not take him long to improve a golden oppor tunity. Of course the sale of this ter ritory to the United States ended the existence ol the Russian Fur company , and Mr. Ilutchinson conceived the idea of taking possession of the fur trade of Alaska , together with the seal islands , and ho readily found a purtnor in the person of a Mr. Kohl , an Englishman , whoso homo was in Victoria. The llrm , I believe , still exists under the ntuno of Ilutohiuson , Kohl & Co , , although I have under stood Mi * . Ilutchinson died some six years ago in Washington , D. C leaving a cool million as the result of his in to rest in the enterprise. 'Tho linn of Hutchln onKohl & Co. , however , is putting into execution their plans for taking control of the fur and sent trade of Alaska , encountered a rival in their now enterprise in the porbon of a Captain Morgan of Connec ticut , who waa already in the Hold with experienced sealers , and just us a fight seemed imminent , a truce waa declared and the boason'a catch was equally di vldod. ' While the above combination was quietly pursuing its capture of. the lenlti , numerous attempts wore niudo by organized parties to break in upon this valuable ground , but the combined ef forts o ( Ilutehinson and Morgan drove nil now comers from the Held. The at tention of the government was at this time attracted to the islands of St. Paul and St. George which constitute the Pflbyloll group , and which wore said * to contain the only extensive seal rook- cries in the world , nnd in 1KG8 congress passed an act designed to proborvo those rookeries from indiscriminate ) slaughter. In 1S70 the Alaska Commer cial company secured a lease from the United States for a term of twenty years at un annual rental of55,000 , und. n tax of 92.02 on each bkinand the com punjr were limited to 100,000 skins year. The amount paid Russia by the United States for the whole of Alaska territory was about $7,000,000. Thus it will bo seen that Secretary Soward'n purchase was not such a poor investment for the United States , after all. " "Docs the Alaska commercial com pany control the fur trade of the terri tory outside of the fur seals , by virtue of any contract or lease from the United States , " I inquired'/ "Tho Alaska commercial company at tempt to control tho.fur trade of Alaska , and they have trading posts all over the territory , but they assume this author ity without the feast color of right or protection from the United States gov ernment. Their franchise is confined absolutely to the islands of St. Paul and St. George in Bohring sea , and in this they are protected by the government. Any man can take into any portion of Alaska territory outside of the islands referred tOi any class of goods , with the exception of guns , ammunition and li quor , and may carry on a trufllc with the same freedom that ho would in any part of the United States. " "Is the generally accepted theory that the only ooal 'rookeries in the world are at St. Paul and St. George islands , in Bohring sea , true ? " "If I wore to answer your question from the Alaska commercial company's standpoint , I should say 'yes , with the exception of a small rookery somewhere - where near Peru , South America , but if 1 should answer you with n proper regard for the truth , I should say not by any manner of means. Capo -Horn furnishes nearly , if not finite as many , seals each year as do the islands of St. Paul and St. George. I am * awnro that the idea generally prevails that seal hunting is to-day a thing of the post , outside of Bohring sea , so far as a Huecillo occupa tion is concerned , but the cause of the prevalence of this belief can bo traced to the door of the Alaska Commercial company , which has spared no pains to make it an established fact. Why , I understand a text book has 'been ro- nuntly published in which the question is asked , "Whoro is the only place in the world that the fur seal is known to live'/ ' and the answer is given , 'In St. George and St. Paul islands in Behrlng sea. ' I hope the parents of the Ameri can youth who are supposed to gather thisln as a part of their education , will abcortuln that mien , is not a fact , and instruct their children never to nniko such an assertion to any 0110 not under pap from the Alaska Commercial com pany. "How do you regard the position taken by the United States towards American and. English vessels sealing in Bohring