Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-11
A PEEP At SOUTHERN ALASKA.

Wrangel Island Is one OF the thousands OF pic-
turesque bits of this cool end Of the continent
carved out OF the solid rock by the ice of the
glacial perfod-nOt by separate glaciers such as
now load the mountain tops and flow, river-liSe,
down the valleys, but by broad, continuous
ice sheet that crawled slowly southwark, cover
ing all the land and much that Is now Sc /.
grinding on unhalting Though unnumoered
seasons, and modelling the comparatively simple
and featureless pre-glacial landscapes to the
marvellous beauty and variety OF the present
day. The island Is about fourteen miles long,
separated from the mainland by narrow chan
mel or ford, and trending north and south In
the direction OF the flow OF the ancient 1ce-Sheet.
From the tops OF its highest hills down to the
waters edge all around IL Is densely planted
with coniferous trees that never suffer thirst 10
all their long century lives, that never have
been wasted by fire, and have never yet been
touched by the axe Of the Zimmerman. Alum
dance OF snow keeps them fresh and luSty
through the winter, abundance OF rain and soft,
shady clouds makes them grow luSurtantiy
through the summer, While the many warm
days, half cloudy, half Clear and the little
groups Of pure sundays, enable them to rlpen
their cones and perpetuate the species In sur
passing strength and beauty. The forests and
the glaciers are the glory OF Alaska, and it IS
not easy TO keep my pen away from them
Nevertheless. want to try to sketch this little
faraway town and its people, and will gladly
return 10 the trees and the Ice some other time
after have observed further.
Wrangel is rough place, the toughest ever
saw. No wild cat mining hamlet In tne grizzly
gulches Of California. or In the remote reoe55eS
of the sage brush state, approaches 1t In plctur-
eSque, deyli-Hay- care ABANDON. 1t Is a DIST
bragg ement of uupretenttous wooden huts and
hOu-es that go wrdngling and angling along the
Doggy, Curvtng shore OF the bay for q mile 80.
In the general form of the letter S, but without
manlfeslihg the slightest sueordlnatton TO the
points or the compass, or to building laws of
any kiLd whatever. StumpS and logs block its
two crowded streets, each stump and log, on
account OF the moist climate, moSs-growl and
graS5-iufed on their tops, but muddy and de-
eaying at the b9tton ana down their SIDES be-
low the limit OF the bds[1ine. The ground In
general is degraded bog, oozy and Shiny, too
thin TO walk In, too thick tC swim In. These
picturesque distractions, however, are not much
In tie way, for no wheels OF wagon or carriage
ever turns here. There Is not a horse on the
island, and but one cow. The domestic animals
are represented by few hogs of a breed well
calculated To deepen and compllcl ate and COM
plete the mud, and sheep or two, brought on
The steamer for mutton. Indians, mostly OF the
St!ckeen tribe, occupy the two ends OF the town;
the whites, OF whom there are perhaps about 40
or 80, the middle portion, opposite the wharf:
but there's no determiuate line of demarcation
the dwellings OF the Indians being mostly as
large and as so1dly built OF logs and planks as
those OF the whites
The fort IS a guadrangular stock ade with
dozen block and frame buildings located upon
dry, rising ground just back of the business par5
OF the town. 1t was built shortly after the pur-
chase tf Alaska by our government. and was
aoaId ned In 1ST2,-re-occupied By the mill
tary in 1915, and finally abandoned aud sold to
private parties in 1871. Ia the fort and about tJ
there are few good, clean homes and people.
