The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1886-12-23
HOW ALASKANS LIVE.
A THOROUGH MIXTURE OF RACES
AND A PECULIAR PEOPLE.

me stove a Curious object-simpiicity
Of the Sleeping PIaces-A Look at
the Native Houses-Crawling into a
Hut.
We came back TO Fort Wrangle on the
General, on her return from Glacier bay.
when we landed and went on board tho
United States steamer Corwin, and set out
for Sitka.
On our arrival at the capital Of this i'm
u,snse northwestern possession Of ours. we
were greeted with true Arctic manner. A
clustering north wind hurled a cloud OF
snow in our faces, and covered the deck Of
our vessel with snow and hail We were
obliged 10 lie of the port until the next
morning, the storm continuing all night
We landed on terra firma twelve hours
after our arrival. We found the people
living here TO be thorough mixture of
races and decidedly peculiar. Here was
the Russian, and the Aelut from the ada
cent islands. Siberia, Finland, and the
Esquimau were all represented, together
with race that comes from the ntermar-
rage of the Russians with the natives
We were assigned a room for cooking and
sleeping. and the first object of curiosity
was the stove. All stoves except the ono
we brought with us, are box-like articles
built OF fragments Of stone, cemented to-
eether with clay mortar. A wood FIRE is
buiR. and ahberal supply OF fuel is added,
until the entire mass is at a glazing red heat.
The Goals and ashes are then removed, a
close fitting damper is placed cross the flue
so as TO prevent the escape of the heat by
cool air passing rapidly through the stove
and up the chimney. After this your cook
ING and heating apparatus is in order for
the next twenty-four hours.
An immense amount Of cooking can be
done on a large one. If the party be toe
large. there are cookhouses, of which there
is at least one in every small village.
THE SLEEPING PLACES.
The sleeping places here are equally sim
DIE; a platform against the side Of the
room. two feet above the floor and seven
feet long. serves as a bed. The lodger has
but TO take his reindeer skin with the hair
on. sewed up at one end in form like q bag,
Jump in, lay his head on a bag of feathers,
draw over him a pair Of blankets, and
sleep. Sheets, counterpanes, underbeds,
and that sort of sleep arrangement, are un-
known and unwished for in this region
The whole coast is dependent upon Alaska
great river, the Stecheon, for wood and
lumber. With this father of Alaska:
waters we shall soon become familiar.
We will take a look at the native houses
before we start inland. You see a ROOT
fifteen feet square, from the center OF
which, through a hole, the smoke is pouring
out That is a native house, but no door
is visible or even a window, as it contains
neither, and, in passing all round it, you
viii find only solid ground. Here IS 9
shed a few yards from the house, and, OF
entering it, you find a hole in the ground.
Getting down on your hands and knees Ii
d singular and undignifed way of entering
a house but we proceed. Crawling through
the underground passage, we finally reacf
the end. and, pushing aside the sealskin: we
enter the hut Everything entering this
house or going out has to pass this way
and, judging from the smell, something
ought TO 20 out that does not
Part Of the floor is covered with spruce
branches. over which woven grass mat!
are spread Here the NANTES sit, eat
and sleep, and it is not difficult for one t.
infer that short call would be more
agreeable than long one to a stranger un
used 70 such scenes and OdOrs.-Herbert
Bartlett in The Current.