sea'Waa the seizure of those vessels in 1830 and 1887 justi fiable ? "Come on dock a moment. You see yonder schooner'/ The one with a man near the top of the main-mast painting'/ That is one of the vessels acl/.od by the United States revenue cutter Corwin in 1887. , She was captured in Bohring so a out of sight of land , her cargo con fiscated nnd the vessel sold a short time ago by order of the court for $1,500. Her purchaser immediately sold her for $5,000 , and she is now being re fitted , and will henceforth sail under the American flag , with her name changed from Grace to that of Luoy Lowe. It Is an old proverb that suye , 'A country may claim as its water ? such distance from its land us can bo pro tected by its guns on shorn , ' and this is generally conceded to bo a marina league , or throe miles. The Grace was captured at a distance of. sixty tniloa from the nearest luna. and its hunters had not taken a nonl nearer than that distance from shore. Of course , I do not think Dtho position of the United States right. On the contrary , I think the seizure of English and American vessels in the waters of Bohring sea ono of the most arbitrary acts of which my nation was ever guilty. Such con duct might have boon in keeping with the maritime law that prevailed about , he year 1821 , when the c/ur of Russia ssued un imperial ukase claiming con- ; rol of all the waters of Behring sea , jut , if you remember , the burly Rus sian was prevailed upon to withdraw from that attitude by demonstrations made by the United States. The case is exactly similar , only the United states has changed position with Llussia. " 'JPcrhups it makes some difference whoso ox is gored. " "Yes , and it may make some differ ence it the ox gored may prove to be u ohnny ) Bull.7 "Well , what is going to bo the out come of this question'/ saw a schooner with a crow of twenty-one men fully armed and equipped for an expedition to the scaling vutors of Bohring sea , spread her sales last night , and in the language of the captain , she proposed to 'beard the lion in his don. ' ' ' "Yes , and I understand an English gunboat has been ordered into these waters for the purpose of seeing fair play in an open Held. I believe it will eventuate in tlio government controling the seal rookeries by placing olllcers upon St. George and St. Paul islands , and the seals captured in the open sea under certain restrictions. If there ia a profit in this industry the government should receive thu bonolit of it. Tlio rookeries should bo preserved at all lia/ards. The fur seal is too valuable a luxury to bo destroyed as would corr talnly occur wore men allowed to go , upon these islands and slaughter the seal without regard to ago and BOX. But they can bo protected from annihi lation , nnd at the same time men may bo allowed to capture sucli seals as are found outside a certain limit. The lease of the Alasicu commercial company expires May 1 , 1890 , and I believe the days of that monopoly are numbered. " "Captain , can you tolf mo something about the habits' of the seal , the man ner of their capture , etc./ " "Yes , sir. The seal in Juno and July as regularly as the months come around may bo seen in swarms approaching the Aleutian Inlands from the waters of the north Pacific ocean , for the purpose of breeding and shedding its polago. The old ones are known as bulls and cows , and the young , pups. They approach the low sandy beaches of St. Paul nnd St. George islands and drag themselves along its shores whore they lie in the sun or wander about seeking comfort able nooks where they arniit the hour that limits the period ol their gestation. When their young are born they euro for them much the sumo us a female dog dooe for Its pups , and in a couple of months they are sullielontly largo to paddle around the shallow cores , and in October and November are fully equip | > ed to join the multitude of older seals in their exit from the rookeries. Between the months of July and Oc tober natives are sent out upon the beach to drive the seal to the killing grounds. The mon'startinat the water's edge and by means of bolls or other noisy device , alowly close in upon the seals , and when once headed toward these grotfuda they are easily guided along. When they arrive at their destination small de tachments are cut off from the main herd , nnd the slaughter is com menced by beating them over the heads with clubs , A oarty of alclnuora are then brought in , and in duo time the skins are taken to the salt house whore they are salted and sorted , and soon they are ready for shipment. I will re mark bore tluit no fonuilu seal is al lowed lobe killed , nnit none younger than ono yo.ir. The killing with clubs is the only way they nro dispatched on the islands , for the reason that tlio llr- inguf { runs is thought to have a ten dency to frighten the heals from the rookeries. I have seen them on these islands so thick that , ono could hardly step without walking upon thorn , and I am safe in placing the estimate at hov- oral million in number. You known it is only during the months of .luno , lulv , August and September that the killing is done , and that 100,000 seals must bf taken in that time. " MIXKK W. BKUCK. HDUOAIlONAIj. Cornell university has put ? 100,000 in new buildings the past year. In Michigan university a larger proportion of women than men uro taking bv choice the full classical course. More than 2,008,000 of the youth of India uro to day receiving nn education in the English language. Michigan university has now more stu dents in attendance than any ether Amer ican institution of learning. The University of Mlctnin , with l.SS'J students , probably hus the largest number ever enrolled in uu American colloga. The opening of Clark university at Worcester , Mass. , was announced to take place in October at a meeting of the trustees. The authorities of Holland linvo decreed that women cannot serve on n school boiud. In Swcdon it has bo n decided that they can. Twenty-live state legislatures , besides the national government , have inado seienltllc temperance n compuUorv school study in their respective states und territories. The city of Cleveland pays $ .10,000 a year additional for the special instruction In Ger man in the public schools , und a movement for ttfo removal of this bm-den has been be gun. gun.Mudlson Mudlson university Is to have a new lib rary building' , to accommodate 2.r)0,000 volumes. It will rest StOO.OiX ) , und J. 1) , Colgate has volunteered to give this sum. Ground was broken last week for the new structure. Garrctt E. Wlnriauts , of Horgca Point , N , V. , hus inforinotl thu tiusieos of Rutgers college , Now iiriiuswiclc , N. V. , that hu will build u largo und expensive dormitory for that ancient und hohorablo institution. .The cost will probably bo $100,000. Columbia college , In New York cltv , will permit young women to enter an "annex" by passing thu same entrance examination us the young jinpn. The ladles who Imvo the "annex" in ujind propose to furnish the money to rent or build It. There is still some uncertainty about com- inonccinont.At ( Columbia. Hitherto each de partment had if * own commencement , but this year tti'o tqustnos voted to combine the gruduating'uxerclbcs of the academic , inlnoa and law school * , and fixed the coinmenco- meat of thiko upartmenU for Juno It ! . At the last session of congress ttf.OOO was appropriate ! to" pav the expenses of ua ex pedition to lAnfiolu , Africa , to observe the total ocllpso of the sun , which will occur December 3'JSgO , , and will bo of unusual duration. , l'/q.f. Todd of the Amherit i..i - . .department , 1ms boon pointed by tlio , secretary of the navy ( to tultC up command d/'thU , ' expedition. The Ilcv. Dr. W. J. Holland1 , 'O'J ' , of PitUburg. Pa. , will accompany tho'oxpodltlon u naturalist. Millions la It. There ia a big fortune in those cash railroads wo see in all the ladies' shop ping stores , says the Now York Sun. Ono company lias gobbled up nil the best devices of the sort , and is reaping a great harvest , because no ontorprU- ing storekeeper pretends to got along without tnoui. The own ers will not soil the apparatus. They put it in a store under a lease at $1B a year for u dtation. a sta tion being each ono of these atonping places ever the clerks' heads whence the baskets are sent to the cash desk. Some New York stores have ns many as i50 stations , and consequently pay $4,600 or more a year for the use of the device. TWO ARE LEFT FOR TORTURE A Brutal Practice of the Govern ment's Indian Agents. RATION DAY AMONG THE SIOUX. The Noble Krrt 3lou 1'urposoly Wound Cuttle to Set : Tli D in tiiinY-r and Then Kat tlio X.lvers Itaw. A Hcvoltlnjr Hcenc. CiiA3iniiirAiN : , S. D. , May 10. [ Spe cial Correspondence of Tim Biii : . ] Saturday is the great holiday