TANANA INDIANS
NO DYING RACE
Vital Statistics Show That They Are
Increasing—Indians of America
Growing in Number.
Kev. J. L. Prevost in Yukon Press.
There is a common error, often ex
prrssed, that the Indian of tlie North
Vmeriean continent is rapidly decreasin';
and will soon have passed out of exist
i nee.
As a matter of fact both the statistics
of the I’nited Statesand of the Dominion
of Canada prove the contrary. It is es
timated by those best able to judge that
the Indian population today, notwith
standing its great losses from wars and
famines ami esjiecially from loss of
i lentity through amalgamation, is fully
»([iial if not greater than when Columbus
made his discovery.
A superficial observer tiaveling along
the rivers of Alaska and observing the
native fish camps in the fall of the year,
with nearly allot' the inhabitants suffer
ing with severe coughs, immediately
jumps to the conclusion that the dread
scourge of tuberculosis is rampant and
that a very low state of vitality prevails.
A month or so later the same natives
might be seen off on a hunt, looking the
picture of health and robustness.
The same impressionist sees a deserted
village and immediately assumes that
death has depopulated it, the real fact
being that a few deaths have caused the
inhabitants to seek another site for their
habitations.
The superficial observers are responsi
ble for the erroneous impression which
obtains that the Indian race is a dying
one. By “a dying racee” is meant one
whose death rate exceeds its birth rate.
Canadian statistics show that the birth
rate among the Dominion Indians is in
excess, and I find this true of the In
i ins at Tanana, now numbering217. For
nine years I have kept vital statistics of
these Indians, with each and every one
of whom I am familiar, and have made
a complete list of the population by
names, and a jierfect record of births
and deaths. The record is absolutely
correct; just as reliable as a family
record, and possibly the only one kept
in Alaska.
The nine years divides itself into two
period*—the first 18112 to 18W5 inclusive,
the second 11*01 to 1005 inclusive. In
the first period the birth rat** was .0f>3
for each year, or to the thousand, and
death rate .036, showing a yearly increase
of .017. In the latter |**riod the birth
rate was .08o and death rate show
ing a yearly increase nf .tUSt. At tin
rate of increase shown in the last |*.-riod
the Indiana at Tanana will double in
numbers in 31 years.
In vital statistics it i‘ generally ac
cepted that a large birth rate is accom
punied bv a large death rate, and it will
lie noticed in the figures above state*!
that although the births are hum h
greater in 11*01-00 than in )N02-Mt tin
deaths are also greater, h«it the death*
have n«»t iiirriiisil in proportion to the
birth*. mi that n«»t only are the Indian*
increasing, but there is a rate of in
cretise *»f one ktalf of «»tie |er vent, for
null year, amt if this shotild c« ntinne
the Italian population will le doubled
in year*.
| *!•» lelirvr evenhially th«- Italian
population, aw Indians, will go out of
existence, not through deaths, but by
amalgamation with the whites it will
eventually lose its identity as a race;
hut to call the Indians “a dying race”
“you have got to show me.” No one
will deny that the death rate is enor
mous, hut that proves nothing. The
question is, l>o the deaths exceed the
births? and if not the next question is
Is the ratio of excess of births over
deaths on the increase or decrease?
The vital statistics of the Tanuua In
dians, which include the old station at
Kish Creek, show for the year lbO.') 10
deaths and Id births.
The St. Michael
Military Reserve
From a paper iu the Nome Gold Dipper,
‘ Discovery of Gold and the Development of
the Mining Industry on Seward Peninsu
la,” l>y I). A. Macdonald.
Late in the fall of ’97 the military ar
rived at St. Michael, one division pro
ceeding tip the Yukon under command
of Maj >r Richardson—then a captain,—
and the other remaining at St, Michael,
under command of General Randall—
then a colonel,—who was also com
mander of all the -military in Alaska.
The reservation of Fort St. Michael was
established and barracks constructed,
and a tall flagpole erected on the newly
laid out parade ground. The reservation
as lirst established embraced all tin
land and sea in every direction within
one hundred miles of this flagpole, mak
ing it in the form of a circle two hun
dred miles in diameter.
In the spring of '98 the reservation
was reduced in size and all the land and
sea north of the 94th parallel was cut
out of tin- reserve ami this portion again
reverted to the public domain.
The main object of establishing the.
reservation so large in the first place
was to encompass within the boundaries
of the reservation the mouth of the Yu
kon and the river itself as far up as
Nulato. But all the maps of the river
up to that time being incorrect, as no
surveys of the Yukon had ls-en made
prior thereto, the war department had
no authentic information as to the exact
distances from St. Michael to different
points on the river between the mouth
and Nulato, and consei|uently, even
large as the reservation was originally,
it was much too small to bring within
its boundary lines the territory which
the reservation was established to cover.
Jack Lynch's Reindeer.
