The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-24
AMONG THE FAR ALEUTS.
UNILASKA'S SHORE AND THE PEOPLE
WHO LIVE THERE


We are. $500 miles west Of Now York city, 500
miles straight away west over tho placid Pacific
from the sea end Of Puget SO und, and still as
much beneath the folds Of the Starry Flag as II
we were tied up 70 o hitching post on Governors
Island. That's the kind OF country we've got
and while IL may DO tho proper thing 70 expand
II further for commercial reasons, there doesn't
seem TO be any 30 far as geographical dmen-
sons are concerned
Dutch Harbor Is tho bost in tho group of tho
Aeuuan Islands, running out from Alaska like
great comets tail 800 miles and all ships to and
from St Michael put In hero for coal and such
supplies as may be needed 1t Is also tho rem
devious for United States revenue cutters and for
British gunboats doing patrol or guard duty
In Behrng Sea
And what a misty. mountainous place il is
The mountains rise all about tho harbor stra light
out of the sea from I. TOO 10 1000 feet and they
live In an everlasting mist, green to their sum-
mits with grass and moss, and never tree In
deed. the only trees on tho Aleutian Islands arc
q couple OF ciumps Of spruce Unalaska and
Expedi ton Islands. set out hundred years
ago by the Russians. and still not than sap
lings Very evidently the Forestry Society is
out OF a Job in these parts
The Alaska Commercial Company and the
North American Commercial Company/do tho
business OF the harbor, tho FIRST at Unalaska,
and the only post Offices in all th6 Aeutians
Unalaska had tho cntiro post Office honors until
last June, when Udakta was established, and
Stanley Brown, the ~ A. c. Company's super
intendent and son-in-la OF the lato James A..
Garfield. was made postmaster. II may be
marked here that Postmaster Browns official
salary Is hardly large enough 10 support him
In the luxury TO which he has been accustomed,
the receipts of tho Office 80 far showing that they
n letters
have been mailed up to date, all but about dozen
Of which have been sent by the companies. people
and visiting ships, the natives never sending or
receiving n letter except the few who have chill
dren at the Indian school in CARLISLE. Pa
Cnalaska is the metropolis Of the harbor and Of
Aleutia Udakta consisting only Of the n. A. c.
Company's store. houses and coal yard. As a
metropolis, Unalaska would not be OF especial
moment anywhere in the latitude OF New York city,
which is the only real metropolis on earth, but out
here IL Is the finest In sight 1t hasn't a theatre, or
grand opera house q beer hall. a roof gar
den. or Tenderoin. Jail. or a police force or
letter carriers. or politics or taxes or Tammany.
or street cars or telegra or telephone county
officers, city council or mayor or newspapers
ar yellow journals or automobiles other evil
dences ofthat sort Of civilization but il has popu
lation Of 200 or more Alruts. sprinking of mixed
Russians "Creoles" ocslled. and few Americans
As government and company officials Since the
Alaska purchase these simple natives have been
quite happy in having no laws and no taxes to
bother them, but now that the new code of law for
Alaska has bscn put into effect they expecting
to be quite as disEruntl"d as and no less kckers
than the rest Of the taxpayers who have been enjoy
Ing the beneficent and comforting influences of
Legislation and civilization for hundred years or
more. Civilization is great boon to these poor
creatures, who have never known what good
thing was when they saw it,
tnalaska has very little crime and n policeman
might sleep on his beat nights in the week
heard of one man who killed his wife some years
ago but the sentiment Of the community appeared
10 be on the side of the man and he was not dis,
turbrd in the calm which followed this domestic
disturbance Drunkenness is tho prevailing
offence, and as there is so little 10 enjoy in the
rnonotonous life Of these people, and they can
imagine themselves I'm the midst Of all earthly de
lights when they sufficiently under the In
fuence, very little notice is taken of drunken
person unless he makes himself obnoxious, in
which event somebody quietly bats him over the
head and leaves him 20 recover at his convenience
This may be somewhat lynch like, but II answer
the purpose.
Socially Unaslaka has 400 but not in mum.
bcrs. Only few full breeds are in the charmed
circle and society for the majority consists
of a prank or party, at which a small company
of men and women gather over fresh barrel
OF quaSs the national drink, and everybody gets
d,,,l nd eo.s Il, sIo., or ,Lo 49, ,rho ,ar,
breaks nm with the waking of The quests .,ch
one going home as soon as he or she is able &c
get there. II often happens that man goes
home leaving his wife asleep in the crowd but
h do.sn, dist,,,h h.r and sb ,,a,, W., go, 10
~, s.v.,,, hou,s don.ndir,, .r,iro,,, no, h,,,
GOOD a time shs had at IN. rort,, rbn women
no,nol,, ,,,l;Lo t.,v ~ ,hai, GOV .Ioo,rho,a
,.Ii, ,.rv nt,o bu, uh.r ,h.r IVA i,,,,,,inr 70
ors NJ tbes. sociaIs func,ions ,h.y h.cor,,
MS, and -. i,,,i,.d 80 I... ,,, l,iol
,u h;ch iinlo IT, a.. tona -. -
erd;r.rnv nd .v.-rhnd,, r.,,,S ,,h., 80 -
hav ole. 10 do;r ri ,,, o
.or,air f.min;r. indso,.,iors No, ,.oonni,od
.more GOOD nson,c and GO, r..su- go,
80 :. - - Sooa 49,, .,s =, 60
.,,e,.u,- hioh s,.nd,,a -, ,r..,I,r, W.
d, COW. n,ts y, Tho ,yor,d N. Gin oonasts l., hairo
~. a., Az, " w