The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-01-31

AT A WEDDING IN SITKA.
DESCRIPTION FROM ALASKA OF AN
EVENT OF THE GREEK CHURCH.
Golden Crowns Held Aloit-Ths Cross Of
rapers-How the Bride was Given Away
and Other Details Of the Pretty csre.
meny.
Immediately north of and adjoining
Sitka il one Of the largest and most at.
tractive Indian villages In Alaska. In
when employment at the sal.
mon canneries is abundant, nearly all
the able bodied men and their families
are of come one hundred and fifty miles
engaged in fishing. leaving, perhaps. not
more than four hundred of oil ages and
sexes behind at the village. About the
lst Of October they begin to flock back
for the winter.
Fully one-half of the adults have been
brought under the influence Of the
Greco Russian church. which Is main.
tanned in Alaska by money paid from
the imperial treasury at st. Petersburg
and which church and its property are
protected by the terms of tho treaty Of
cession.
JUST LIKE ROYALTY.
Last night the people Of Sitka witnessed
. Ute ceremony in the Cathedral Of 81
Michael's fully as interesting as the mar.
riagc Of the Duke of Sparta and the
Princess Of Germany. The bride and
groom were pure blooded Alaskan Indi.
ans Of the adjoining village. 1t is inter.
esting to know that while the influence
If civilization has wiped out the practice
Of buying and selling young girls as
wives among these people, in common
with tho practice among the North
American Indians. whom these people 70.
in only few respects, still
consideration enters into the
in all cases now, which
shows the origin Of the latter. Tho Alas
Kan Indian has no ponies for gifts to the
parents Of the bride, Uut rs blankets here
.,re badges of wealth, us ponies are
among the plains Indians. he bears gifts
of blankets Us the consideration for the
bride.
The Cathedral Of St. Michael's, though
wcoden structure erected over fifty
/, ears ago. il in an excellent state of pres.
ervation. and its interior is arranged and
with all the gorgeous appur-
.cnances which belong to tho churches
IT that communion. The wedding took
place at 9 O'clock, nearly three hours
after dark. The church was brilliantly
lighted by nearly q thousand candles,
.i'e windows and the lantern of the Gu
lOla being studded with them.
According to universal custom the
bride must lie given away by some rela-
live. The groom. rather good looking
young Indian, plainly and decently
entered the W est door of the
church and took a position in tho center
h the floor about ten feet from the door,
al about half an hour afterward knock
Was heard at the same door, when it was
opened by I'm usher and tho bride en-.
tered. dressed in pure white, with a
wreath of artificial flowers as q sort of
chaplct. The compilations of both are as
brown as a chestnut. The person who
lift Of the Groom ~ '' y" ''''
In tho no,n,;ma ,,,o ,,o.., .,.
,a.rccns were ,bu,,.,, oro,, aa.5 49,. .:.sa.
in heavy robes, incrusted with gold and
silver lace. was observed celebrating that
part OF the mass pertaining to that part
were then nIaoo,, in sSa Sa"Ss . o. .,ss
bride anI groom an,i ,Io nr;as. ' ,, ~ ;"o
n LIGHTED taner anI ,ho ,n;ssn, '' aa..
from I,eh,nd the ai,,r md ' 49,, ''. .,'s
brillian,Iv I;o,,te,, samct,ar. III. VIC nc
wn,nan /. av.. a,io..oS -. VIII" Nv
~ small daslr !, fron. =. ~ ~
altar rreen ami -ood aa.,:a. S W ~. .,'o
ritual in Russian mi ,oaI,, ssna, ". s'i :.
In English mi Th;nkIet TsiS sa -
c,,ncII1e.l in vbici, tho choir "Is. .aoa
ioinad In singing ho nrocsado J'. - .aa
s,ot u hero ,ha ernoc,an. eeu.',. o. ele
and CROSSING his hands WITH H.. s'o ~
EACH hoIdin1 their tanars o. - . .s to. suu
cross. he Continued h;s rectal ~. ~ 49,.
ritu.i. tho choir ,n,L;nn -,.,'a...s. ~ t"e
At this mint tho 6,;da snI ,x~o,,,
placed their rinys in his la nad s ,.os
in. the hands Of ali ,hrc" in ,ha &C.,. 49, r.
q cross. Lo led them forwar,, to .a -
,lais in front Of tho ,,est Tho ia. = .a ...a.
Inv two women d-e..ad =, 49, ~"
and tho croom hv ILL., n,,.,L " ..
Young men of his own race While tho
procession tins a,lvanced r., ,ho da;s 49,
ritual was chanted hv tho nr;s.. W.
responses being made IN the oho;r Ths
priest took his Mace behind ~. ,,..i.
and for half nm hour inion..si TIC ,so 80.
,f tho ritual. first in Russian and .,,on
from nm Enplisl, translat;on mod , ,,1
Bishop YlaJimar. Of San Fronc;sco
UNDER THE GOLD cpowxs
Two heavy gold crowns wero ,,,o,
placed mon the heads ~ Tho h.;J. as.,
room. and tho rinps which, ho5 $500; -;
he blessings If the nr;es4 hssc.s ~
ride and groom we're contl,,c.e.i 70 ~. .e
worm bv tho bride when 1 sh ia:' ent. Jug t,hs
.l,vrch l,einy nlac.J on ona - .ss es ."s
# The GROOM and Tho nns ' ~ u.o.n ' -. ~.
rom nlocai on ,ha Wv . os I'LL ~ sne
itual proceeded for another ha,s ho ~.
he maasirc and l,cc.,:;f,l go,,;on ..a.,,...
,.;.. LII .L..,