Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-12-04
SAVANNAH MORNING NEWS: FRIDAY. DECEMBER 4. 1885.

substantial manner. and established
churches, mills and trading posts along
the coast. To look at the great logs,
two feet thick, OF which some OF their
structures are built, one would opine
they would last "A century, but the agents
OF Uncle sam nave let every thing 20 10
decay and ruin. and at the capital Itself
sitka the official quarters are located
IN buildings whose 70 4 and gables are
open to the weather. and the foundation
timbers are nearly undermined by rot
1t IS unfortunate that any impediments
should be placed 10 the way OF missionary
Work, by whOusoever done, for it must
continuously be kept in mind, when con-
sldering the natives of Alaska, that they
are not listless savages, untutored and
wild, but that they constitute a valuable
Industrial force in reserye-far superior
to negroes or Chinese-which is at once
available for service whenever new COM
mercial enterprises are esta Slished.
There are. perhaps. $4,000 of them in
the whole Territory this esti-
mate is based solely upon the number OF
tribes or bands known 10 the trading
posts on the coast and in the interior; and
they are not only expert in their natural
CUTS OF hunting, trapping and fishing, but
they are splendid navigatOrs and seamen.
lhey are very efficient help in the salmon
canneries and oil factories. and they
make good mill men, miners and agri-
culturlsts. They are natural born car
penters and workers in wood. Some of
their carving on wood, bona, stone and
metal is exquisite, and always original
and unique. Their permanent houses
are often made of boards split with
an ak and smoothed with an adze,
10 substitute for saw and plane. There
are One-storY and occasionally two-story
frame buildings. and many OF them have
two or more windows fitted with sash and
glass. Inc women weave beautiful cloth
and blankets from the fleece of the noun
tain goat; they sew very deity, en-
brOider, weave hats. mats and baskets,
and make tishermen's nets. They also
make waterproof clothing from the intes-
tines OF the moose, bear and sea lion.
There are also among them regular arti-
hcers IN metals, jewellers, who manufac-
lure the silver rings, bracelets and lip
ornaments which are so common among
themselves. If a dollar ever comes into
their possession it is hammered out at
once into ornaments. Il never goes back
to the United States Treasury. Oh, that
all the silver dollars could be sent to
Aaskal
Thee are already growing settlements
at Sltka. Wrangell and Juneau, with pop
:
and lesser communities elsewhere, at all
OF which native men and women are en-
ployed in every sort of out-OEdoor and
household capacity, so that their versa
tility, industry and ingenuity have been
fully tested. In British Columbia the In
dians derive a considerable income from
their labOrs in various occupations, and it
has been declared that but for their aid sew
eral tiourlshing Industries would cease to
exist, or at least labor under serious disad-
yantages. The inner lite of the Alaskan
natives IS extremely interesting to the
visitor, and can perhaps be described in
an entertaining manner in a later article.
One falls in with the graceful canoes of
the Pacitic-cTait as large and graceful
as gOndOlas-the instant ne strikes Puget
sound going west; and these beautiful
craft, with their grOtesque carvings OF
prov and stern, and their quaint car loes
OF household dunnaee, and quainter navI-
gators, are ever atterwaTd in view or
lowering near,all along and away mp the
coast.