In th** Maine |»uper the writer relates
that in the winter of ’tl7 a false re|s»rt
reached St. Michael that a phenomenally
rich strike had la-en made on Macdonald
creek on ti»e Anvik, and inside of 24
hours every *>r and sleigh to Ik* hud
was pressed into service and the stain*
|*cde to the Anvik promised todc|*»pu
late >t. Michael and leave the lug com*
panics in a crippled condition for want
of men t" carry on their business. hen*
eral Itandall was appealed »■> hy tiie
managers of tin* eoin|»ai;ics to prevent
tie -tumpede ill- forthwitki had no
tices | his ted warning all person* against
tres|*assiii|( on tin- reservation under
|*naltv of swift amt sure arrest and
piiiiiHhment, ami a!*o uotiiie«l alt tin
would I* stain|aders that umlrr m*
I’oitdilion would lie |« mill anv proa*
|h-» ting or mining within tin* limits *»f
the reservation However, suw fifteen
*tampr«U*f* 4»»t away Is fore the general
raise* I hi.- »r«*u ham I in the matter
In the meantime t *em rwl Randall sent
roinrrirBTmrrrrrsTns'
S. E. 1IEETKH. HAKRY BITIIRUSS.
HEETER&BURRUSS,
FREIGHTERS and PACKERS
Freighting ami Packing to and from all Creeks.
(Joed Equipments and Service Unexcelled
for tlio chronicler of these events to go
to St. Michael. He was already on the
way and met the stampeders at (iolsora.
Next day, he relates, when he had trav
eled about fifteen miles he came up to a
reindeer lying down on the ice, with his
knees bent under him and his head be
spattered with frozen blond, evidently
produced by the loss of a horn which
lay on the ice some fifty steps away. A
short distance from the deer was a sled
i loaded to its full capacity with a pros- |
[lector's outfit. There was every indi
cation that a disagreement had taken
place between the deer and a stamjiedes. ;
I The deer could not be induced to move [
and was left lying there.
It was afterward learned that the ani
mal was abandoned by Jack Lynch, who
had been grubstaked by the post surgt on
j to go on the stampede. He told of his
experience as follows:
“Me an' the deer wus the bed of the
stampude whin the hoinely-hedded (liv
ed sthoppcd an’ refhused to lade the
processhun. Thin the dog tames rattled
the baste intoirely whin they wint by,
an’ I thin got me dandher up an’ at it
we wint. He had the besht av the
firsht few rounds till I got until his i
curves; thin 1 had ’im all but done
whin all at wanst he led down—the
cowardly divvil—an’ nary an up cud I
git him. I worruked widt him fur t’ree
solid hours and the divvil a move cud I
git out av him, so 1 left him to ka[>e his
own company till spring, whin he can
float back to St. Michael on a chunk av
ice, grubsthake an’ all, an’ tell the
docthor how it happened an’ give him
his side of the sthory.”
WAS DOWNINC MARRIED?
A statement has been printed in sev
eral jmjiers that Ben Downing, the
noted Alaskan who died recently in. San
Brunei sen, had a wife living at Barn
stead, N. 11. It is said sin- is an in
valid and that he hail provided for her
in his will.
Mr. I (owning had some very intimate
friends in Kumpurt who had never
heard of his having a wife, and who do
not give eredenee to the statement In
fuel, it is known to an alwolnte certainty
that Mr. Ihiwning contemplated marry
ing next spring—though it is >ssihlc,
of course, there is a former wife from
whom he had la-ell or expected to l»
divorced. _
Walter Siindlsirg telegraphed Bam
l*irt frieiwN I'eb it that In was in Vallea
on his way in. X rumor went around
that he ha» a wife with him, lull it can
not l-e verified.
Iloruce. eldest son of Hex J. 1. I*re
vroat, was recently -ys-raied on for ap
|s-nda itis at llte post hospital, t ort
tdhisin.
RECEPTION
...SALOON...
S. E. HEETER. ROB SCHABER,
Proprietor Manager
Wines, Liquors and
GOOD Cigars....
....Billiard and Pool Rooms
Barber Chair in the House.
St* l.ouls
me
and Seattle
Ranier Beers
< M<1 Valley Whisky
the only stock
Something New:
TRY OUR
PEACH AND HONEY BRANDY
A. B. NOTICE.
Regalur meetings of the Arc-tie Brother
hood 1.ochre lire held at their hall on the
second and fourth Tuesday* of eac-h month at
S o’c lock p. in.
WM. SIPARY. G. A. KKTTERER,
Arctic Recc rder. Arctic Chief
NOVITNO HAS NOTHING
New* from Novitno continue* to he
very diseouraging. It now seems fo he
well established that the original stain
)*ede was justified hv n«* truthful re|*e*rt
of actual conditions.
The Yukon Tanaua Press of Kelt. 10
said a numUr of men had just arrived
from Novitno and reported that all wmk
s«* far had U-en absolutely lacking in
results.
V mini Ur # *f men are staying until
spring |*tc*s|**-« ting and trapping, hut
th***M- who have returned desert la* the
situati«>ti as a forlorn l»o|*e. In so large
a di-trict where pnaipect* have U*en
f«*iin*l. however, then* is alwavs a light
ing c hain e ti\v men are left on
lloiurstake ami four on Mat creek. The
rest hate gone highe r l|p.
The Miring \\ *rld anmaim e I that I.
M pre-ident •>( the Naiii|*art
Mv Iruiilu Mining t <<ui|Hiin Hunter
••rec k. was in New York in iHpitmlrr **n
hiiwinms.