among the Indians as on this day they draw their rations and provisions for ttio weclc. This is the only day in the week that they arise early. The Indians that live the farthest away from the agency come in the evening before and camp out. By 10 o'clock almost every Indian both largo and small is at the agency ready to take bib place in the line at the Up of the bell. At 10 o'clock the line is formed and they pass through the ration house nnd draw their rations. They uro divided oil by fumilies , bands and tribes , each head of u family having a curd with his name , number in his family , number of the band he belongs tound what trioo. The tickets are ibsucd quarterly and hnvo.twelve numbers on thorn , ono be ing punched every time ho draws uis rations. At the ration house , sugar , colToo , Hour , beans , cracuers and pork uro issued to him. After the provisions uro all isbucd , the Indians all repair to the corral , about one-half mile from tlio agency , where about thirty head o : wild To.xas steers uro waiting to bet i killed. Tlio killing is done by one o [ the I agency employed who Htands in a box in 1 the corral and shoots the cattle until all but one or two nro dead when the In dians commence firing. They do not try to kill the remaining cattle but just wound und JIN'UAOi : TIIK 1'OOIt 11KASTS who'go touring around the corral trying In vain to lind something to wreck ven geance upon , the Indians meanwhile Keening up an unearthly yelling and howling. After having as much fun as they can out of the poor beasts they kill them and then everybody makes a scramble. The tongue id , in all cases , cut out first. After this ceremony is ono through the steers are partitioned oil to the ditferent triboj and they im mediately commence the division to the different families. No part of the beuht IB left unused , the entrails being a very delicate morsel for the noble red man. As soon as the liver is reached it iu im mediately divided and oaten raw. I saw one old hag with n piece of raw liver tied around her neck , one end of which was in hermouth. . She was un doubtedly making time count , na HIO was eating und carving at the same time. This killing scene was the most sickening and disgusting one that it tma ever been my lot to witness. The Indiana are naturally of a very barbnroun nature , and the sight of the blood und the poor tortured bcusts Is very grati fying to their bight. The government should furnish each agency with a butcher , who should have the cuttle nil killed und cut up for the Indians on ra tion day. After the return to the ugency from the corral , I had a long talk with number of prominent chiefs , includ- ing Iron Nation , Useful Heart , Little Phcasont , Medicine Hull , NogaandfLoft Hand Thunder. These chiefs all de clared themselves as radically in favor of TIIK SIOUX HKSKUVATJOX HILL as passed oy the hut congress , ana signified their willingness to sign. There seems to bo some misunderstand ing between these chiefs and their fol lowers on one side and the half-broods on the other. The chiefs say that they want the commission to hurry up and got to work , und say that in the con ferences they want to bo heard as well us the half-broeas. These Indians seem to bo pretty well posted on the principal events of the day , and I was aurpribod to hear them talk of things that happened twenty or thirty yonis aijo. One of these Indians was saying that ho didn't like ono of the agency employes , whoso folks reside in the south. I asked him if ho didn't use him well , and ho said ho did. I then asked him why ho didn't like him and received the unexpected answer that ho was a rebel. I oxpluinod to him that the gentleman was , not old enough to have served in the rebellion , und ho answeredthut that might bo , but that his parents had owned slaves and that the gentleman thought that peonlo with colored bkins wore not as good nb white people , and ho was afraid that they would want to make slaves of them. This ngoncy , Lower Brulo , is sit uated about live miles below and oppo site ChnmborJnin , and is reached by boat from this city. The agency con- slats of about twenty buildings , and ia made up of residences for the olllcials , barns , a carpentorand blacksmith shop , store , u church , which IH presided ever by Rev. Luke Walker , u full-blooded Indian usohool employing five teach ers , and other buildingu. The Indians live mostly in log houses