The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-06-20

oer spent what they received. Inc best
paid class, the ablest workers, received
over four hundred dollars each for
their seasons work, and as they
could obtain large part of their
1000 from the resources of the island
without cost, and received their houses
furnished, rent free, their needs were
1cw TO foreign ways in clothes and
fashion they inclined very naturally.
The year before my coming sealing.
parties had brought to the island con-
SIDERABLE quantities of ready-made
clothing as an article of trade, and the
men were consequently fairly we'll
dressed; but only a small quantity OF
cloth suitable for dresses had been
taken, and the women had not begun to
make their clothing in any regular
form. But in time, with some assist
ance' their ready adaptability made
tnem very well-dressed people. Before
came away the wives of those who had
been saving sent their measures to Sitka
Wien orders for silk dresses for church
wear, and the yosng men anayed them.
selves in broadcloth, wore gloves and
well-blacked boots. and carried per-
TUNED handkerchiefs.
AS my time was not fully taken up
with my duties, and good fortune
brought to me an abiding place of un-
usual size for st. Paul, l seized the
happy chance of making my house
meetlng-place for the people, and espec-
Tally for the children. Later we fitted
up school-room, which we also made
place for social entertainment, and kept
the school open eight months in the
year. We were greatly assisted in our
school duties by illustrated books and
papers sent to US; for so UNMARRIED and
barren was the scenery of the island,
which was all of the world these chill
aren had ever seen, that it was we'll
nigh impossible for them to comprehend
physical objects of the simplest nature.
what mountain might be was beyond
their understanding, and the difficulty
OF explaining the appearance of a great
forest to children who knew no vegeta-
ole growth larger than the purple lupine
on their gentle slopes, was greater than
one can tell. It was necessary, how
ever, to exercise the strictest censorship
IN our illustrated lessons, as it was diff
calf for all to comprehend caricature
even in its Simplest forms; even the
most impossible pictures they believed
represented facts.
l found the people living in separate
families, and, as far as could see, there
was no more immortality among them
than would be found in any decent civil
lied community. The women were
modest in department, the children
ebedient and respectful to their parents,
snd the men always manifested dis
position to assist me in all my efforts.
In character they were mild and
gentle, with the expression of settled
melancholy habitual to those races
which have no amusements. In this
respect, however, they changed greatly
as opportunity developed the merriment
latent in their nature. The children
when first taught to speak did so in
serious way, and the utter absence of
any thing like hearty laughter in
group of them always affected me
strangely. 1t seemed as if their avenues
Of expression were closed to pleasure,
and later, when they had learned the
simple games 1 taught them, it was
great satisfaction to me to hear nv
rooms ring with theit merry voices
Captain Charles Bryant, in Century.