The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-21

"alive" and is continually dropping
pieces of its crumbling front into the |
sea. For thirty miles and for nearly
four hours, we sail along this Icy cliff.
at the still more wonderful expanse
Of the icefield behind 1t, which reaches
back for fifty miles up the slopes OF
the white coast range. We are eager
to catch glimpse of old st. Elias,
but the clouds hang In heavy masses
around his head and conceal 1t from
our disappointed vision.
THERE. is one remarkable man
1 who figured prominently on our
Pacific coast for nearly thirty
years of whom little is generally
known. Alexander Baranof, cast Tor
the part of one of our modern cap
tains Of industry, would have mar
shaled the forces of science and IN
vention, of labor and capital with sur
passing ability. Taking charge of the
affairs Of the Russian American COM
pany in 1890, he made Kadiak island
the center Of his operations for a time,
but eventually established his head
quarters at Sitka. Possibly he might
on which to found the central station
of the Russian fur trade, but have
not seen 1t. Sitka is on the west side
Of Baranof island on the outer edge of
the archipelago, but sheltered by capes
and islands till its harbor affords a
refuge to ships of every description.
Baranof did not succeed in effecting
permanent settlement here without
great difficulties; and one sad chapter
of the long story Of struggle and hard
ship and suffering and prodigal waste
of human life which marked the Rus
sian occupation relates to the massacre
of the first colony by the savage Ko-
loshes. But defeat only inspired him
to greater effort and the name of
Baranof is to this day held in great es-
TEEN by the descendants in Sitka Of
the men of Baranof's time. The great
blockhouse built. on the rocky emf
hence at the head of the harbor after
Baranof had long been dead was
known before it burned as Baranof
castle and a public-house which has
survived several generations bears his
Sitka's most distinguished citizen is
still alive there.
yX1E do not produce such men
w nowadays Probably be-
cause we do not need them.
But garanof had q work to do and did
it. Rather slight Of figure, by no
means robust-looking, but hospitable
to prodigality. measuring his hospi-
tality In tankards Of the vilest of
liquors, he calculated the appreciation
of himself among his guests by the
liberality of their potations Not to
drink with him was to give offense
| which called for satisfaction, and not
| to keep pace with him was to incur
his contempt or something worse.
And yet this bullying roysterer, as he
sometimes appeared, was loved by
children, respected for his ability and
his fairness by all his people, and
Divine Providence to carry out it's pur-
poses. His official reports are full OF
| pious references to the favor of the
| Almighty when his enterprises were
successful and Of acknowledgements OF
the justice of the divine disfavor when
he was overtaken by disaster.
| strange mixture Of strength and weak
ness, Of cruelty and gentleness, of fail.
ure and success he is the conspicuous
figure Of the Russian regime, which
continued for one hundred anG
twenty-five years.
| a TENDED by the puffns. the sea
/ n gulls and the sooty albatross, and
surrounded at times by tn,
spouting, whale or the sportive black
fin which abound in these nort1
Pacific waters, we arrived in sight o
IBaranof island in the morning of Aug
IS, and crept past Mt. Edgecumbe ane
in among the little islands that do
the harbor of Sitka and give it tina
/ fairy-land appearance which charm
every visitor.
or course we "do'' Sitka, as othe
tourists have done it, for we ar
back at last on the beaten path. Afte
4 5000 miles thru the interior an
among the islands of the Alaskan wa
tiers, we have come to that charm
ing spot which every year attract
many travellers, who fancy, when the
have gone home again, that they hav
seen Alaska. We visit Indian Rive
park and the totem poles, the Jack
son museum, the Indian village, which
| at a little distance, looks more like tn
residence quarter of q factory tow1
but a,..okiy loses that resemblance o
) closer inspection. We climb the hi
| to the old Russian cemetery for
view Of the town and the harbor. bu
cannot stay long enough with land
scape which spreads Itself before tn
! eye but once In q lifetime; we trad
} with the curio dealers, who suppl
s their shelves from the Indian end {
the town, where curio-making is tn
E i chief industry, and find it cheaper
deal with the middleman than wit
! the manufacturer; we bare our hea6
: In the old Greek church, the cathedrt
of the Archangel Michael, and liste
. to g. special service while our intere.
: centers chiefly in the rich decoration
= of the sacred place. A Madonna an
Child illustrates the peculiar trea
= ment Of many Of the pictures in q
: effort to do special honor to the sui
" jects of the paintings. Except tt
= faces and hands, the entire surface
i the painting, the work Of a Russia
!, artist, Is heavily OVERLAND with sol
e silver, finely wrought 50 as to pr,
{, duce the peculiar radiant effect III
t, ticeable in the reproduction on tn
is page. The Sheldon Jackson museu