built by the government. They are very lazy and shiftless. Some of thorn are dressed in the government clothes that nro fur- nt.shcd them , but the most of them dross the same as they did twenty-live ytsars ago. There are a few who have boon olT to school who dross just the the same us white people und who are nuito .smart. Most of the IiidiunB un- dorfatand and talk Hie English lan guage. At thla 'agency the Indians have organized a court , of which KiituTiiimmiu is CJIIKV JUBTICK and Spotted Ilorso prosecuting attorney. To illustrate their sense of justice I will toll you of a trial that took place hero recently. A young Indian who lives on White river was arrested and brought before the court charged with rapo. After examining a number of wltnosac.s and consuming half u day in arguments the case wits finally submit ted to the judges and the prisoner found guilty and the chief justice was instructed to bcntonco him. Ho said that this bofng the first time that the prisoner hud been before the court and us ho was a young man the sentence would be light. Ho then sentenced him to three duys In the guard house on broad nnd water. The government furnishes a squad of policemen ut each agency to keep the peace. These polScotnon are picked from the better elans of Indiana , and are furnished uniforms and revolvers and paid a monthly salary. These In dians would HOOII become civilized oltl- 7.0HB if the proper course was pursued. They should be given u farm and their rations taken away from them. They know that us long as the government furnishes them provisions und clothes that they dn not have to work unless they uro forced to support themselves. Prof , George S. Morris of the chair of philosophy in the Michigan state university , died Saturday night , after an Illness of iov- cral wcnUs. AN INFANTILE AVENGER. Ho Shoots a Hnrulnr and Wondon What IliN Girl Will Think. Charlie Taylor , thirteen years of ago , who says ho wants to bo a plumboi when ho grows up , shot a sneak thlel last night , says a Chicago dispatch to the Now York Herald. Charlie is tha son of Chief Clerk J. C. Taylor , of the Wabash olllco , and lives at No. 1U01 State Htrcet. Two weeks ago thieves got into his father's shod and kitchen and removed every portiiblo object. Young Taylor suspected two young men who were ostensibly peddlers. After the first robbery the thofU con tinued almost every night. When young Taylor came from school yesterday ho found his father's 32 cali bre revolver.N Ho concealed tha weapon , and at night hid himuolbe hind a door in the shed. After a vrhllo. u man entered. The stranger felt bli way around the shed , putting a quan tity of nigs and carpet into a bug. When Do loft , Charlie followoa. The man run. Charlie was close behind , while a crowd of several hundred youngsto rs brought up the rear. At the entrance to an alloy an eight * oon-yeur-olcl youth ran up to young Taylor and tried to throw him off the trail. trail.Ho Ho started up the alloy ahead of Char lie , who claims he hoard him say : "II you como in hero I'll kill you. " Charley drew hla revolver and flrca throe Hhots. After the lust report ha heard some ono cry , "I'm ' shot. " Ho went in niul found the young man lying in u pool of blood. Young Taylor put the weapon in hln pocketwulltod homo , washed his face and hands and waited for the police. The wounded youth was taken to tha county hospital , where a bullet was ex tracted from hiu hip. Ho gave thenutna of Juinos Rlloy ami said he was nut a thief , but was merely assisting.young Taylor in the chase. ICIIoy's wound wna not dangerous. Young Taylor was per mittcd to go home after toiling hia story. when I saw Charley to-day ho &ald : "I don't want my girl to think I'm u murderer. I alined at their logs be cause I didn't want to hill them. II wasn't worth killing a fellow for just a few old traps. " IJy the will of the Into Charles L. Flint of Uostoti , Andover recolvcs 3,000 to establish a scholarship. ITBEVER FAILS A quick and permanent cure guuran < toeed to those ullliotcd with Syphilis. Mercury and Potash Never Cure. Wo challenge the production of acuso a ! Syphilis In any of its stages that SYPHILIHE will full to cure. Consultation and Correspondence - rospondonco FJClilC. call on or address TUB NATIONAL UKMKDY Co. 1414 Dodge st - - - - Omaha , Neb , All Con tto-Urnlury diseases treated. PATRONIZE HOME * INDUSTRY BY SMOKING "Red Label"Gig rs"