Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-12-04
At A WEDDING IN SITKAIl..'
DESCRIPTION FROM Alaska or An
EVENT OF THE GREEK CHURCH.


Golden crswus Held Aioft--rh. o.. \.
Ispers- How the Bride was Give. Av.v
sind Other Dsss''s Of tn. Pretty csr..
mony.
Immediately north Of and adjoining
o'tka Is one Of the largest and most ~.
tractive Indian villages IN Alaska N
summer, when employment at the saI.
mon canneries 10 abundant. nearlv ali
the able bodied men and their famfl;as
are on some one hundred and fiftv mia.
engaged in fishing, leaving, perhaps, not
more than four hundred Of all ages and
sexes behind at the village. About the
ist OF October they begin to flock back
for the winter.
Fully one-half Of the adults have heer
brought under the influence OF the
dreco- Russian church, which is main
tanned in Alaska by money paid from
the imperial treasury at st. Petersbure
and which church and its property are
protected BY the farms Of the treaty Of
cession.
800 s<AhH MI ALIy.
Last night the people OF Sitka witnessed
Z Ute ceremony in the Cathedral Of 81.
Michael's fully as interesting as the mar
rlage Of the Duke Of Sparta and the
Princess Of Germany. The bride and
groom we're pure blooded Alaskan Indi.
ans Of the adjoining village 1t is inter-
esting TO know that while the influence
OF civilization has wiped out the practice
OF buying and selling young girls as
wives among these people, in common
with the practice among the North
American Indians. whom these people re-
semble In only few respects, still a
valuable consideration enters into the
transaction in all cases now, which
shows the origin of the latter. The Alas
kan Indian has no ponies for gifts to the
parents of the bride, but as blankets here
are badges of wealth, as ponies are
among the plains Indians, he bears gifts
OF blankets as the consideration for the
bride.
The Cathedral of st. Michael's, though
wooden structure erected over fifty
years ago, is in an excellent state Of pres
ervation, and its interior is arranged and
embellished with all the gorgeous appur.
tenances which belong to tile churches
OF that communion. The wedding took
place at Q o'clock, nearly three hours
after dark. The church was brilliantly
lighted by nearly a thousand candles
the windows and the lantern of the Gu.
pola being studded with them.
According to universal custom the
bride must be given away by some rela,
tive. The groom, rather good looking
young Indian, plainly and decently
dressed, entered the est door of the
church and took a position in the center
of the floor about ten feet from the door
In about half an hour afterward knock
was heard at the same door, when it was
opened by an usher and the bride en-
tered, dressed in pure white, with 9
wreath of artificial flowers as a sort Of
chaplet. The compilations of both are a,
brown as chestnut. The person who
gave the bride away placed her on ths
left of the groom.
In the meantime the gorgeous ALTA
screens were thrown open and the priest
in heavy robes, incrusted with gold ant
silver lace, was observed celebrating thai
part of the mass pertaining to that par
of the ceremony. Large lighted candles
we're then placed in the hands of til,
bride and groom, and the priest, bearing
lighted taper and the missal, cam,
hn OLE 81 l.,
brilliantly lighted sanctuary. which n,
woman is ever allowed to enter, ap
preached small desk in front of tn,
altar screen and read portion of tn
ritual in Russian, and again repeating
in English and Thinklet. This portion
concluded, in which the choir overhea,
joined in singing, he proceeded to tn
spot here the expectant couple stood
and crossing his hands with theirs. an,
each holding their tapers SO as to form
cross, he continued his recital of tn
ritual, the choir making responses.
At this point the bride and groom
placed their rings i'm his hands, and keep
ing the hands of all three in the form O
cross, he leu them forward to small
dais in front Of the desk. The bride wa
attended by two women dressed in white
and the groom by a like number G
young men of his own race. While tn
procession thus advanced to the dais tn
ritual was chanted by the priest, tn
responses being made in the choir. Tn
priest took his place behind the desk
and for half an hour intoned the word
Of the ritual, first in Russian and the
from an English translation made b
Bishop vladimar, of San Francisco.
UNDER THE GOLD CROWNS.
Two heavy gold crowns were the
placed upon the heads of the bride an
groom, and the rings which had receive
the blessings of the priest before tn
bride and groom were conducted to tn
dais were restored to the latter, the rim
worn by the bride when she entered tn
church being placed on one of the finger
of the groom, and the one worn by tt
groom placed on the appropriate fnge
of the bride. The information of tt
ritual proceeded for another half hou
the massive and beautiful golden crown
being held above the heads of the brio
and groom by the attendants, each tai
ing turns.
At last the bride and groom passe
around the outer altar three times an
halted again in front of the reading desl
Now the groom saluted the bride, an
the ceremony was at an end, and tt
parties were so inseparably united Il
life that no divorce recognized by Il
church can sever them. The church W;
filed with people. There are no. sea
mr. news in the cathedral, and all stoC