Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-09-18
ALASKA'S CHIEF CITY.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIED
ATTRACTIONS OF JUNEAU.

A Rush In Search of Curios-The Annual
RainfsIl-IndIRn Bellies in Full Feather
Arts of the Toilet-CoverinS Their
Faces with SCOT and OLA Ball.
! Sitka, the capital OF Alaska, sleeps save
when she is awakened for a day or two
10y the arrival of a steamer load of tour
lists. Fort Wrangell, the premature Off
spring of gold rumor, is dead. Juneau,
the metropolis, is the only settlement that
shows any signs of yigor, and she may
hope to live not over-lively village life
so long as the mines on Doufilas island,
across the narrow straits, continue to pay,
ana no longer. There were sea birds
skimming the water as we threaded the
labyrlnthlne channels that surround
Juneau.
This settlement has seen good deal OF
experience for a young one. IL was first
known as Pilsbury; then some humorist
dubbed it Fliptown. II was afterward
called Rockwell. and Harrisburg, and
finally Juneau, the name it still bears
with more or less dignity. The customary
Indian village hangs upon the borders Of
the town; in fact, the two wings of the
settlement are aboriginal; but the cop
IN its progress of civilization further than
the occasional chance it affords him Of
turning an honest penny In the disposal
of his wares. No sooner was the gang
plank out than we all made rush for the
trading stores in search of curios. The
faculty OF acquisitiveness grows with
what II feeds on, and before the Alaska
tour is over it almost amounts to a mania
among the eXcursionists. You should
have seen us, men, women and children
hurrying along the beach to the heart of
Juneau, where we saw flags flying from g..
the slaves that stood by the trading stores.
1t was no easy task 10 distance a competi-
tor in those thorouhfares.
JUNEAU's ANNUAL RAINFALL
Juneau has an annual rainfall Of nine
feet; the streets are guttered; indeed the
streets are cutters in some cases. / know
OF at least one little bridge that carries
the pedestrian from one sidewalk to an
other, over the muddy road below. Twas
headed off on my way TO the n. w. I.
Co. S warehouse and sat me down on a
stump 10 write till the rush on bric-a- brac
was over. Meanwhile | noticed the shake
shanties and the pioneers who hung about
them, with their long slim legs crooked
under rush chairs in the diminutive YER
andas
Indian bells were out in full feather
They waddled up and down the lanes OF
the town, squatted at the street corners
or lay in heaps among the wares which
were displayed upon the strips of narrow
sidewalk. Many of them had wild berries
for sale or were eating handfuls of them
at intervals to encourage the appetite of
the Indifferent customer. Some of these
Indian mIidenS had their faces covere d
with thick coating of SCOT and Oil, the
rims OF the eyelids, the tip of the nose
and the inner portions of the lips show
ing in striking contrasts to the hideOus
mask, which they are said to wear in or
der TO preserve their complexion. They
look for the most part lik. black faced
monkeys, and appear i'll this guise a great
portion of the time in order 10 dazzle the |
town, after a scrubbing. with skins as
fair and sleek as soft-s soap. Even some
of the sterner sex are constrained to resort |
to art in the hope of Tightening their
manly beauty, but these are, of course, |
Alaska dudes, and as such are doubtless |
pardon8ble
There is bathhouse in Juneau and a |
barber shop. They did a big business on /
our arrival There are many billiard |
halls, where prohibited drinks are to be |
more or less surreptitiously obtained. A |
dance hall stands uninyitinyly open in |
the street. At the doorway, as we pass |
it, was posted a hand-lettered placard an |
that the ladies of Juneau would |
on the evening in question give a grand |
ball in honor of the passengers Of the |
Ancon. Tickets, 5Jcents.-Cor San Fran |
cisco Chronicle