the more brightly in their Somber surround
fngs. The ground occupied by the fort by being
drained around the outside, Is dry aud whole
some, though formerly portion of the general
swamp, showing how easily the whole town
could be made clean. at least as far as the
ground is concerned. Were 1T removed as 1t is
to the sunshine OF California, with all Its mry
squalor. it would become Teekiug ceater OF
pestllelce but here beneath shady clouds and
washed by cool rains and the fresh brIny sea- iC
is ever safely Salubriou5. Although seeming to
rest uneastiy among mire and stumps, the
houses squirming at all angles, as il they had
been tossed and twisted by earthquake shocks,
leaving but little more geometry In their reIa-
tfons TO one another than may be observed
among the moraine blocks OF a glacier, yet
Wrangel Is tranquil place-tranquil as the
lovely bay and the Islands outspread in front of
1t, or the deep evergreen woods behind It, |
have never yet heard noisy brawl among the
people, nor stormy wind in the Streets nor
clap OF thunder, or anything like storm-sound
In the waves along the beach. At this summer
season or the year the abundant rain comes
straight down into the lush vegetation, steamy
and tepid. The clouds are usually united, I'LL
Ing all the sky, not racing along in threatening
ranks, suggesting energy OF an overbearing de-
structive Kind, but rather in the form OF
bland, muffiiDg, smothering, universal poultice
The cloudless days. too which, by the way, are
not half so rare in Alaska as seems to be gen
orally guessed, are intensely calm gray and
broodiDg In Tone and tncl1niAg to Turkish med
on the CLASSY waters, and In the woods not a
leaf stirs. The air has an Indan-summerish
haze along the horizon, and the same kind of
breeding Stiffness but 1t Is without the mellow
autumn colorS.
The very brightest Of wrangel days are not
what Caiifornians would call bright. Toe SUM-
through the moist atmosphere, allowing no
dazzling hrilliancy,-no dry, white glare Tue
lowp, like the wild landscape, rests beneath
TINS TINS hashlp n spell on the longest days the
midnight. The cocks crow when they wake,
without much reference TO the dawn, for it Is
never dark. Coek-crowing IS the one certain,
fnvaliabie sound peculiar to civilization, but
there are only few. half dozen or So ali tod
OF full-grown ROSTERS in Wrangel to awaken
tie town to give it christian character. After
sunrise a few smoke columns may be seen
rising languldly TO tell the first Stir of the peo-
pie. Then an Indian or two may be noticed
here ana there at the doors Of their big barn
like cabins, and merchant getting ready for
trade; but scarcely sound Is heard, only
mutfed stir gradually deepening. There are
only two white babies In town as far as l have
seen and as for the Indian babies, they wake
and feed, and make no crying sign. Later you
may hear the strokes OF an ak on nreWood and
the cToakiDg OF a raven.
About or O'Clock the town is awake and on
Its legs and in its boats. Indians, mostly wo-
men and children, begin to gather In scores on
the front platforms Of the half-doZan stores,
sitting carelessly In the blankets, every other
face blackened hideously, a naked circle
around the eyes, and perhaps spot over each
cheenbOne and on the tip OF the nose where
the smut has been weathered on. Some OF the
overload, their light and airy costume consist
Ing OF calico Shirt reaching only TO the waist,
as If even this tilmsy material were sorely
scanty, the whole weighing, when dry, about
as much asa paper collar. Boys eight or ten
years old often have an additional garment-a
pair OF castaway miners overallS These also
are wide enough aud ragged enough for eX-
travagant ventilation. The larger girls and
young women are quite brightly and eXtea-
siyely calcoed, and wear jaunty Straw hats,
gorgeously ribboned, which glow among the
blackened and blaDketed old croneS like scarlet
Hangers In flock OF backbirdS
Most OF the women who load the store fronts
can hardly be called loafers, for they have Der
rteS to sell, baSkeJ1uls OF huckleberres. red and
black, and OF the large yellow salmon berries
and bog raSpberrteS, all looking fresh and
clean, relieved most Strikingy amid the sur
rounding squalor. They sit and wait purchaS-
ers until hungry, when, If they cannot sell
them. they eat them, aud go to the hillside
back OF the town TO gather more. Youder you
see canoe gliding out from the shore coa-
tanning perhaps man, woman and a Child or
TWO, all padding In easy, natural rhythm.
They are going TO catch fish, ditticul6 IN IT.
ter, and when this is done their days WORK is
done. Another party puts out to capture bits
OF dr1ftwoOd, for 1t is easier to procure fuel In
this way than to drag 1t dowE from the woods
through the bushes.
AS the dozy day advances there is quite
fleet OF canoes seen along the shore, all fash
Toned after one pattern, high and long beak-
like prowS and sterns, and with lines as fine as
those about the breast of a wild duck WHAT
the mustang is to the Mexican yacauero the