The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-12-09
xied self-vivisectlon was kept up As
long as the body was burning. which
was more than an hour.

xied self-vivisectlon was kept up as
long as the body was burning. which
was more than an hour.
Chanting the Dirge.
After the body had been thoroughly
cremated all the guests followed the
widow to her broken home. where they
seated themselves around her. Then
the relatives. their hair cropped and
burned, and their faces blackened and
otherwise disfgured, entered the hut
and walked to the centre OF the circle,
where they leaned upon sticks. bowed
their heads and began to chant the
funeral dirge.
1t may not be believed. but this same
dirge was sung by the relatives for six
mortal hours. and when they broke
down the guests took up the weird re-
frain. They howled in relays, stopping
alternately for refreshments, so that
the death song lasted continuously four
days and as many nights.
Sacrifice of Slaves.
AS Volotskoi had been rich man
and full of wisdom, To say nothing or
seal blubber, his relatives, to honor his
memory, went out every two or three
hours and killed one of his slaves.
There Is a popular fiction among de-
partmental circles in Washington that
slavery no longer exists in Alaska,
which shows how much a few wise
nd
who are trying to govern at long range
& territory two and one-half times as
large as the Lone Star State. know
about that same territory. When Rus
sia owned Alaska slavery was practised
openly; now it's practiced secretly
that's the only difference. The Alas
kan slaves haven't read the Fifteenth
Amendment and don't know they're
free.
Not Too Sad TO Eat.
All this time everybody was eating
as much as he possibly could, the men
taking the choice morsels and the wom-
en- contenting themselves with the
scraps. Among the delicacies on the
herring, herring spawn, cakes made of
herring spawn and herbs and berries
boiled together and pressed into solid
blocks. strawberries. huckleberries,
salmon berries, raspberries, thimble-
berries, salal. seaweed cakes, seal blub-
Der, whale steaks. moose steaks and
Alaskan moss. There were also piles
of potatoes fried in porpoise oil
Distribution of Gifts.
On the fourth day following the Gre
nation, which marked the end Of the
period Of mourning. the relatives Of the
dear departed washed the black off
like barber poles and distributed pres
ents to the guests. These gifts con-
sisted Of everything under the sun,
from brand-new Winchester rifle, for
the richest guest, to worn out horse
| blanket for the poorest. Volotskoi's
heir, who was his sisters son, was ut
terly ruined by the extravaganza Of
the occasion. Before the old man died
the youngster was tolerably well-to-do;
his inheritance made him pauper. A
close count showed that he gave away
more than twelve hundred presents. It
pays to be a professional mourner in
Alaska.
When the hullabaloo was over, Volot-
skoi's ashes were placed in tin
box which had formerly contain
soda crackers, and were buried three
feet under the floor of his hut. This
was done in order that his ghost might
not only feel at home, but might make
the life of his widow a burden If she
should ever dare to install Mr. Volot-
skoi No. in the establishment. Old
Pop Volotskoi was very fond Of his
wife.