The sun., 1895-01-20

Ths Marble shsrt watch Kshstakes Buiit
90 ssIorify the Family or ueavers.

90 aiorify the Family OF beavers.
Every Alaskan Indian is bear, or for. or a
wolf. or a beaver, or a walrus. OF something
else. whether he belongs 20 the Tllngkits or the
stickines, the Metlakahtlas or the Sitkas Kah-
stakes chief Of the Metlakahtlas. is OF the noble
and illuStrious family Of beavers His totem
poles are among the highest at Cape Fox. and
are elaborately carved with all the cunning OF
Metlakahtlan skill. They stand facing the sun
rise and are crowned with open-eyed, widc-tailed
beavers. The skulls Of many bull wnlruses are
ornaments for the dwelling Of Kahstakes. for he
is great man among the Metlakahtlns as well
a. among the beavers, and q mighty and sue
cessful hunter. as becomes the chief OF such a
tribe and head man of such a family.
But the lofty totem poles, and the many wal
rus skulls have not satisfied the ambition OF
Kahstakes. He longed for a monument that
should tell his glory to all the beavers that sail
their swift canoes along the Aleutian archipela-
go. and that should stand as the pride Of the
Metlakahtlas for years after Kahstakes had
danced at his last potlach, or drunk for the last
time the stimulating hoochinov. As bcfts an
illustrious beaver. KRhstakes was industrious
and frugal. He sold the tusks OF his bull wal
ruses for many bright silver dollars, which he
boarded In q store. to which were added those
which he derived from the sale of the skins Of
he seals he killed or the foxes he caught. Not
genuine Alaskan Indian cares a boot nj n pot
ZACH for all the paper money the United States
gunboat Pinta can tow. They have adevoton
to silver which all the Joneses aud Stewards
Nevada can ever send to the Senate cannot
oaual And a silver dollar which gets into the
hands OF an Alas kan goes out of circulation.
SO Kahstakes hunted, sold, and saved And
monument once when he was down at Si tka
to dance and drink at a mighty potlach.
Kahstakes saw in the churchyard of the Pres
byterian mission a headstone over the grave 4
a missionary who had been buried where he had
labored II was a plain white marble shift.
Kahstakes examined 1t, and was pleased When
he went back to Cape Fox he was think ing over
the plan OF marble monument for himself.
Among the men of his tribe there are those
skilled in the art OF craving on wood. To one OF
these Kahstakes unfolded his desires and de-
scribed the design he had devised. The graver
set to work. and last fall when Kahstakes went
down to Sit tka again he brought along in his
ever erected to an Alaskan indian.
In Sitka kahstakes learned that at Seattle
there lived q man who could make his monu
Seattle. The distance was too great, the mode
OF travel was beyond his trust il not beyond his
ken. Not even for his monument would he
venture so far out of the paths he knew. There
might he need of his monument before 1t was
finished and before he desired IT, kahstakes k.I,, ss
own towering totems and to see with his own
eyes the effect such emblem of his greatness
jects of the Metlakahtlas. He found in Sltka one
whom he could trust, who conducted for him the
neROtlaJlOnS WIN Lne Seautle maker VI rnOnu-
ments. A sketch of his model was sent down to
the marble cutter. who estimated the cost. 1t
was several hundred dollars. Kahstakes was
delighted. All the more certain was he that
no other Metlakahtlan would try to rival him,
and doubtful it was il even thrifty beaver
would dare attempt to follow his lead He
closed with the Seattle stonemason. His wooden
model was sent down from Sitka, and week
workers shop the monument of kahstakes,
chief Of the Metlakahtas, most ilustrious Of
the noted family of beavers.
Ia N nj oh IN nf m n
nine feet high. surmounting base of the same
marble three and a half feet square On the top
OF the base Is great beaver three feet and n
half long. with his wide. fiat tail hanging down
one side. So Kahstakes perpetuates the memory
of his family. Above the beaver, resting on his
back. stands the shaft, plain and unadorned,
but solid. and strong. like K8hstakes and his
tribe. AT the top of the shaft is an eyrie, from
which great eagle has just spread its wings to
fly away. So Kahstakes represents the house
and the office he has filled, and which, when he
leaves them, will be ready for his successor.
The monument complete stands about fifteen
feet from the ground. 1t is as nearly an exact
reproduction of the native model as the marble
worker could make. 1t will cost Kahstakes,
when he gets II to Cape Fox, fully a thousand OF
his bright silver dollars. But when IL stands
beside the towering totem poles OF kahstake's ut
Cape Fox surely II will fill tho heart OF every
beaver who beholds it with enthusiasm and ad-
miration for his family. and every Metlakahtlan
upon whom its shadow falls cannot fail to rec
ogniZe the glory and worth of his chief and to
honor him FOR his monument.