Mohave County miner., 1889-05-04

Townsend, nearly 1000 miles distant by
water, II we excert a snail company Of ma
rines Mt Sitka Fort Wrungell IL n military
post only In name. II is abogt i5o miles
southeast Of Sitlia by the waters OF the inlefs,
but by tbs H.monthly steamers In a north
east course SIS distance Is rpote than 800
miles
|. Is one Of the old Russian settlements, iSid
was one of their most prosperous trading
posts. The main part OF the village IL on d
moderate slope, with lofty chai~of noun
tains close behind There are not more than
800 iDbabltable acres there, Gnd upon them
was crowded oil tbero ever was Of Wrangell
lea its most prosperous days. On the north
side Of the village Is a higher knoll, and on
this stand the old defenses Of Fort WrangelL
A high wooden pallsad or stockads sur
rounded the area set apart for military pur.
poses; the stockade Is gone, but the buildings
all remain In fair state Of preservation. The
fort proper where were tho officers quarters
aud the barracks for the men stands on tho
north side OF tie quadrangle, and is solid
log building boarded over and made impen.
etrabls 10 bullets. The government house
staGds on tho west side of the square, aud Is
built Of the sarno material.
This building Oh the seaside Is adapted for
defensive purpoSes. On tho east side Of the
quadrangle is q large log and boarded build.
ing which was used IN the old Russian days
as storchouSe, and its outer front was
edapted 10 protective and defensive purposes
PECULIAR STRUCTURE.
At tic ssutbeest corner Of this square
stands the aost peculiar structure Of all,
aud one more suggestive OF the necessities Of
defense than all tie rest. It 10 the block
house or bastioD, ard upon its safety and So
curity depended the safety and security Of
the entire post. IL Is soiidly built Of logs,
ard Ia about twelve feet square al the ground.
1t rises in these dimensions to about twelve
feet, the height Of the palisades, where Is sec
ond story Of wider dimensions, extending cn.
tirely over the margin of the first Its walls
are not parallel with those Of the first, but it
Ia placed diagonaily across the first, SO that
its corners do not conform to tho corners Of
the first. In thus being wider than the first
story, and extending over it on all sides, rifle
men could defend il, not only by aiming out
ward, but downward on the outside Of the
palisades. Such defeases were common In
Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio 100 years
ago, but they are row only hisb,ric memo
ries, while the Russian block house at Fort
Wrnngell still exists as rnefnento Of their
occupation, and Is rapidly going to ruin. 4
There are only few Russians left at
Wrangeil, not moro than dozen Of pure
bloods. There are quito number of the
mixed race. Indian and RuszinE, still thore,
but the bulk OF the denizens OF the place arc
natives. These relics Of Russian peasantry
and the half breeds are as q rule Tlore worth
less than the native or Indian. The h0u,es
of the old Russian settlement nre 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
20 cut long distance up tho inls,ts and take
saln,on and other Ash for tho cannerIss
When that season 10 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 10 gambling. There are twtlve or flf-
teen Americans in the village, some In public
employment, soma in mission work teaching
the Indians, sorno ia saloon keeping, and tho
rest in traders stores.
. cURIos FOR SALE.
A remnant Of the old Russian town stands
below the fort along what was once perbape
street. A relic o. a rough wooden sidewalk
and some boarded up old fashioned, narrow
windows suggest traffic. On this broken and
iilapidated walk @ score or two Of old squaws
and decrepit men squat On their launches
md expose for sale the curios with which
they hope TO tempt the tourist. These natiyes
are adopts at construction, and offer for sale
nicely formed bracelets ard rings n,anufac-
tured from coin silver obtained at the can
nerics for fish. They also have wooden
spoons and bowls for sale, made from the
beautiful yellow cedar Of this coast, orna-
mented with carved grifIlns Of curious design.
In trading with the Athabascan Indians Of
the interior, in the British doIninions, they
procure a white, coarss wool from q sort of
mountain goat or sheep, and this is woven
into blankets variously colored, mostly gray
and white, and figured over with grifilns and
nondescript figures Of a lflse nature. Alaska
for thousand miles and more 10 cnly a strip
II coast about 30 miles wide on the mainland
The Indians of the interior are never per-
mitted by the coast natives TO come TO tide
water Tho coast natives have time out Of
mind constituted themselves the rniddlemen,
nnd havo done all the trading with the La
dians of the British dominions
After leaving Fort Wangell one sees no
white settlements again for many hours
steaming up the inlet At Tongass Narrows.
where little glacier river comes with q rolr
out Of the deep notch In the surrounding
mountains, one comes upon tie fsw isolated
buildings Of the Loring fish cannery. -Four
or five whites are here among q host of na-
tives, the latter furnishing the iish 90 the
works. Nothing can be more lonely than the
situation OF that meager settlement. many
miles by land and water from any white
neighbors or succor Of any kind. From hare
long steaminG brings usto Berry cannery.
10 has as few white people and is la as lonely
notch in the mountains by the seaside rs
L,oring's. Indians In tents and buts near the
works aud a few whites are all we see. II
takes all night, fast steaming, before VIC
reach signs Of civilization again at Juneau
City and Douglass Island, the seat Of the
great gold mining industries Of Alaska.
From these points tho steamer picks its way
up tho narrow cannels, fearful OF hidden
rocks and rapid tide currents, for more than
twelve hours, and then reaches the salmon
cannery OF Pyramid harbor, In what Is called
the Chilcat country, in Cbilcat inlet. Here
are half dozen whites managing the fishery
and canning establishment, and not ofe
white woman 10 be seen there. This is tie
highest point In the inlets where steamers &c
for commercial purposes. s.--Sitka Cor. Ne.
York Times. -..
Who finds ail the umbrellas taat every.
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