The Alaska citizen., 1911-05-01
RAISED J. 5. FLAG
 AT S|TKA
DEATH CLAIMS FREDERICK sAa- GENT, OLDEST WHITE
 MAN IN ALASKA.

KODIAK, April 1-Frederick Sar- gent, aged 93 years, passed away at his home here on March F.. al l:30 a. m. He is survived by q wife and seven children.
 Mir. Sargent was undoubtedly the oldest white man in Alaska al the time of his death. To him belonged the honor of having raised the Stars and Stripes at Stka when Alaska was transferred to America by Rus sia in 1867. He had been in Alaska ! some time before the interesting ceremony was performed.
 1 Mir. Sargent was one of the ad- venturous spirits who crossed the plains and mountains to the Pacific in the early days of the west The party of which he was a member crossed the great Canadian wilder ness between Winnipeg. then a Hud- son bay trading post known as Red River, and the Rockies in the early f1fties
 1 He was a man of education and refinement and when induced 10 tell of his early experiences his listen CTS could not fail to be impressed with the modest manner in which i he told the history of the west He was we'll read and fully informed as to the great progress which had been made on the outside world since he settled in Alaska lie would recall the names of the Hud- son Bay employees, who were then about the only white men in the 1 North
 | When the party left St Paul they were equipped to protect themselves against Indians if necessary, but they were aided rather than annoyed by the red men of the prairiee. When accidents happened to their 1 Red River carts, huge wooden af- fairs which were constructed with out metal, even as much as T nai}. i the natives were always willing lo assist them.
 Countless thousands of Buffalo roamed the prairies and the party were never short of fresh m,ar. i The trip across the vast wilderness with the prospect of having to forge way through the wilderness discouraged many members of the party and they returned to thpu homes in the Eastern states. Sar- gent and others kept pressing on and wintered in Edmonton. now 1 fourishing city but at that time merely a trading post The tojo# ing spring they crossed the mo 'q- tains and landed on the headWatcrt of the Frazier river. He drifted IT. the North in search of adventure and took up residence at Si'ka despite the efforts of the Russians. The latter were noe friendly 10 Americans and resented their ou- croa hment in the territory.
 In telling of the ceremony when the transfer was accomplished. Mir Sargent would grow enthusiastic for he had great pride of his nationality The Russians and Americans were lined up in state array when the or der was given by a Russian officer to lower the flag of the Czar. The cord caught when the flag was aDour half mast, and it required an efiort 1 to loose it sc that the flag could be taken down.
 When the Stars and Stripes began the journey up the pole the cord again halted and an incipient cheer broke out among the Russian sol diers. The cheer was checked by q look from one of their officers. The cord was relieved of the ObsTuc- tion and the flag ran to the top. When the ceremony began there Was not a breeze and the Russian flag hung limp on the pole. When the American flag was raised to the top of the pole 1t was caught and waved by a breeze. Mir Sargent has often stated that this was one of the proudest moments of his life.
 MT. Sargent came to kodial; with the first party of Americans ill the employ of the Alaska Commercial company. when that concern took over the holdings of the Russian Fur Trading company after the Rus sian evacuation. He has remained in the North ever since, never hay , ing returned to his old home.
 He enjoyed the esteem of the ell ! tire community and there is not q citizen but feels that they have sus- tained personal loss by his passing