The National tribune., 1892-06-16
JUN EAU.
People and Sights in the Capital of Alaska
Hdrper's Wccklyl

feOple ana sights In the Capital OF Alaska
Harper's IFccklyl
Juneau Is ruinous for the amateur photog
rapher, who can reel off spools of film on the
beach any sunny day. Canoes are being loaded
or unloaded or covered with blankets to pro-
teet them when drawn high on shore. Fami-
lies and friends sit on the sands to gossip, eat,
and trade. Aged relics crawl out to sun them
solves, aud children frolic and play. One
boatman splits his salmon aud hangs them to
dry, and another has frame hanging full Of
drying seals. A worthy couple bring the tub
out, and athering their pet dog, give him such
sudsing and sousing az they never gave
themselves. OFF the wharf at Juneau and OIL
the floats at Douglas Island Indians are always
flshing-a restful occupation for this large
leisure class, in land where ten o clock sun
sets make it seem always afternoon. And then,
on steamer days, the natives flock to the wharf
and the beach with baskets, bracelets spoons,
and carvings for sale, the Indians being more
alive to the profits of tourist trade than the
whites. The Indians were not so very simple
in trade when tourists began coming to Alaska,
but the present absurd value put upon their
work is all the work of tourists. Seven and
eight years ago they trailed the amateur pho
tographer for hours, and foregrounded them
selves every time he leveled his camera.
"Quatah" cries the Indian woman now,
hiding her soot-smeared face at sight of black
box; aud if not paid, the family seem ready to
tear the camera fend to pieces.
One day an old Indian wandered to the
Fashion Bazaar, chose piece of greenish yell
low satin, and producing a shoe said that he
wanted dress made to fit the woman who
wore that SHOE 4 scientist might have fur
nished plumage for bird from that much of
clew, but the little dressmsker was helpless
with only shoe for waist pattern. Make
it heap big for me-" was the puzzled shoppers
last resource, and after trying it on, he rolled
it up, put it in new basket and padded back
to his Chilikat home.
Another day the great medicine man Of the
Taku tribe beached his long canoe, and strolled
up town in gaily-striped blanket, with sacred
unkempt locks falling below his shoulders.
His two pretty young wives walked with him,
twins in looks and twins In their yellow hand
kerchiefs, and dark blue blankets patterned
and bordered with dozens and crosses of small
white buttons. His old wife hobbled behind
them. withered little woman of eighty years,
ay-haired nearly blind, but wearing the soft
and gentle expression Of old age on her poor
patient face A few hours later | found her
sitting statuesque at the back of the traders
store, while her lego was spending many dol
lars over the trinket counter with the younger
wives. This unspeskable Turk had come to
confer with the Indian policeman at Juneau,
his rival for the hand Of the Eagle Princess,
the reigning beauty of the Taku tribe The
aged wife had interrupted the conference by
attacking the Eagle beauty with knife, and
the match was off. But the two women sat in
tableau not ten feet apart, the old woman lean
ing on bent staff in an attitude of desperate
calm and tragic repose, the face placid, patient,
inscrutable, and the Eagle beauty sat undis-
turbed near this sumbering old volcano. The
damask bloom in her pale yellow cheek, her
fine straight nose and splendid eyes, were no
less remarkable than her self.possession, her
dignity and repose of manner, that she had
not lost even during the incident of the
morning.