The evening times., 1897-07-23
THE VILLAGES OF ALASKA
Ancient and Modern Towns Ad-
jacent 10 ihe Gold Fields.
ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN
Kadiak, the Oldest Settlement,
Founded One Hundred Years Ago
Small Communities Widely Scat
tered. But Well Governed-Public
Schools and Churches.

kadiak is the oldest town III Alaska.
1t was settled by the Russians in 1888,
and was the headquarters or the Russian
| Fur Company until that company removed
| TO Sitka, In 1904 The Alaska CONNER
Ciai Company maintains a large stock Of
| goods at Kadiak, with warehouses and
q wharf, from which they ship supplies
| ~ all parts of the Kadiak district. A
| deputy collector of customs, United States
| commissioner and a deputy marshal are
located at this place. The Government
also maintains a school, which is well
taught and well attended, at kadiak.
One hundred years ago the first Greek
| Church in America was established In
Kadiak, and this church has been con-
| tinuously maintained. There Is at present
new and neat church edifice, par
sunage for the priest and his assistant.
| schoolhouse. and hospital Nearly all the
| people IN the vicinity of Kadiak are con-
| nected with this church. The population
| of KaGiak village in 1890 was reported
| to he as follows: Whites, 127; half
breeds, 245; Indians, %; Chinese, 1; total,
1876.
Wood Island, situated ON an island of
The same name. is village of 30 people.
1t has a Baptist church, an orphan school,
a Greek church and Is the hea dquarte RS OF
the North American Commercial Company
for that district. A little further north
west from Kadiak Is the Kariuk River,
which flows into the Shelikoff Strait and
is one Of the most productive salmon streams
in the world. -Four large canneries are in
opeI ration there, all of them de pending on
the river for their supply of fish.
Two hundred pa fitaS or Indians Lp
their homes here. They live mostly in
sod huts, which, when properly constructed,
are quite comfortable and much warmer
than wooden houses, which is an inn
portant Consideration when there is
scarcity of fuel in the country. During
the fishing season there are 400 Cinnamon
and ZOO whites working at the canneries
The Government has good frame school
house at this place. A little farther on
one comes to- Beikoyski, a village on the
mainland, with 15o people There are
one white trader aud several white hunters
here. The dwelling houses, sChooihouse
and Greek church are all frame buildings,
neatly painted white.
AT one time the waters in this part
OF Alaska were alive with sea otter. and a
thousand skins wete taken then where but
few are now secured Those were the
days of the Indians prosperity. and he
INDUCED in aill Kinds Of Iuxurlant ex-
travagance and bought everything that
suited his barbarIc fancy These condi-
tons are chaiged Both the trader and
the otter ara gone From the greater
hardships andalahFers i'm trying TO capture
tue sea otter and the want OF a proper
food supply, and other comforts, the
native is rapsfiy disappearing.
Still further on fs Sand Point situated
on Popoff Island There are a store
wharf, custoinhouse, and warehouse at this
place Tie depcty collector OF custnras.
his wife, the storekeeper, and three Rus
sian families make up the population
No natives live there Codfishing is car
ried on to some extent there.
Unga village is on Unga Island. 1t
was once the center of n large fur trade.
It's population In 1890 was: Russians. and
natives, 100: Americans, AZ. The Alaska
Commercial Company has q store and is
engaged in mining at this point
UnalasSa, located OIL r1nalaska Island.
is 1850 miles west of Sitka. IL is a
village OF 800 Inhabitants, of whom fifty
are white. deputy collector OF GUS
toms, commissioner and a deputy mar
shal reside there. A Methodist mission
school Is maintained at Unalaska. The
Greek Church hasa parsona ge and a school
house, and a free school h as been upena,,
by the government. 1t 1 $ the central
point for the Alaska Commercial Co;npany
for this district. From here this com
pany ships goods 10 the AIeutian Islands
many places on the Bering Sea, and to
the mining districts on the Yukon River
In the interior. Unalaska is the most
important seaport In Alaska in the sum-
mer time. Whaling ships call here on their |
way to and from the Arctic Sealing and |
fishing schooner rendezvous here. and |
1t Is the headquarters for all the Govern.
ment vessels while enga ged in patrolling |
Bering Sea.
Dutch Harhor, on Amaknak Island. is |
two miles from Unalaska. The North |
American Commercial Company has erected |
q wharf and warehouse there and does a /
large business in furnishing supplies TO the |
ships that call
Along the Alaskan n Peninsula and AIeutian /
Islands for .00G miles can he seen semi |
active VOLCANOES emitting blue and white |
smoke, which in the night assumes a
brilliant and Interesting aspect Twelv.
years ago the island of Bocoslof. situated |
in Bering Sea, near the islands OF the Four
Mountains. came suddenly out of the W ater
and arose to the height of 900 feet Re- |
ing composed of ashes and lava IL has
crumbled away iii its present elevation
Is little more than 300 feet.