The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-26
TIE PASSING IHRONG.

. vsferan Alaska miner ard Traveller In
"a lobby OF tn. Butler last night TT
- Ia December. 1871. two months after
-. formaEit.es involved In the transfer be-
s-een Russia aud the United States had
h~sn completed. Four companies Of
srnifsd States infantry were stationed at
cattz and there we're Do Russian troops
remaining on the ground. Some OF .s1e
puxsian Iaborers employed by the Rus
ssan-American Commercial Company. The
PREDECESSOR Of the Alaska Commercial
company, were enlisted as soldiers. In
addition, there were nearly 100 Indians
- Sitka should Judge that the popaia-
tjon Of the place was between 3.O9 aad
lyme.
sgaturday night and Sunday were the
esla OCCASION. On Saturday night the 90,
odd Russian laborers employed by the
fsuss.an-Aaser!cs company were paid OF.
With scarcely any exceptions. they tn
vested their wages In Jamaica rum-un-
ssuIserased. i1s5 proof and strong enough
10 literally peel the skin off an ordinary
mars guIlet. These Iaborers would get
al they could buy and then they would
make Oifka howl.
ZIP In the castle. where the dixnstaries
snd high officials OF the Russian Amerf-
can Commercial Company lived, there
were frequent nights of merrtment and
.spweisy- TIE castle would be brilliantly
liz up. A ball vas usually the form OF
amusement chosen, followed often by a
banquet a. which the wine flowed In
streams. faster han the cataracts that
pear down the slopes OF the mountains
IN summer To these festivities the Amer
iean officers wo'lh be invited az well an
the customs people and the principal cf.i-
Sens The revels would continue till broad
daylight.
4 have never seen q sight more rie.ur-
esdue than when at noon every day. at the
toilins Of a bell set high or, a mr. stumn
the 10 workmen employed at sfka would
troop out and stand in Hne, waiting to take
their midday allowance OF vodka or
sgn. Preparatory 70 this. the spirits
would be drawn from barrel by workmen
and placed in a huge copper pan A meas
ure holding what an American would re.
gard as three pretty stiff drinks would be
hrought out. As each Russian approached
TIE pan he would don his cap or hat cross
himself after the manner Of the devotees
Of the Greek church. and cArefully meas.
uring out his allowance would gufp II
down. Slowly and with great care each
nan would sink the measure in the pan.
sages TO gee that he got all that II would
u not to waste a drop. he would drink 1t
dawn. This Was a daily occurrence. So
thoroughly were these Russian men de-
pendent on their vodka that the great ma
joriiy of them spent all their weeks wages
for Il.
Their living was not such as would be
recommended 10 an American. They lived
estncipaliy on boiled salt salmon and
snail watery potatoes and turnips. In an
open shed set out on the beach. a biz
metal kettle was placed. Into 1t the cooks
uould throw a half barrel Of salt salmon
and cover II with salt water. This decoc-
ton would be allowed To stew for hours.
and at noon the workmen, after receiving
their liquor, would gather around the
5 tables and receive their meal OF salmon
SOUP. black bread and tea. Sometimes they
would have vsnison. and In season duck
would be served, but the salmon soup was
their principal article OF diet.
"A year later the Russian troops were
withdrawn, and in 1877 the last OF the
American soldiers were taken back TO the
states II required a year to transfer the
property and effects Of the Russian Amer
lean company TO the Alaska Commercial
Company and then Sitka settled down into
commonplace channels. but with always
that air OF offseIaldom that rightfully per-
talns TO a capital"
The march OF progress and change that
nov has full sweep In Seattle. Is soon 10
remove two old landmarks well known to
the old residents Of this city. Two frame
dwellings on Second avenue. between Sene-
ca and Spring. known as Nos. 1fie and ill6.
are TO be torn down AMI brick building
I viii be erected In their places by the adj
illustrators OF the Halter estate.
The house known as No. ifl2 stood for
years on what Is now the site Of the Hal
3 Ter building, corner OF Second avenue and
8 Columbia street. 1t was In early days the
Hyde residence and IL was there that
James Mcknight wooed and won Agnes
Hyde for his wife. Mr.. and Mrs. Nc
Saaght are now residents OF New York.
. Mr.. Mcknight. as every one knows. was
far some years one % the general coan-
BEL for the Northern Pacific.
The honse row numbered fiis Second
avenue was built and for many years &C.
capied by j. r r. Mitchell. the pioneer
Puget sound shipbuilder. I, was later oc-
sup!ed hy Col George r. Lyon.
II order to erect a brick building the
dwellings will have to be torn down. a.
there Is an ordinances forh.dding their
renewal wlthl.l the fire limits. The new
aakilng VIII he one story a. present and
VII have frontage on Second avenue Of
sixty feet.
II " Coleman, the weil-known mining
nan. sao represents London capital In a
hianGike venture. has purchased outfits
iVr party Of i've meH WHO viii leave
'af the acrih on the steamer City If Sc
a'ils on Tuesday. Mr.. Coleman said yes
.ardas that he foans everything REQUIRED
y him az the stores e. the Seattle outfit.
Ting merchants The members OF the
coleman party will proceed into the ir-
s iertor az Alaska All except Mr. Cole
nan viii 70 north on .ae cry OF Seattle.
aad ne win !oia them later At Dyea.
~ Z. stevens nne 81 the 5rorrle.ors of
ne Hotel Stevens. and w. X Meade.
nsn'iered IN Yesterdays Post-Inteillgen-
Ger 80 having purchased outfits for n
faFfs Of klondlkers In Seattle. are friends
. many ya8rS' standing II was natural.
therefore,. for Mr.. Meade 20 seek ont Mr.
stevens when be came ~ Seattle. and AJAX
s'm FOR Information concerning the al
sastases Possessed nv the outfittinG HrIns
MS city. Mr.. Meade IS a guest at the
Stevens.
haf'ss c. Wood the newspaper nan
80 mas recently returned from Alaska.
~ YESTERDAY FIR Boston. where he Is 20
married esrjy in January. He VIII re-
a to Seattle with his bride after 8
Ren'hs absence
Personal.
e,smaes II nere ~ Tacoma Is a. ere
A1Fh'er-tfrNud h0tn'
,sAe PTagFr leaves iris morning FOR a
aaSs 'rir - san Francisco
s,ass Mary 4 Messenger az Narvsz+Il-
HaFlnr .he holidays in the city sse
u the rsNer.
~, sDa Mrs. - r Price ard family.
a. sa.nfea Eng. arrived IN The cits. vester-
ara are a the piIier.
and Mrs - = cox, 90 po~t his ke-
- . are enfoYiaS g visit in the city dur
BIER '.N'>~ @+'' RFe Stepping ~ ire