The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-08-09
ALASKAN TOWNS.
Juneau and Sitka-Their Streets and
People.
Some Strange sights-Good Manners
Modern Goths and Vandals
The Muir Glacier.
Correspondence of the REcoRD-UN1oN.l

d
Juneau, Alaska. He would soon be
cured. The central street of that prettily
situated village and metropolis of Alaska
is more like a wood-road in the Sierras-
rough and ungraded. But as they have
only two buggies and one blackboard in
use there according to their own state
ments), the necessity for good roads is not
absolute.
The Indian part of the town is a make
shift at civilization, and yet quite quaint
at distance, with an occasional totem-pole
raised in front of the rough board houses,
bearing an eagle or a raven, in honor Of
some past ancestor. Juneau contains
1855 inhabitants. The business places
are rather curiously divided up. Among
them there are four churches, five schools,
thirteen general merchandise stores, four
string bands, eight stamp mills, five doc
tors, seven lawyers, one newspaper, one
curiosity-shop, three breweries, six bill
lard halls, four dance hVlls sand thirty
eight saloons. This is very good for pro-
hIbition reservation.
The Treadweu mine is across the
stream from Juneau upon Douglass
Island. Here the stamps or the great 40
stamp mill thunder away day and night,
all the year round, save half day on the
18th of July and half a day on Christmas.
: 1t is the largest mill in the world under
one roof, being arranged in double row
of stamps set back to back. The blasting
of rock in the mine reverberates and fills
the air. But even SO, there are tourists
wild TO enter upon the midst of these
festivities. And they go down into pro-
found darkness, get good and wet and
come back and pity those on Shipboard,
saying: ~ on don't know what you've
missed!'
Some people are mysteries to me.
know that occasionally miner is killed
here in spite of all care with the blasting
not long ago the son of the Superin-
tendent was blown to pieces-but tourists
seem to think they have charmed lives
and venture anywhere at any time.
From here wStso on farther north, to
Chilcat. Again we pass through one of
those wonderful blaZonments of the
western sky iii radiations of copper and
gold. But gradually it is folded in by a
great purple curtain of cloud extending
clear across the heavens as midnight is
reached, and then the rose-tints upon
one side show that the sun has already
begun to rise again almost before lost
from the horizon. And that is what
Ethey mean by the midnight sun.
AS we passed along we beheld the white
rivers of snow of the Eagle and David
son Glaciers, but too far away from shore
to comprehend them. The latter is now
dying, melting faster than it moves, and
&supon its front the moraine is covered
with forest growth, making little
green island against the snow.
1t was on Sunday morning, June 18TH
tthat we arrived at long-look editor Sitka /;
such a beautifully situated little city
with its green dome of the Greek
Church its yellow castle, and barracks,
and missions, and neat cottages. Some
day when taxes are established and en-
terpriSe is rampant how beautiful it will
be, every peak crowned with citadels of
civilization! L knew at once that the two
peaks which almost spoke to US upon our
arrival must be objects of worship to the
jewellers of this far-away world, for the
dullest imagination is inspired by beau
tltul mountain. AS horizon background
to Sitka's clustering cotes stands out
Mount VerStova, "a dark green pyra-
mid,' and, like lover parted from his
mate, standing out in the bay stands
snow-topped Edgecumbe, his volcanic
fires silent for the past hundred years. [
cannot seem to forget those two mount
aims. / was satisfied to stand and gaze
and lose many other sights.
A pretty pebbly-beach walk went
through the town, passed the missions,
the museum and the cottages, to Indian
River, where were rustic bridges over
the stream, and everywhere a profusion
of ferns and vines and beautiful cedars.
An attraction of mystery took many to
the great square yellow building, now
falling into decay, dubbed "Baranoff
Castle" This was situated upon an
eminence, near the wharf, and furnished
those legends which are so necessary to
the well-doing of any historic spot, and
gave the first touch of romance for which
the ''Seven Sisters" had hungered and
thirsted all the way. The legend was
.freiative to the Princess Olga Cwho never
existed, but never mind). She loved
him and he loved her, like Verstova and
Edgecumbe, but they were parted. She
was compelled to marry another, but
upon the fatal wedding night slipped
away into one OF these rooms, and was
found dead-ever after haunting the
castle upon certain bright nights and
''swishing her ghostly wedding gown
and wringing her jeweled hands,"
Upon the American acquisition of
Alaska this castle was gorgeouSly ap-
pointed, but the descendants of the Goths
and Vandals laid violent hands upon
everything, and no one knows whittier
have been transported these beautiful
furnishings Of silver, crystal, lace and
satin of almost Oriental splendor. Moth
ing remains to hint of them even, but a
curious concave skylight-top, which now
lies crushed upon the floor of the garrett
1t is lined with tiny triangles OF mirror
glass, calculated to catch and reflect the
light thousand times The pillage how
ever, was matter of moment merely,
tourists would have carried it away piece
meal, for l heard a lady passenger con-
graduate herself that she had secured
eight pounds OF old wire, as a souvenir OF
Baranoff Castle, to take home. / picked
up two triangles of the mirror glass for
my share, though Red Cap persisted that
1T was an omen of i'll luck, and almost re-
fused TO go on shipboard again with them
in our possession. oh, it is dreadful how
people can be so acquisitiYei
The Greek Church has had such a sur
felt OF the tourist, that they now are re-
CURED to pay 90 cents admission to see
the paintings covered with beaten gold
and silver and the affairs and decorations.
We walked all over the holy places, and
Red Cap executed a pas seal on the mar
rage altar when no one was looking.
But this was mere nothing compared to
the performance OF q certain visitor here
year or so ago. The tale is told as a bit
of history connected with the Greek
Church. She tfor of course it was a she)
was the wife of a certain Ex-Governor of
the State OF California, and was told by
the priest not to venture in certain holy
spot on the altar steps, and that no one
but men were permitted to gaze in the
closed holy of holies. Before any one
knew it she had tossed the priest to one
side, opened the closed door and looked
in. From that day an admission tee has
lPurser remarked sagely, 1T is strange
how people can go travelling and leave
their manners at home"
Very interesting indeed are the
mission schools of Sitka, under the
charge of Professor Sheldon Jackson and
<llis associates. About 100 children are
under their immediate charge, nicely
older Indians, both men and women,
( ibrouCbt rpder Christian intiuence