The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-12-05
IN AN OLD RUSSIAN FORT.
HOW THE MUscovITE FORTIFIED
IN ALASKA.

OnIy-Mode of Defensc-Curios |
for Sale by Natives.
Names Of places In this Territory which
have military designations, says letter
from Sitka, Alaska, to the New York
Times, may inspire a sense OF security to
outsiders unacquainted with the country.
For instance, upon hearing OF Fort
Wrangell one would naturally conclude
that such a post would furnish ample
secuity for reasonable scope Of coun-
try. Yet the nearest troops are at Port
Townsend, nearly one thousand miles
distant by water, if we except small
company Of marines at Sitka. Fort
Wrangell is a military post only in name
1t is about 150 miles southeast of Sitka
by the waters of the inlets, but by the
bi-monthly steamers in q northeast course
its distance is more than five hundred
miles.
1t is one Of the old Russian settlements,
and was one of their most prosperous
trading posts. The main part Of the vii
| lage is on a moderate slope, with lofty
chain of mountains close behind. There
are not more than five hundred inhabit
able acres there, and upon them was
crowded all there ever was of Wrangell
in its most prosperous days. On the
north side of the village is a higher
knoll, and on this stand the old de
fences of Fort Wrangell. A high
wooden palisade or stockade sur
rounded the area set apart for mill
ary purposes the blockade is gone, but
the buildings all remain in fair state OF
preservation. The fort proper where
were the officers quarters and the bar
racks for the men stands on the north
side of the quadrangle, and is a solid
log building boarded over and made i'm
penetrable to bullets. The Government
house stands on tine west side of the
square, is built of the same material, and
is now occupied by United States Com
missioner Sheakley, who was member
of Congress several years ago from Penn
sylvania, and by the Deputy Collector OF
the Port, Mr.. Flemming from Wiscon-
sin. This building on the east side is
adapted for defensive purposes. On the
east side of the quadrangle is large
log and boarded building which was
used in the old Russian days as a store
house, and its outer front was adapted to
protective and defensive purposes. At
the southeast corner of this square stands
the most peculiar structure of all, and one
more suggestive of the necessities OF de-
Tense than all the rest 1t is the block house
or bastion, and upon its safety and Sc
curity depended the safety aud security
of the entire post. 1t is solidly built OF
logs, and is about twelve feet square at
the ground. 1t rises in these dimensions
to about twelve feet, the height of the
palisades, where is a second story OF
wider dimensions, extending entirely
over the margin of the first. Its walls
are not parallel with those of the first,
but it is placed diagonallY across the
first, so that its corners do not conform
to the corners of the first. In thus being
wider than the first story, and extending
over it on all sides. riflemen could de-
fend it, not only by aiming outward,
but downward on the outside OF the
palisades. Such defenses were common
in PENNSYLVANIA, New ork, aud Ohio
100 years ago, but they are now only h s.
toric memories, while the Russian block
house at Fort Wrangell still exists as a
memento of their occupation, and is
rapidly going to ruin.
There are only few Russians left at
Wrangell, not more than dozen OF pure
bloods. There are quite number of the
mixed race, Indian and Russian, still
there, but the bulk of the denizens of
the place are natives. These relics OF
Russian peasantry and the half-breeds
are, as a rule, more worthless than the
native or Indian. The houses of the old
Russian settlement are rapidly disap-
pearing from lack of care and through
the wet climate, which is destructive OF
timber. About 500 Indians have their
Winter home there. During the can
ming season they go out long distance
up the inlets and take salmon and other
fish for the canneries. When that sea-
son is over they return to Wrangell,
spending the Winter months in hunting
the mule deer, sometimes attacking the
great brown bear of the ad ioining noun
tains, but giving over most of their
leisure time to gambling. There are
twelve or fifteen Americans in the vii
lage, some in public employment some in
mission work teaching the Indians, some
in saloon keeping, and the rest in
traders stores This is the second point
touched by the Pacific steamers on the
way up after leaving Naimo, the last
coaling station far down on NanCouver's
Island, Only a few supplies are taken
off, and some cases of canned salmon
and peltries taken on.
A remnant of the old Russian town
stands below the fort along what was
once perhaps a street. A relic OF rough
wooden sidewalk and some boardedup
ld-fashioned narrow windows suggest
traffic. On this broken and dilapidated
walk score or two old squaws and de-
crepit men squat and expose for sale the
curios with which they hope 70 tempt
the tourist Thee natives are adopts at
construction, and offer for sale nicely.
formed bracelets and rings manufactured
from coin silver obtained at the canncries
for fish. They also have wooden spoons
and bowls for sale made from the beau
tiful yellow cedar of this coast, orna'
mented with carved griflins of curious
design. In trading with the Athabasean
Indians of the interior, in the British
dominions, they procure white coarse
wool from sort of mountain goat or
sheep, and this is woven into blankets
variously colored mostly gray and
white, and igured over with griliins and
nodescript figures Of like nature.
Alaska for a thousand miles and more
is only a stlip Of coast about thirty
miles wide on the mainland. The In
dians OF the interior are never permitted
by the coast natives to come to tide
water. Tho coast natives have from