The sun., 1912-07-25
FAMINE At KADIAk.
Everything Eatable In sight GObbled by
n Starving Poet,

Everything Eatable In sight Gobbled by
q Starving Poet.
To THE EDITOR OF THk SUN-Sf: A news
item in The Sun from Washington to the
effect that many Of the people OF the island
Of Kodiak tthe post Office authorities give
II that name. but the Biographies and the
Inhabitants call IL kadiak) were suffering
for food owing to the volcanic disturbances
In the neighborhood reminds me OF an
incident when those same people or part
OF them Caino to the relief OF a starving
landsman unused TO the rigOrs OF the sea.
As this is not "Hction story" I may as
we'll state here that I was the landsman
II happened in September. 1899. and was
on board the United states revenue cutter
Mccullough. Captain Gholson. which had
gone north to the mouth OF The Yukon
tSt. MichaelsD TO gather up the entire gov.
erning force Of Alaska after y tour OF the
Territory. We had been ito the westward. :"
meaning west Of the Aleutian peninsula. :.
for nearly month. and the ships fare had
got down 10 hardpan and no green stun
in the pan. n anybody accustomed TO
ordinary land fare will try living OH bread
and meat and fsh for some weeks he will
begin TO think that Nebuchadnezzar had
snap" when he was turned out to grass.
That il the way felt. and am be<raying
no confidence when say that the sud sea
dogs in the wardroOm were about rpady to
eat the green paint OF the decorations.
BE that as II may. when We sailed from
Dutch HarbOr and came into that part Of
the North Pacific known as the Gulf of
Alaska the first thing we did was TO strike
n terrific storm " hich began at O'Clock in
the evening and continued for thirty sc ven
hours. during which time We bucked and
backed and didn't go anywhere except
around and around. and even the saltest
old salts got ready for the funeral. In case
of shipwreck in those waters IL is more
agreeable TO reach the land by going straight
to the bottom of the sea than to go ashore.
because going ashore means proonginR the
affair by starvation and exposure. as the land
Ia supe rlatively desolate. But We Inanag ged
somehow to pull through. and on the evening
OF the day following. an evening as calm as
the storm had been violent. an ofhcer on
deck called to me and asked me IL didn't
want to see the trees had been looking
for 80 long. There are no trees TO the
westward on the Alaska coast except a
small clump planted years ago at Dutch
HarbOr by Russian priest. and their alb
sence had so got on my nerves" that every
body knew ] was anxious to look upon
their like again. The oficer handed me the
glass and for the first time In weeks saw
trees. and II was good to see them even at
long range. They were on the island OF
kadiak. which s the timber line. 40 to speak.
and ere the sun had set we had anchored
OF the inlet on which Kadiak town is sit
uated. a mile or 80 from the sound at the
foot of a huge mountain.
After that storm vas prepared TO mutiny
II we're not permitted to 20 ashore. and the
captain kindly consented to let me go OF In
hA la, IA ho tor of h.,
had peremptory Instructions to get some
fresh stun or lombard the town. In the
Commercial Company's store. which we
struck first. they had nothing but potatoes
and onions Of last years vintage. and We
sailed forth into the city. There was but
one store in it and not more than $50 or 200
people. but IL looked quite civilized. with
a historic Greek church and chime of bells.
and some quite pretty cottages and things
growing in gardens. wanted to climb the
first fence. but the lieutenant in charge re-
strained me. and presently we met the local
revenue collector who was looking for us.
and asked first for something green before
any other business was transacted. lie
sent us to his garden. where only turnips
were growing. and they on top Of the ground.
and in a minute had big one skinned and
was devouring IL ravenously. No pine
apple ever tasted better.
We soon finished with the revenue man
and set forth to do some house to house
marketing. At the first house we were
met by refusal to sell some cabbage we
saw through the garden fence. and am
hoping the recent eruption caught that
party. Though kadiak is about the only
spot in Alaska where there IL any degree
Of success with garden truck. and that small
the season was late and we were not finding
much until somebody told us of u Portu-
guese over In brooklyn" who had some
stuff. We failed TO understand the Brook
lyn reference until we discovered that one
part of the town was cut OF from the main
portion by q small stream with bridge over
it, and this section was known as Brooklyn.
Evidently the conceit Of some New Yorker
exiled to kadiak.
Anyhow. we found the Portuguese.
and he was in his garden with his wife and
mother -in-law. full blood Eskimo or
Indian women. and his daughter. a good
looking. husky young halfbreed, md they
told us TO help ourselves to anything in
sight This we did with enthusiasm. taking
away a gallon OF mountain cranberries,
all the rhubarb they possessed. lot of peas
picked by ourselves. and anything else edible
We could lay hands onA For all Of this
we paid only the market price. though We
did pass out bit Of extra silver to the good
lOOkiuS uduUIeeu udHtScI WIN our CONF
pliments. Later we gathered in q few
eggs. some lettuce. which Is the staple agri-
cultural product. and the onions from the
store. But it was too late to get anything
to the ship that night except the lettuce.
aud there was enough OF that served to
choke a horse. but II choked mono OF us.
The famine MAS broken and the next day
Ne had fresh beef. real vegetables and Gran
berry tarts in our midst with universal
rejoicing. and the name Of Kadiak has been
blessed ever since.
A few days later We discovered that while
We were having our frightful storm at sea
the people Oh land were wrestling with an
earthquake along the coast of the main
land some hundreds of miles to the north Of
Kadiak. one of the severest Quakes that
section had ever known. Kadiak is the
prettiest and sunshiniest town OH the Alas
kan coast. and ! sincerely hope that not ing
may happen to mar its beauty or bring
serious loss and suffering to its people.
NEW YORK, July -. W. J. HAMPTON.
Cslsnel Burr and Another New York
Colonel.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir. In