Evening journal., 1889-01-09
LETTERS From TAE PEOPLE.
In Alaska Among The sitkas.


To the Editor of EVENING JOURNAL.
Sitka, the capital of Alaska is beauti-
fully situated; Nesting at the base Of
three mountains there is comparatively
no cold there. 1t never gets to zero. 1t
is damp, moist climate. The rain does
not effect the people as ii does us here
The Russians say that it Is half OIL The
garrison of Sitka in 1877, when the mill
tary was recalled and man-of-war and
two companies of marines relieved them,
comprised two batteries of artillery, q
major commanding, and they had a fine
time hunting, fishing and in other sports.
The Indian River, running through the
town. abounded IN salmon and mountain
trout. Getting down on your knees
and placing your hands under the
water and keeping them still with
the palms up yea could through
out every minutes, catch 0 or 10
pound salmon. The only trouble was
carrying them home. The natives would
stand in the river up to their waist and
spear them. eating some part of them
raw and throw the rest Of them away
Nothing viii grow that depends on the
sun to ripen, but all kinds of vegetables
will flourish. You can grow splendid
potatoes there and a sweetberry, the ma
tives call olalie. is gathered and pre-
served. They are their only luxury.
During the long winter some poor In
dians claim Sitka as their home They
are stockaded from the town and every
morning at 0 o'clock they are let in and
driven out at in the afternoon. A sen
tinel stands at the gate and no native
was allowed to take more than one pint
of molasses in one day into the village.
To be caught cheating was 10 days in the
guard house and the m0lasses confscated.
They made whiskey with molasses. Any
white man caught in the Indian village
got 20 days ia the lock up, and soldier
general court martial. One Christmas
eve the garrison glee club got too much
whiskey and against the advice of their
friends listened to the Establishments Of
the Indian damsels. They scaled the
stockades to sing to the Indian maidens.
The houses in the village are large, some
times 100 living in one house. Hotchnoo,
or whiskey flowed freely. The sentinel on
the lookout over the Indian village
passing his weary beat was
startled to hear that famous old song the
''Swanee River, followed by the
Wearing of the Green His warning
cry of post mo, 81 brought the sergent Of
the guard The gate was opened. The
house ia which the glee club was was
surrounded and the glee club captured.
That nights sport cost them three years
hard labor in military prison.
The natives are very fond of music
the fiddle. They have a caste
among them, high and low. A native TO
be seen talking to slave is considered a
disgrace. The Indian doctor is the oracle
Of the tribe His word is law. They
believe that a person who is sick is pos
sessed with devil. and the doctors Job
IS to drive this devil out. He beats
drums, blows horns and goes through au
la his performance he is
naked except a breech clout. The
friends of the sick person sit in circle
and sing Girge while the devil is get
ing driven out. The doctor looks as
ierce as possible. | would pity the devil
I he fell into his hands When a relation
lies the women cut their hair and black
heir faces, and If they can get the whis-
Key get drunk. The women are forbidden
% live in the town, but they evade the
aw and keep In the houses at night.
After awhile they get bold and too many
of them try It. Some night the soldiers
make raid and the Indian damsels are
locked up. They are kept ten days. Then
The command is fall out and the sladies"
are paraded up and down the ranks to
shame them, and then with file OF
guards they are paraded through the
streets, the trumpeters playing the
rogues march. Then they are driven into
he village. The sentinel gets orders not
70 let them in again. They are black
listed They black their faces and in
ialf an hour walk past the sentinel as
boldly as a lion. Shame TO them is
stranger and they don't want to make its
acquaintance. A wifeisa slave, but think
hey will have trouble TO make the young
quaws believe that they are to remain
laves. Wealthy old Tockshot, the
iutchnoo queen, is no beggar They are
ich in slaves and blankets, and they
ont want to be Christianized. Chris. |
lanize the bad white man first, then come
nd talk to us, is what they will tell you. |
JAMES MCILHRSRY,
Ex.member Battery A, Fourth Artf-
'ry, U. =. A.