The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-05-26

features and impcdes articulation.
each native village is large
LbeNin which they meet for various
opposes, mainly 60 clean themselves
ana give their clothes an airing. This
house is. unique. Some Alaska travel
crs call 1t IA casino, but the native des-
lgnation Is koshga. 1t can best bu
described rs simply cellar with
root over It, 1t is "a deep, square ex.
cavauon, with pyramid roof of rough
logs. covered thIckly with earth. At
even short distance it can be easily
mistaken for n small hilock. The only
light and ventilation is 10y little
opening Mt the top which is protected
by curtain made OF fish skin. The
internal arrangement varies in differ
ont respect to details, but the main
features are the same. Around three
sides OF the interior bank of earth is
left, which extends like broad step
or divnn. On this the natives sit In
their customary squatting attitude.
Some casinos have second and mar
rover divan, extending from tho wall
above to the other. On extraordinary
occasions third one is added. This
ls formed OF three little flat sleds
called kumegntek. limo of these
k"mcyntcks suspended from tho roof
by skin ropes will extend nil around
tue casino. Thus space IL consumed
aud largc number OF persons accom-
modated. On the fourth side of the
casino tho main divan extends only
n short distance from tho corners,
leaving free the middle portion whero
tho entrance IL situated. In the cen
tro o! the floor Is large square pit,
covered with logs. In this pit large
lire Ii built
The casino has no door in our sense
OF the word. The following ingenious
method is used instead: Close by there
IL IA little structure which serves ms n
vcstibule. This has large hole in tho
door, and from the bottom of this
hole or shaft extends n tunnel, which
terminates in the pit OF the casino. A
person desiring to enter casino goes
INTO the vestibule, jumps down INTO
the hole and then craws along the
tunnel until he reaches correspond
ing hole in the floor OF the casino.
Crawling along tho dark, slippery
tunnel is not graceful proceeding,
and this .bobbing mp from tho holo is
decidedly nm abrupt manner of max
ing ones appearance in society. Tho
interior of the casino is always gloomy
the sides and roof are blackened with
smoke and covered thickly with SCOT
The barraboras, or private houses,
arc constructed on the same general
plan as the casino. They are some
what smaller, and have one very broad
divan around; as they are never used
for the vapor bath they are without
the fire hole. Several families gener-
ally occupy the same barraborn. Sec.
tons of the divan arc allotted to each,
and these are frequently curtained off
by large straw mats called n tupigak.
These strips OF straw carpet are beau-
tiiuliy woven by the women and re.
sembie the mating commonly used in
the United States.
Mining for gold in Alaska is not the
easiest thing in the world. The coun-
try Is almost barren of machinery,
owing to the difficulties of transporta-
ton. The miners, during the winter,
light large fires over the surface that
they desire to dig and thnw ont
the ground to "A certain extent ia this
way. They then remove the earth
until they get down to the frozen
ground again, and then they build an
other fire, and SO on. When the
spring freshets come they have water
enough TO wash ont the loose, nurifer.
Gus earth they have obtained in this
arduous way.