The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-04-08
Mrs. Mary F.. Hart
ALAsKA's WOMAN COMMISSIONER TO ST LOUIS

If a Who's Who In Alaska book should be prepaired of the first names obtained for it would be that of Mrs. Mary E. Hart of Cape Nome. whom Governor Brady of the far northwest territory has appointed his com missioner to the Louisiana Purchase exposi- ton. Her task will be to assist the governor in obtaining Alaskan exhibits for the fair. Mrs. Hart Is secretary of the Alaskan Academy of Sciences and Is therefore specially fitted for the work of collecting specimens in the territory whose principal fauna mosqul- toes.
 Nevertheless. in spite of mosquitoes, of the most interesting historic and scientif- ic collections at St. Louis will be that from Alaska. Alike to the archacologist. the mancist and the hard headed wealth hunter is 1t a region fascinating beyond description.
 Mysterious traces of a life and civilization of unknown ages found now and then i'm bedded in the ice cap that covers the land
 A few years ago some explorers in un- frequented port of Alaska found remains of habtations and bones of a people unlike any known today. Evidence goes to prove that in a faroff time Alaska enjoyed a tropical life of which the mosquitoes are the only pres ent day survivals
 Up at Cape Nome the most influential and the richest native is an Eskimo woman-Sin- rock Mary. tIis said privately that Sin rock Mary. like some of the Lapp women and those of the coldest barrenest part of Tibet has or has had several husbands all at once
 This is the fashion among some of the na- tive Alaskan tribes Slnrock Mary is also sometimes called the reindeer queen" Her wealth consists Of great store of blankets 
 whites first stOrmed Cape Nome in quest of gold of them would have starved and frozen but for the kindness of Slnrock Mary.
 She was the friend of all white people, missionaries, government explorers and Of Dr Sheldon Jackson's people who pioneered rein deer domestication in Alaska.
 Mrs Hart of the first white en who went to Nome, and Sinrock Mary adopted her as a sister The lady began her career as a newspaper correspondent In this capacity the reindeer queens friendship invaluable her, It will be the in the work of getting together the terri torial exhibit. Do not fail to see 1t if you visit the fair. It will show how excellent and artistic is the handiwork of that fine Eskimo whom Dr. Sheldon Jackson has tried to preserve by the introduction of rein deer into their territory after the white man had killed off the native moose and bear on which they depended for a living. Rare robes of fur and of bird skins sewn together and dec orated with exquisite skill, totem poles, weap- and ornaments of walrus ivory. strange canoes and fishing and hunting tackle will be among the Alaskan exhibits. Whether they prove interesting as the chunks of gold and copper ore which the woman comms- sioner win also add to the display depends on the viewpoint.
 quired valuable mineral claims which demand ed her personal attention. Being thus held fast in Nome she became enthusiastically interested in the development of Alaska She and some other ladies founded in 1900 wom- en's club. It Is a fact that some of the fin est, strongest and most cultured of American women today are found among the feminine population of pioneer gold camps. The same is true also of the These individuals demand for their intellectual and other development books. travel and refined sur roundings quite beyond their means "in that station of life in which they are placed |"
 So they go to seek wealth, not like tne vulgar money getter. but one who uses 1t as a means to higher and better culture.
 That kind of a gold seeker deserves all credit
 number of that kind.' men and women. found themselves thrown together at Cape Nome The womeit organized the. ke- goayah koza. In English that means Auro- Ta club Many time had these lonely wom- sn in the far north been thrilled through and through with the unutterable, awful lsI5rv of the aurora borealis, playing all the arctic night long; ST they uamed their club Aurora and small wonder If is today the most north is about POO miles north of St. Petersburg
 The Aurora club numbers about 100 mem h-~s Mira Hart was the firSt president.