The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-10-22

The visitor to the fair who has been
in the far north will linger longest in
the Alaskan building, which is presided
over by Mrs. Hart ably aided by Mrs.
King. Both Mrs. Hart and Mrs King
are from Cape Nome, where they have
extensive financial interests. Mrs. Hart
is the founder of the most northerly
woman's club in the world, the Ke-
goayah Kozga, which means Aurora
Womens club. Mrs. Hart came orig
inally from Virginia, Mrs. King from
Iowa. Mrs. Hart went to Alaska first
as newspaper correspondent, explorer
and prospector.
The United States government appro-
priated $4,000 toward an Alaskan ex-
hibit at the st. Louis fair. The gov
ernor of Alaska territory, John G. Bra
dy, Immediately appointed Mrs. Hart
to collect and arrange material for the
exhibit. Mrs. Hart is the Superintend-
ent of the Alaskan display, from it's In
dian basket work and public school ex-
hibit to it's precious ore and mineral
specimens.
The lady no sooner received her COM
mission than she appealed to the wo-
men of the great territory to aid in pre-
pairing a collection that would do JUS
tice to Alaska. Our northwest territory
is eight times as large a. all New Eng
land; it has scarcely a railroad and no
beaten highways, yet this indomitable
woman crisscrossed its wiIds to tell her
sisters to help her represent their coun-
try properly at ST. Louis. BY dog sled
and afoot she journeyed. fording rivers,
wading through bogS and threading
mountain precipices. With full femi-
nine enthusiasm the brave pioneer wo-
men of Alaska responded. AS a matter
of fact. the completeness and the
unique features of this exhibit are due
The display shows that the white wo-
men who ventured into the golden
north are of a superior class, educated
and forceful- Both the scientific and
artistic elements enter into their exhib-
it. Mrs. Hart herself is secretary of the
Alaska Academy of Sciences. From
field the richest for the scientist have
been drawn specimens both natural and
manufactured. Beside ores from the
newly discovered mineral fields are rec
ords of the life of long ago among the
Eskimo natives.
Entering the fair grounds for the
first time by the Administration en-
trance, on the way to the Fish and For
estry building 1 noticed a group of
strange, imposing looking columns that
reared their heads in front of a struc-
ture to the right.
do stop. must GO and see what
they are" said to our party.
"Oh, they're just some Egyptian rel
les, that's ALL" said one of the party
wisely.
Just then I caught sight of the magic
word Alaska upon the front of the
building back of the strange pillars.
What would Egypt be doing in front
of Alaska? 81 must go and see,'' I said.
And off two of US tramped toward the
odd looking objects. They were totem
poles in all their weird, wonderful glo-
~. They were Slablil1e, wooden struc-
lures, some twenty five feet high
carved and painted in hieroglyphs that
the white man, with all his pride of
learning, cannot translate unless the
Eskimo chooses to assist him.
The totem pole is at once a monu-
ment and record of mythology and
family history Originally there were
four great tribes or clans OF native
Alaskans. Each clan had for its sym
Dol certain animals, birds and fishes, as