The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-18
LIFE IN SITKA.
One of Our Acquired Domains In the Ear
Northwest.


Especial Correspondence
STTKA, Dec 29.-Here am in Sitka,
Alaska, where it rains almost without
stopping the whole year round. The
average annual rainfall totals up to 100
inches. Think of It'll No fear of one's
suffering from thirst or the land suffer-
ing from heavy droughts. And as I
looked out at the fog this morning it
struck me that if this country is ever
afflicted by that blessing, native ro-
mancist, he'll surely be unable to get in
any thrilling literary touches portray
ing vast deserts of sand, frightful sun
sco-ches or great cracking arid plains.
He won't harrow our souls by the use
of these moss covered, bewhiskered lit
erary props The moisture of this big
land will affect his imagination.
October and November are the worst
months of all-that is, if any of the
months can at all lay claim to this dis
tinction. It rains from 26 to 81 days in
each of them from September TO May
and from IS to 25 days from June to
August. An umbrella would be the ap-
propriate national emblem wherewith
to adorn the flag of this wept upon land
in the event of its people ever taking it
into their heads to discard the stars and
stripes.
Alaska was discovered and explored
by Russian expedition under Behring
i'll 1741. In 1899 the territory was
granted to Russo-American fur COM
pany by Emperor Paul VI The United
States government bought it from Rus
STA i'll 1867 for payment in cash Of
81, 200, 900. Evidently the willy Russians
knew enough to come in out of the rain.
But withal it is fine, grand looking
country-that is, when the mist lifts it.
self and gives one chance to see it. It
is full of mountains, great rivers and
lakes In the interior there are immense
plains, but it goes without saying that
they are neither arid nor sun scorched.
And Sitka is a beautiful place, surround
ed by seas and islands
Sitka-that is, the town-has about
1900 inhabitants. Only about 800 OF
them are white, the rest of them being
Indians, together with a few Chinese.
These last pursue their favorite toll Of
washing clothes; also they placer mino
for gold in a calm, primitive way along
the beds of creeks But they don't pan
out well as miners, as they go about
things after an unenergetic and oriental
fashion.
To say that life goes slow in Sitka is
to put it in the lnildest way possible.
To state the exact truth, there ism It the
shadow of q go in anything here at all.
You feel that you are living on the
fringe of nowhere; that you are coming
into contact with nothing and nobody.
The only thing that is at all exciting is
when it stops raining for few mo-
ments Then every one commences to
wonder, but they wonder in a sleepy,
hazy way. However, they don't have to
wonder long. And again all is restfu1
peace
In the old days, before the Russians
came in out of the wet, Sitka rejoiced
under the name of New Archangel. 1t
was and indeed is still the residence of
Greek bishop Fortifcations were
built, and also an observatory. though
how people could see stars in such
mistful country unless something
struck them very hard is puzzle to
me. But wonderful are the ways of as
trOnomers.
It takes three days and half for the
steamer to go from Vancouver, B. c.,
to the island of Sitka. She doesn t go
out into the open ocean, but threads her
way between the mainland and the
small islands, which lie all the way up
to the strait of Bering. There are times
when the scenery is glorious. When the
sun does come out, it shines with that
pale, searching softness which belongs
to its shinings in the far north. Isle,
air, sea and great mountain are glorifed
with a SOftanad hrilliaDce
The islands are covered with dense
woods, for the incessant rains cause an
almost tropical luxuriance of vegetation.
Everything is green.
Sitka is built in the shadow of great
lone mountains. At its base is a sea.
Altar out is the mighty rolling Pacific, the
lonely Pacific. Grand though its setting
is. one has feeling of desolation on ap-
preaching it. One is nearing the last
sentinel of civilization-the outmost
outpost. A. L. G.