The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-10
The Exhibit Of Alaska
At the ST, Louis Fair,
CBy Robertus LoVe.)

st. Louis. October 3O.-AldSka at the
worlds fair promises to astonish the
civilized world. So convincing will be
the array Of products and the proof OF
that the men in charge Of the
exhibit from our far nOrthwcs -ern ter
ritory hope to dissipate forever the old
idea. still lingering liz some uninformzd
minds, that the United States in 1861
made d bad bargain when Alaska was
purchased from Russia for 5000, 900.
TINS price was less than two cents an
acre, and the transaction has turned out
to BE- tn greatest real estate bargain
ever made in the history Of the world,
with the possible exception Of the pur-
chase OF the Louisiana territory.
1t is this fact that Alaska proposes to
show at 81. Louis next year, by argu-
ments chiefly visible to the naked eye
in the form Of specimens of her varied
products and in figures to suppo the
claims. The Hon. Thomas Ryan, first
assistant secretary of the interior, who
has general charge of the Alaskan ex-
hibit, IS now completing arrangements
for the construction of Alaska's build
ingS at the fair, and DR.. Sheldon Jack
son. who Will be in direct charge of the
exhibit, IS preparing the details for the
work.
DR.. Jackson. who is one of the few
survivors of the heroic party that &C
cOmpanied John c. Fremont on his
pathfinding expedition, has spent much
time in Alaska and is the author of a
aIudbIe book on that territory.
Those who seek the unique or the eX-
t~raOTdinaTy in human life Will discover
at the worlds fair that it is not neces-
|ary to look beyond the American do
main to find it-nOt ever necessary to
turn to the far away Philippines for
this purpose. The Alaskan exhibit will
prove that long before the eastern
archipelago was added to United States
territory there were races in Uncle
Sans domain which furnish the STU
dent of ~cthnoIOgy much material.
Alaska viii have L group of three
buildings at the fair. They Will stand
on Forsyth avenue, south of the admin
]istration building. The central and
main structure Will be built from plans
drawn by government architects, but it
will be thanked on each side by smaller
buildings which in themselves will
serve to show the worlds fair visitor
someting peculiarly Alaskan.
These two buildings now stand in
Sitka, Alaska, and will be taken apart
and brought TO the worlds fair, to be
set up again, just as they were built
years ago by native AIaskans. Thus
the native architecture, in some re-
spects fearfully and wonderfully con-
ceived, Will have its standing exhibit.
Perhaps the most interesting features
OF the native buildings will be the to-
tenn poles. One of these buildings will
be a Hydah Indian house, with a totem
pole at each corner. In the Hydah viii
Iage nearly every hOuse has its totem
pole, from twenty to sixty feet high,
and in some instances the entrance to
the house IS an oval hole cut in the
caTVed log which forms the totem col
umn. To the Alaskan indian this pole
serves III the nature of a shrine; it is
his holy of holes. and without such an
adjunct il is doubtful if the Alaskans
who are TO be brought to the worlds
fair could be induced to remain during
the exposition. In some of the totem
poles the ashes of cremated chiefs are
kLtttO. OtlItIS are IcI dEulCs lcpISScnl-
ing the family orders; they stand for
the court-of-arms priced by more high
Iy civilized families.
Alaskan mining and agricultural
methods and products Will form a con-
siderable part of the exhibit. but per-
haps the general visitor will be more
deeply interested in the groups of ma
tives who will be brought to St. Louis.
Each of tho Indian trihaS will no ,~an-
resented by picked specimens of men.
women and children.
TOngue-twisting names some of these
people have, and the names of their
towns and rivers present like difficult
ties.
There Will be women from Atka and
Attn. enigmas i'll themselves, bat all
will he able to understand and appre-
ciate thu fine basketry which they Will
show. These women will bring the ma
terial and weave baskets at the fair.
From the valleys of the Yukon. the
kOyukuk. the Tdndna. the kuskoquim
and the Copper rivers Will come the
queer natives. showing their various
modes of living, hunting, travelling and
IIbOring. some of the Alaskan tribes
to be represented are the ThIingits. the
HydahS and the TSimSheans. The lat
ter people hold slaves and some Of the
big chiefs will bring along their private
Wallets. cooks. chambermaidS ana other
servants. all bound TO 10 the bidding Of
their master.
Some OF these tribes live under a rude
communal system. in which they are
said ~ be happy and m~easurubly pros
porous.
The great canoes which they use in