The Penn's Grove record., 1885-09-26
Life In AIaska.

Marriage among these Indians is a
peculiar institution; in fact, there is no
marriage-simply the taking of wives.
When a young Indian wants a wife, he
goes to his mother and tells her 30. IL
she gives her consent he goes TO where
the lady of his heart is cooped up In
her fathers house. taking his next best
friend with him. Through the latter
he sends word to his inamorata that he
is near and would wed. If she has a
leaning toward the sutton she returns
word to him by the friend that she Is
inclined to Join her interests with his.
He then takes presents to her and her
parents, and having delivered them en-
tiers at M into possession of his bride.
There are no further ceremonies. ex-
cept that a day later the couple must
visit her relatives, and if she then mas
no complaint to make to them about
her husband, they are given presen'
and the wedding is over. This may be
repeated indefinitely, until an Indian
may become as welI-to-do in wives as a
Mormon elder. Polygamy was prac-
ticed even by the so-called Christian
tribes when l lived in the territory, and
their evolution must have been rapid,
from what 1 remember of them, if
they have abandoned the practice.
"Dried salmon Is the luxury Of the
Alaska Indians, and the children begin
to Mole it before they think of walking.
The way they bring up children out
there would hardly suit In this region.
The mother carries her child about
from the time it is born until it is able
to creep, no matter where she goes.
Until that time she keeps 1T wrapped
up In a sort of fur sack, The moment
tie young one shows a disposition to
cla vi she yauks the fur off its constitu-
ton. This is done by giving it a
in the sea or river every morning, and
the chorus of yells that greeJs every
village during this interesting ceremo-
ny is something terrific. The cries Of
the young one are piteous, and, for
fear that their maternal breasts might
not be proof against these appeals for
mercy, and thus fail to do their duty
to their offspring, the mothers do not
perform the bathing rite themselves,
but delegate some brother o sister to
do the dousing. These conscientious
aunts and uncles vary the switch with
the bath, in VAN attempts to make the
one overawe the noisy results of the
other.
There is one thing noticeable among
these half civilized tribes. and is cred
table withal. Their old disabled menu
bers are carefully attended to, and or
phans become a common charge and
fare the same as the most favored chill
dren with living parents. These In
dams are original c~remationlsts. Their
dead are burned as soon as death ensues;
their ashes are inferred on the spot.
and rude monument erected over them
They have crude ideas or Immortality,
believing that a man has a spirit that
lives forever, but they know nothing of
future rewards or punishments. Their
heaven is a place where the spirits of
birds congregate in n place-the
common people by themselves, and
slaves, if there are any, have still an.
other dwelling place, unless a chiefs
slave should die with him, and then
his spirit will be in eternal attendance
on his master. 1t was formally the
universal custom to kill the slave when
the master died to insure the latter's
| spirit proper attendance. That custom
was abolished by the Russian govern.
ment, but it was still kept up in isola-
ted places, and cases where it has been
followed were well known as late as
1876
"Some of the Indian tribes, notably
the Kanaitze, travelling from place to
place hunting or fishing. have the very
excellent habits of leaving behind them
when they break camp a quantity Of
kindllng material at each fire place for
the use of the next travellers who come
along; and who may possibly not be over.
supplied with this very necessary item
in their outfit. This kindhng consists
of some pitch pine aud some dry moss
and sticks all wrapped up in a curl Of
birch bark. The traveller who uses this
and does not leave some for the next
one who comes along, is sadly deficient
in the etiquette of Alaska travel"