Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-12-21

1OuAueu Gne AREA seG apart LOr mlllCaIy pur.
poses; the stockade is gone, but the buildings
all remain in fair state of preservation. The
fort proper where were the officers quarters
and the barracks for the men stands on the
north side of the quadrangle, and is solid
log building boarded over and made impen-
etrable to bullets. The government house
stands on the west side Of the square, and il
built OF the same material.
This building on the seaside is adapted for
defensive purposes On the east side of the
quadrangle is large log and boarded build
Ing which was used in the old Russian days
as a storehouse, and its outer front was
adapted to protective and defensive purposes.
PECULIAR STRUCTURE.
At the southeast corner Of this square
stands the most peculiar structure of all,
and one more suggestive of the necessities Of
defense than all the rest 1t is the block
house or bastion, and upon its safety and se-
curity depended the safety and security of
the entire post. It 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 SEC
ond story of wider dimensions, extending en-
tlrely 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, rifle
men could defend it, not only by aiming out
ward, but downward on the outside Of the
palisades. Such defenses were common in
Pennsy lvania, New York and Ohio 100 years
ago, but they are now only historic memo
ries, while the Russian block house at Fort
Wrangell still exists as memento of their
occupation, and is rapidly going to ruin.
There are only few Russians left at
Wrangell, not more than a 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 rule more worth.
less than the native or Indian. The houses
OF the old Russian settlement are rapidly
disappearing from lack of care and through
the wet climate, which is destructive Of tim
Der. About 500 Indians have their winter
home there. During the canning season they
60 out a long distance up the inlets and take
salmon and other fish for the canneries
When that season is over they return to
Wrangell, spending the winter months in
hunting the mule deer, sometimes attacking
the great brown bear Of the adjoining noun
tains, but giving over most of their leisure
time to gambling. There are twelve or flf-
teen Americans in the village, some in public
employment, some in mission work teaching
the Indians some in saloon keeping, and the
rest in traders stores
cURIos FOR SALE.
A remnant of the old Russian town stands
below the fort along what was once perhaps
street. A relic Of a rough wooden sidewalk
and some boarded up old fashioned, narrow
windows suggest traffic. On this broken and
dilapidated walk score or two of old squaws
and decrepit men squat on their launches
and expose for sale the curios with which
they hope to tempt the tourist. These natives
are adopts at construction, and offer for sale
nicely formed bracelets and rings manufac-
tured from coin silver obtained at the can
neries for fish They also have wooden
spoons and bowls for sale, made from the
beautiful yellow cedar of this coast, orna-
mented with carved griff1ns of curious design.
In trading with the Athabascan Indians Of
the interior, in the British dominions, they
procure white, coarse wool from a sort Of
mountain goat OF sheep, and this is woven
into blankets variously colored, mostly gray
and white, and figured over with grifins and
nondescript figures of a like nature. Alaska
for o thousand miles and more is only strip
OF coast about 80 miles wide on the mainland,
The Indians Of the interior are neyer-per.
mitted by the coast natives to come TO tide
water. The coast natives have time out Of
mind constituted themselves the middlemen.
and have done all the trading with the In.
dians of the British dominions.
After leaving Fort Wrangell one sees no
ytHS%n 49,
steaming up the inlet. At Tongass Narrows.
where little glacier river comes wifi a roa,.
mountains, one comes upon the few isolatei
buildings Of the Lorinp fish cannery. Fonr
or five whites are here among a host Of na.
tives, the latter furnishing the fish to the