The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1897-12-09
Especially
JUNEAU, Alaska, Oct. 10.
Via SEATTLE. Wash, Oct. 81.

the eyes Of his brethren than he ever
born professional mourner. and he
would rather go to a funeral than to
a picnic. Give him chance to howl
and cash his flesh until his swarthy
cuticle looks like a map of the St.
Elias range or much-trodden COW
path in rainy weather, and he is su-
premely, aggressively happy. Put him
in good-sized morgue and let him
weep and wall and gnash his teeth and
his short ribs. and he'll never care to
wander. He would make a good run
ming mate for the ghoul in the Arabian
Nights.
Every little phratry and b-phratry
In the Wolf and Raven clans, into
which the Thlingits are divided, feels
in honor bound to hold grand jambo-
rec to celebrate the death of the least
of its members. When chief passes
in his cheeks the occasion is made
memorable by a potlatch, or feast, on
so enormous scale as frequently to
bankrupt his heir. the giver thereof
for life. 1t is a gorgeous opportunity
for Wholesale gormandizing which
every Thilngit would rather die himself
than miss.
A Recent Cremation.
Volotslxoi pofed rhiaf nf NoIf
clan, was gathered to his fathers re-
Gently in little village near Prince
Frederick Sound. The festivity ito
glorify the dead" held in his honor
broke all funeral records throughout
Alaska. Up to date more than a dozen
deaths have been the results of the por-
cine stufiing INDUCED In by the mourn
ers, who consisted Of the greater part
Of the Raven clan. A singular fact in
connection with Thlingit burials is that
the guests must always be chosen from
the opposite clan. So as Volotskoi was
Wolf the guests were Ravens.
AS Volotskoi was only a chief ana
not shaman or sorcerer, he was Gre
mated. Had he been a shaman his
remains would have been deposited In
box swung high between two posts
II there had been any such useful in
stitution as board of health in the
III neighborhood of Prince Frederick
q Sound. Brother Volotskoi would have
~ been buried several days earlier AS
II was, 1t was not necessary to inquire
the way to the house Of woe. For
tunately, your correspondent had been
through a preparatory course of sleep
Ing in Eskimo huts. and close contact
with the natives, and was by that time
=. olfactorily invulnerable.
No time was set for the cremation.
The guests just drifted into the village
~, t their own good leisure, and when a
majority of them felt it was time for
he circus to begin the ceremony was
.. ommenced.
""' Barbaric Rites.
lln A funeral pyre had been erected just
inside the village soon after Chief
clotskoi passed In his checks, and
fhen the guests were good and ready
Wp ber noble friend was carried to the
=, as called by the prospectors who had
detyH htoyed the distinguished, If somewhat
kpensive, honor of his acquaintance,
80, ID attended many a potlatch himself
~ ID weighed nearly 800 pounds. 1t took
r"lell stout Thlingits to tote him to the
i6oP hce.
n An The funeral procession was striking
p"@ Informal. Everybody just sauntered
.. "A ng any old way, the mourners howl
In dozen different keys. A small
- 'y Of veteran Yukoners, hardened
!. long sojourn among the Arctic
lng p ws and brief but demoraliHing eX-
Nv ~ ,Nr ience of Dawson dance halls,
9 Is sg ught up the rear, irreverently whist
d,seaes rhere'll BE Hot Time in the
.er, NJ Town Tonight" 1t was a new
vi Iarss to them, having recently been in
need among the select circles of
- Eson City by vivacious young per-
, formerly of Frisco, who sang it
great success at Summer soiree
Are: natives thought 1t was the Amer
lin national hymn, and felt highly
'hoO efed by the delicate attention.
mbine self-Tortured Mourners.
@ on' Tr hle the relatives and guests gath
rful fir around in a solemn circle, the
,irm ,s u,cs was gnited. The relatives wept
over howled and crooned and keened,
nu no,y ~ ~sps 'he guests started systematically
, o sau 0rk themselves into an advanced
ls pr" in 81 OF seeming epilepsy. The Prince
9 wanleS rex Sound Thlingits boast of tor
n.,", na.n'n,e a themselves in a most horrible
II diresSsas q while the body of friend il
'" cess of cremation. On this oc~
MALoN' special deputation from Prince
~ THs island graced the scene and
BELL s oed asis for to make sns THINKS 'me .s lvi T.
TIED would be n half dozen impromp-
Dr. seas ssscp pementary funerals on the spot
fcr are ihg at the tops of their voices
H. rs" sol with terrible abandon, wrig-
: belts, ~ HAe snakes and shivering like
i.s ~ oip roe dogs, the guests pranced
!" !. ,viil tufp he little plateau beating their