The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-07-30


IN the Captains confidence as to the
course we were to pursue He had no
mysteries. Every DAYS programme was
known tWenty-four hours ahead. so that
even the children sat up and told what
/ was coming on the morrow, and how long
seen.
We got to know the Captains peculiar
rolling gait and sailor step so well that we
collIu Ieel when he was coming, and he
was so jolly and so cheerful that even the
reserved came out of their shells. while
some in their enthusiasm forgot that he
was mortal man. But that he was u
genuine sea salt there is no doubt, for one
very plouS lady spoke under her breath
OF an hour in the dim morning when one
OF The hands was guilty of carelessness in
uninOoflng the ship from the wharf
Oh, she sad, 1T was awful what the
captain said" And l guess it was. for to
DE careful with his ship and his passen-
gers is his religion.
The personnel of the nassengare WIS
very interesting, as much so as the ever
changing panorama of the mountains.
W I'm the exception of q small group OF
Oaklahders, one of Sacramentans and one
OF san FranciscanS, most of the seventy
passengers were Eastern tourists. some
OF them the residue of the Presbyterian
conference at Portland connected with
& y
chned to take their pleasures SADLY
All rank, caste and social distinction
We're swept away on shipboard-no one
beng at all aware OF any special great
ness In his or her feliow-pa ssenger-not
even the name being known in many
cases III the journey was nearly over.
Ana, like IN the mining camps. each had
special title of distinguishment.
Red Cap and | sat in corner and en-
| Joyed very much the scene, There was
the Egyptian" handsome youno Ken
lucky belle with wide brows and heay-
lly lldded eyes, and sparkling with dia-
monds on her travelling dress, whom we
liked very much, and whose chief theme
OF conversation was love" The "MCdi-
fed Gentleman was an Americanized
EngllShlnan, so totally free from any Pc
cullarlty OF speech, opinion or manner
ism, although bright-minded, that that
constituted MS chief characteristic. The
seven Sisters" as they called them
selves, were mostly schoOl-teachers, and
apparently OFT on q lark. At any rate
they Tell into such Mysteries of rapture at
everything they saw that the rest Of the
boat took refuge i'll silence. They were
very Jolly, and worked hard all the way
seeing sights and asking questions till
the freight clerk lost ten pounds in weight
on the trip trying to answer them all.
1 The Pretty Lady" who wore white
time amid the others who wore one dress
! straight through and sat reading novels
/ through The sunsets and the sights, we
/ found came from Oakland. 1.-The Queen
! OF Roses" was loyable young woman.
/ who gave you thrill of pleasure Just bv
smiling at you as she passed by. 1t was
! no wonder the "Mugwump." as he adj
mitted himself to be, became her devoted
escort. His chum was such tall fellow.
! over six feet, that there was nothing left
/ but to call him "Totem," and it was ONLY
natural that he should pair, off with an
| other pretty young lady, whom we called
The Presidents COusin,n she having the
same name as one of the candidates, and
! politics running very high during this
nomination season, even out at sea.
! A nice elderly lady, breathing of Puri-
tanic ancestry, had been persuaded to
wear visor cap on the trip which looked
I passable on the young folks but on her
was atrocious. RED Cap'' dubbed her
Poor, Dear Thing"
THE Yarn Spinner was very fas-
| cinating at first. But her domestic TRACE
! dies were found to be flat and pointless,
and her audience would escape. saving
shed talk the legs off Of an iron pot.''
| The Doctor" was wise woman from
( Portland. L can never tell the welcome
! in every eye as she approached. She was
50 genial, so interested in everyone. and
! she knew so much, it was q pleasure to
| listen to her. THE Bride" was a vouno
/ woman from Tacoma, whose husband
| was burIesque on Blaine in appearance
and who was IS years of age. 'tThe
| DoWager Duchess" was a San Franciscan
! who gaZed at everything from unap-
! proachable nights OF snow and ice. 'sThe
Engllshman" was a resident of Alaska,
and connected with cannery in
terests there, travelled gentle
!
well Americanized. We approved OF
him. The mostattractive ones to us were
the "Persians," but they came from Sac
ramento-lovely black-eyed women who
! looked as If they had come from harem
/ instead OF that sedate city, with oceans
of good will in their hearts, and fun OF
! sweet humor and frieudliness. Then
there were some ''Solitaries,U several
men folk to whom no one spoke a word,
and who spoke never word themselves.
| We found afterward, by the rich bear
! skins they brought on board from the
| villages, that they were fur buyers. [ dc
not like to omit The Pious Old Gentle
man" and the "Pious Old Lady, for
they were there. And the "Kentuckian,,
was gallant gentleman, as nice as there
! was on shlpboard. We approved of him.
| too
! But have forgotten the purser, and on
! board ship the purser is great man. In
! this case, evidently, he was possessed OF
q mind ofhis own, for the Seven Sisters,
! gave him up as an unsolved enigma. He
! seemed never to be quite so happy as
when taking his solitary tramp at night
! around and around the ship-and [ could
! imagine him thinking great thoughts to
! himself.
! And so here we area little world ali to
! ourselves, sailing up the Alaskan Arch.
] pelago, ana enjoying the peaceful life
free from telegram or daily paper, and
/ studying from day to day the peculiar
! dusky race of this high latitude, and in.
dulging IN the absurd trinkets and curios
they offer us-caTved horn spoons, minia-
/ ture totems of strange design, woven
baskets of cedar bark, silver bracelets
and rings.
The waters are sparkling and beautiful
the cedar-covered shores green ano
snowy together; the peaks everchanging
with suddenly appearing waterfall and
then lost as quickly, as we slide and Skin
along the chaunel-and the glorious sun.
! SETS lingering until the night has become
the day, and we sit and read our novels
In the rosy light till the hour has come
when we must go to rest from sheer
WEAKNESS, night or no night.
1t Is all a little uncanny. and n little
mysterious, but we realize that this is
| Alaska, the land of the midnight sun.
ELLA STERLING CUMMINs.
Fort Wrangel, Alaska, June 10, 1892.