The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-06


flop themselves until they reach sthe
Of these fish. Many weigh from fifty
to sixty pounds each. and one good au-
thority states that salmon six feet long
and weighing from ninety to one hun
dred pounds each have been caught In
these waters.
HAIDA INDIAN CANOE.
The canoe Is a necessity. and consid-
cred the most precious Of the Alaskan
possession. Seldom Is anything but an
Indian canoe met. They are fashioned
from single log Of red cedar and care
fully followed out until quite thin and
Of a uniform thickness. They are given
their flare and graceful curves by being
half filed with water and hot stones.
The steam thus generated renders it
pliable, so that the sides can be braced
out to the requisite shape. The Haida
war canoe Is especially a thing of
beauty. 1t has a curved bottom. flarlng
sides, high rounded stern and a long.
projecting prov. 1t is the lightest.
most buoyant, graceful and proud-look-
ing craft we have ever seen. They are
from fifty to sixty feet long, deliberately
painted and carved, and capable of car
rying 100 warriors.
The Haida family, or travelling canoe,
which we meet mainly along the coast,
Is a graceful, slender gondola-like af-
fair, twenty to thirty feet long, by four
to six feet wide and range in price at
Port Simpson from SIS to $50 each. The
or otter canoes, in which the
Haida experts go far out to sea, are
similar to those we have
seen on the st. Lawrence river, say, six
to ten feet long and cost from $50 to $50
each. All these canoes require constant
care while out of the water and must
be protected from the suns rays and
always kept wet. The draped canoes.
as seen along the beach fronting vii
lage, are the most picturesque adjuncts
of native life.
AT Hunters bay our steamer stops
again to receive another consignment
Of salmon. Here we visited some prim-
tive huts and seen miniature idols,
labrets and small totems, and unclean-
liness that seems to out-rival Fort
Weangell. At y. M we sail down
Clarence strait and Tongaer narrows.
at Mary's Island at 6. Here is
a custom house and here we land our
custom officer, who has made the round
trip as special detective for our govern
ment. Here we bid adieu again to the
stars and stripes and sail for the bal
ance Of our voyage in British waters.
PORT SIMPSON.
We soon reach Port Simpson in Brit
ish Columbia, which is the most import
ant Hudson bay company post on the
coast. 1t Is sixteen miles beyond Old
Metlakatla. The steamer has to make
a great detour owing to rocks and
ledges to reach the wharf. The former
fortress is now general country store.
the days of beads, red calico and toy
has gone by, and clocks,
fancy lamps, sewing machines, organ
cites, silk goods, chemical fire engines.
and marble tombstones are objects of
Tsimsian pride. The old Indian viii
lage Is wholly changed, the old lodges"
are replaced by cottages and the totem
poles are nearly all destroyed; not
half dozen remain from the forest of
them that used to encircle the beach.
Methodist missionaries have succeeded
Mr.. Duncan and the Rev. Mr.. Crosby
and his aids have almost paralelled the
Metlakatla miracle. and the church,
school, hospital and museum are the
great points Of interest. The Salvation
Army has band among these Tsimsi-
ans. The village Is governed by a mu-
nicipal council of elders. There Is a
fire company and brass band. Fort
Simpson is confident Of becoming the
terminus Of the next great trans-conti-
mental railroad line Of the Canadian
Northwest.
From Fort Simpson there are no fur
ther stops until Vancouver, British Col
umbia, is reached at noon Aug. 90.
Victoria at Z D. m: Tacoma, 6 a. m.,
23d; and Seattle at $50 a. m., Aug. 23,
when the steamship Queen and her
crew wish all her passengers a safe
and happy trip on their homeward
voyage"
At evening grand musicale" and
exhibition Of Alaska curios was held in
social hall, the proceeds OF which,
amounting to nearly 5000. We're donated
to Rev. and Mrs. Austin in aid Of the
Industrial School Of Sitka. The concert,
the exhibition, the reception and con-
versazione which followed will be ever
remembered as one OF the most bril-
liant events of our trip on the Queen,
and the moral and social effect of these
exercises will be most excellent and far
reaching.
WANTS REPRESENTATION.
Among the distinguished passengers
on this return trip of the Queen was
Judge A. X. Delaney. of Alaska, and
Hon. Thomas S. Novel;, of Boston. The
latter (Mr. NowelD has been identified
with Alaska for the past ten years. He
has the credit of making the town of
Juneau, which Is the metropolis of the
territory, and it is said that he holds
the, largest interests under his absolute
control in the way of rich gold mining
properties of any man in America. He
not only has very large interests in
Alaska, but also large gold mine in
Montana, of which he holds the con-
trolling interest. He was elected at a
convention Of delegates held at Juneau
for the purpose to represent them in the
halls of congress. He goes there this
winter for the purpose of using his in
fiuence in the passage Of bill according
Alaska delegate in congress. This he
regards as a stepping stone towards Sc
curing for Alaska legislation that will
meet the peculiar needs of that terri
tory.
At meeting held on board our Queen
this evening, Aug. q. the last night Oh
our voyage before reaching Vancouver
he made an impromptu address as to the
needs of the territory and the negleci
that they had received from the legisla-
tive and executive branches of the gov
ernment, which fully demonstrates that
he has a clear conception Of the real
needs of Alaska and that should con.
gress accord the territory delegate he
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