Show TUG MKTtVK VMTIA INDIANS A correspondent of the Springfield Republican lately mrote 01 the danger dan-ger there was hat the rush to Klondike might have the ortetas one ot its Incl dents of depriving the Metlakahtla Indians of their land and right und Inflicting upon them the vices of the mining camp The modrn history of the tribe Is I full of romantic pathetic and heroic elements and this Is I particularly par-ticularly true of tho life of William Duncan Its leader and reformer The home of the tribe Is Annette Island oft the cot ot Alaskaand iial threatened 10 be overrun with livers and prospectors < pros-pectors to the dismay and demorall nation of Hi Inhabitants Congress was petitioned to prevent this The conenpoiiaent writes William Duncan a modest London clerk coming to lirltlsh Columbia In October 1817 simply to lift men out of sorcery witchcraft degradation cannibalism Into the light and liberty of a Chi hitlan < manhood has as the Chicago Ilecord sa > s built a little ell > at Metlakahtla Alaska that Is I not paralleled par-alleled In any part of the world The man has found by bitter experience I that the cruelty of the white man In subtle form Is I greater than that ot the out and out savage and Is I now In deepest anxiety as to the pending bill before Congress Read again the letter let-ter of the Republicans Washington correspondent under date of February 23rd and the strong appeal of Mr Dunn Dun-n One ot the lat official acts of President Arthur was to sign It bill presented by Congress for the absolute transfer ot Annette Island to the tribe of Metlakahtla Indians In 1888 under the direction of Mr I Duncan they left their home as did I the Pilgrims of old I moved to an Island that was 1 then a I wilderness and today as the edltoral In the Republican says Is 1 a thriving city free from all the Ice and evil of modern life Last year they Bola over 18000 cases of salmon at 1325 a c use The machinery Is I of modern putt nopcrated by steam and managed by the natives a saw mill mnutae force a high grade of lumber unit has ot capacity ot 10000 feet Ir day fine sidewalks good streets the largest church In Alaska electric lights and In every respect n model town They have a nathe band of thirty plecestho lender Hen Hulden a fullbleoded young Indian who can play any Instrument In-strument on the Island the only teacher teach-er he ever had being Mr Duncan Aside from this special work In the two town built up by him his Influence Influ-ence Is I felt far and wide At Juneau StAke and all along the coat ore mn and women Aho are living Christian lives who have established schools and churches the outcome ot Mr Dun cana labors Now hall this noble and royal 1 saint on the Bhady side ot three leuo and tn Ie his life work sorely crippled him polchappy and con tenl In that secluded 0tUemnt brought Into contact with the v Ices 01 n tronUor barbarism all for the little gold hlch possibly may exist In the ledges or shall he remain unmolested In the home solemnly given to his penIs pen-Is by Congress Let petitions letters lour In to Congress from every section ot our lan < l nnhmlng to eternal In lostnir any mon I that would vote to rob that noble race ot their rightful In hltane The numerous Petitions that were lohl before Congress Including the representations rep-resentations 01 WIIIIm Duncan the lender anti proldlng genius of the Indians In-dians had the dlrel effect Acting unlor the nuthotll ot Congress the Interior department formally and com pletety confirmed the grant 01 Annette Island to the trland excluded II from tile public lands on which miners And proroetou may operate The Indln are thus granted the right one protection pro-tection which stem asked In their behalf be-half |