The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-12-30
THE S-HADOWGRApHER.

4 E.e-IEN $500 HEEEZZ
John ]. Healy tells about some ouriou,
traits Of character Of Alaska Indians
He has traded among them 40 lonG
that no has become familiar will
their life. religious beliefs aud Gus
toms. His interest in everything new
caused him to make something Of u study
OF these people, with the result that he il
probably better equipped for a magazine
article on the subject than any other white
man. Ho tells OF q system of slavery
among tho different tribes, a fact that may
not have appeared before in print. The
Klikitnts are tho grent nation and aro sub
divided into tribes known as wolves, bears,
whales, etc., among whom there are curious
domestic laws. A whale, for instance, is
not allowed to mary a whale. or ia one
member of a tribe allowed to marry any
but another of a different tribe. The Xix
itats possess certain personal characters
tics which lead MIR. Healy to believe
they IRE q mixed race of Japaneze and Az
tee origin. They have a deep copper COL
orod complexion, red hair and often red
boards. and are short but solid in stature.
They are far ahead of all other Indians in
point OF Intelligence. Some OF their cary
ings show the highest art. Mr.. Healy has
seen works Of such value that thousands of
dollars would not buy them from the sculp-
tors. The totems, or religious emblems,
show the greatest skill. Until very
recently human sacrifices were of
frequent occurrence. When a medi-
cine man failed to fulfill his promises
ho would lay the responsibility with some
innocent layman. This unfortunate fellow
was taken to the beach at low tide, fas-
tened to q plank and allowed to lie there
until the tide arose INT washed away
his body into the ocean. The government
has succeeded in stopping this to a consid-
cradle extent. though it sometimes occurs
even now Mr.. Healy says Alaska is q land
of wonderful natural resources, but q poor
country for a poor man. A smart business
man with capital should make a fortune
there in a few years in salmon fisheries or
mines.
How many patrons of Sawtelle's old
theater remember pretty Minnie Crisp,
who died at the St. Louis hotel in this
city on Christmas day, 1879. and how few
know that sine was q niece of Charles f.
Crisp, speaker of the house of representa-
tives. The Crisps were a family of actors
and managers. Henry Crisp was a famous
theatrical manager in his day. He had
four children, the present speaker, Henry
Crisp, Jr., now dead, and two daughters,
Jessie and Celia. J%essie's daughter played
under the name of Minnie Crisp, and was
the wife of Manager French, now of the
Park theater in Portland. Her mother is
still alive. She played ingenue parts in
Sawtelle's old stock company, a member of
was Harry Emery, now in Helena
with his wife, Katie Putnam. He remem-
bers Minnie Crisp as an actress of great
promise and a woman of charming person
ality. She was very popular with players
and public alike. She was but "a years old
at her death. The funeral was held at the
little Episcopal church, and she was buried
in the valley cemetery. A great benefit
was aftsrward given for her husband, who
was in very Strengthened circumstances.
Sawtelle is of course we'll remembered
and it may interest his friends to know
that he is now living in Vermont. and has
married another wife, the third since his
departure from Helena. He was q good
theatrical manager but suffered more or
less from financial depression. Mr.. Emery
was with him two seasons. They after
played four months continually in Helena,
returning after engagements in Butte and
other towns. Plays of all classes were pro-
duced and not ali we're ''chestnuts" either.
The manuscripts of Divorce, Our Boys,
Hazel Kirke, were sent to Helena as fast as
they were produced in New York and Lon
don. In fact, as Mr.. Emery said last even
ing, the company did nothing but rehearse
and play, giving different performances
night after night. Sawtelle's last appear
ance in this country was in a disgraceful
domestic affair which nearly resulted in his
playing the leading role of a y~igilante
drama.
Senator Charles w. Hoffman, of Boze-
man, has been in town a day or SO and like
ali Bozeman people be is proud of his city.
He thinks the remarkable crops from the
Gallatin valley last season will quickly
bring e surprisingly large number of set
tiers into that prosperous country. Seventy
five families of Hollanders will arrive next
week and others will follow. The senator
is doubtless quite right in believing that
no more desirable immigrants could be
found. 1t is certain that this valley will
attract general attention from prospective
settlers when it becomes known that the
average yield of oats in one field of 200
acres reached ninety-three bushels and that
in another field of thirty acres it went to
113 bushels.