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SENSIBLE VIEW POINT
Sand Point, Alaska,
August 21, 1926.
Alaska Fisherman;
Having read your valuable
paper dated July, I will take
up several matters with you
1st. We all voted for Dan
Sutherland in the Primary and
after I heard Tom Marquam’s
spiel, I am pretty sure we will
do so again in November. Why,
the man did not know a d—d
thing about this part of Al
aska, did not know the Game or
Fish regulations, borrowed both
from me so that he could post
himself, on them. He stated
positively that all the Cannery
interests, Bureau of Fisheries,
and the Judiciary Department
were all most honorable men.
All except Dan Sutherland.
And that Ketchikan was the
cleanest town on the Pacific
Coast.
i 2nd. We note that you are
championing the Natives. More
power to you. Wish we had
some one to do the same out
here for the few remaining
Natives we have left. They
are disappearing fast. Let me
say something regarding our
nearest cannery, at Squaw Har
bor, belonging to the Shumagin
Packing Co., a branch of the
Pacific American Fisheries
They have only one trap and
employ 60 white men, nearly
all from outside, about 30 Na
tives, and 30 Filipinos and
Chinamen. They run a three
line cannery and put up 160,000
and never bought one salmon
from any one else. As a side
issue xney aie giving scvcidi
parties barrels and salt and
paying them $6 to $7 for a
barrel of red salmon filled and
coopered up. And red salmon
is selling today for from $35
to $40 per barrel. Not a show
in the world for a resident
fisherman to make / anything
but a bare living. Is it then
any wonder that this part of
the country is getting depop
ulated? The cannery interests
are helping out all they can
so that they can just come up
and take what they want and
go out again, leaving nothing.
We have several Bureau of
Fishery Wardens, but it seems
they are only here to see that
the canneries are not bother
ed. So we hope that all traps
will be done away with before
long.
In order not to take up your
time too much, I will now
mention Fox Farming. I hope
that measure will go through.
I for one am heavily interest
ed in Blue Fox raising. I have
one leased island, and three in
the Game Reservation. Then
I have several others stocked
Now for some time we have
been bothered with trespassers,
so the other day I went to
swear out a warrant for their
arrest. But I could not get it
on account of having, neither
lease nor agreement nor per
mit to operate these Islands.
So according to our U. S. Com
missioner and the Game Laws,
we cannot prosecute any one
for trespassing, although we
have a license to operate these
Islands and have complied
with all the rules and regula
tions. Still when a gang of
S«a Otter pirates or poachers
come and camp on one of our
Islands we cannot have them
removed. They only laugh at
our signs. You can readily
see our worry. A little Blue
Fox pup can be easily coaxed
into one of their tents and
picked up just like a kitten.
in ow in conclusion i wisn
to say: Your Republican plat
form is O. K. and we hope
our and your candidates will
be elected and be able to carry
out what they intend to do.
I note what the merchants
of Petersburg say about the
death of the resident popula
tion. This is true, because if
the resident population of Fish
ermen do not have any show
to carry on their trade, where
are the customers for the mer
chants? If the few residents
and Natives who work for the
Squaw Harbor cannery should
happen to buy anything any
where else than at the com
pany’s store, they need not
come back and look for a job
next year.
Yours respectfully,
A. GROSVOLD.
Wrangell Steam
Laundry
M. O. JOHNSON, Prop.
First Class Work
Telephone 28
TOURISTS CAN GET
ALASKA CURIOS and
MOMENTOS at
Skagway Drug Co.
PERRY HERN
Totems, Moccasins, Spoons
Skagway, Alaska
Sanitary Market
CHAS. A. GREENAA
MEAT MARKET
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
Petersburg, - - Alaska
- - *
•*-- *
ROY BAKERY
Also Has Fine Ice Cream
and Fruit
SITKA, ALASKA
We cater especially to
Fishermen
THE KNOX HOTEL
First class Dinner Room
64 Rooms. Hot and Cold Water
in Every Room. Steam Heated.
American and European Plan
PRINCE RUPERT, B. C.
Dr R. L. CARLSON
EYESIGHT SPECIALIST
Ketchikan, Alaska
Prompt attention to mail orders
for optical repairs and lens re
placements. Seamen’s Home
Wrangell Bakery
Next to
Skating Rink
Wrangell, Alaska
Ketchikan Grocery
R. W. EDMONDS, Prop.
Redman Building, Phone 71
Night Phone—Green 233
Ketchikan, Alaska