book. Dr. Young, who met his death
in an automobile accident last fall
had lived through every major
movement and development in Al
aska, and has much to say. While
what he says is not new to a student
of the Northern territory, to the
general reader the book will be er
lightening.
First Real Missionary
He was the first real missionary
which Alaska had; he was the first
American missionary in the Klon
dike; he arrived at Nome when the
first great rush to that bonanza
started; he started religious work in
Fairbanks, and built the Presby
terian Church in Cordova, when
copper and railroad had temporarily
displaced gold as the mecca for the
prospector and fortune hunter.
To this reader the most interest
ing part of his book is the story of
Dawson. One reads with gratitude
a true description of the famous
Northwest mounted police, and
learns that instead of being half
gods, as modern fiction writers pic
ture them, in ’98 the “mounties”
were human like ordinary police
men everywhere with the exception
that they contained more than
their fair share of grafters and in
dulged in some forms of extortion
tha> were particularly objectionable.
Dr. Young calls a spade a spade,
and the story is told that he did
likewise at the time the graft was
going on, and was requested to leave
Dawson for his courageous criticisms.
His Influence
The outstanding missionaries of
Alaska have been Father Duncan,
Di. Young, Bishop Rowe and Arch
deacon Stuck. Of these, Young has
predominantly affected the growth
and development of the Thlingets
and Tsimpsheans of Southeastern
Alaska. They are among the most
civilized natives of the North to
day, and many of them remember
Dr. Young with gratitude and affec
tion. His life was worth while, and
his book is also worth while. Leav
ing the QOMdN of the value ot
missionary work undecided as an
abstract question, one must admit
that in Alaska the effort has borne
fruit. Dr. Young tells just why this
happened, and the life story of a
man who figured so largely in this
effort ■should at least demand a
reading from every friend of the
Alaska native and of Alaska in
general.
ELECTION BREVITIES
Charley? Gardner is the gentleman
who testified before the last session
of the legislature that if the Sawyer
McKay Logging Company of which
he is a member was not allowed to
get out trap piles, they would go
broke, that being their margin of
profit. He testified further, having
been an employee of the Forestry
Department, that in from five to ten
years, at the present rate of cutting,
all of the available pile timber in
Alaska would be gone. Oh well,
the fish will be all gone then too, if
they continue to get out trap piling,
so it won’t matter to the Cannery
owner if the piling is all gone. But
how about the residents of Alaska?
Austin Lathrop, we hear, lost
lost enough money betting on Mar
quam last election to make him
howl. What does he want to run in
the Republican primaries for and
for Republican National Committee
man at that? Why doesn’t he run
for Independent National Commit
teeman?
In the mimeographed letters
with which Bartley Howard has been
obstructing the mails of the Terri
tory the last few months, we notice
that he thinks that Delegate Dan
Sutherland ought not to have attend
ed the last session of the legislature
and in an open hearing urge the en
actment of a Controller Bill. Such
a Spectacle! But not a word about
the well paid lobbyists and attor
neys and cannery owners and trap
owners who took up hours of the
legislators' time urging their par
ticular ideas of good legislation,—
good for them. Delegate Suther
land did his talking openly and pub
licly on a subject of vital concern to
all citizens of Alaska, which was his
right and his duty.
Grover Winn, candidate for the
House of Representatives from the
First Division, was one of the very
few men in Juneau who had enough
courage of his convictions to appear
on the floor of the legislature in fa
vor of the Controller Bill.
Peter C. McCormack, of Wrangell,
was formerly a member of the legis
ture and won the disapproval of cer
tain interests by his stand on the
fish trap question. He is again run
ning for the House and resident
Alaskans can count on him as be
fore.
*******
Charles Darwell of Darwell and
Grant, (Johnny Grant of Wrangell)
is a trap owner and new partner ot
Karl Thiele in the cannery business
We understand that there is a plan
to initiate him into the United Sons
and use him to double cross William
L. Paul.
“Dick” Sundquist, for two terms
in the House of Representatives, has
filed for the Senate from the Second
Division. Mr. Sundquist did excel
lent work in the House and should
be nominated in the Primary and
elected at the general election in
Novembef. It is safe to say he does
not stand for Lomenized Alaska.
All resident fishermen and loyai
Alaskans of the Third Division
should unite to retire Joe Murray
into private life at this primary
election. This is the time to do it,
and along with him Frank Foster
of hotel bedroom notoriety, should
be kept in obscurity. The presence
of Fostor in Juneau would be a dis
grace to the Territory.
Advertise In th FISHERMAN.