The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-08-10
st. Michael, Alaska,

nephew:
st. Michael, Alaska,
June II. 1917.
Having all kinds of time on my hands
these evenings, bethink me that few
lines to the folks in the states may not
be amiss from this ''land of the mid
night sum-" land when at this season
of the year it is daylight for the entire
twenty-four hours.
1t took us a little over nine days to
reach herc-a rather nice trip, most of
the way. AS we pulled in from Nome.
we noticed the ground was covered with
some kind of green stuff. which we took
to be moss. Judge our surprise when
we discovered it was grass, about eight
inches high, and the ice had only gone
out of the bay about three days before.
Snow and ice are still found under the
boats which were pulled up on the
shore for the winter. We were told
that it was impossible to drive piles in
the bay, as ice was struck when they
get eight feet under ground, so no
wharves are built out into the water,
and as the water is shallow, ships have
TO anchor about half mile out. All
freight has to be nnloaded on big scows
and then transported to the warehouses
on shore; then transferred again to the
boats bound up the river, so 1T costs
something to handle freight up here.
The soil in the country here is very
rich with decayed vegetation and looks
like brown muck. We were out yester-
day, looking the country over, and went
to high point overlooking the hay.
Here we found some one had made a
garden, about half an acre in extent
We had been told that the ground was
always frozen at a depth of four feet
below the surface, so we tried it in sew
eral places, and found ice within ten
inches.
Before we can go up the river it will
be necessary to fit up the boats, so we
have been very busy working on the
boat we are going on, repairing and
painting it. Help is scarce up here,
and anybody who wants work can get
it. Many of the people hire Indians,
and the Alaskan Indian is a small crea-
tion, about the size of a Jap, and look
ing very like the meli from the Flowery
Kingdom.
There are two villages here. besides
several houses at different places around
the bay. Every house has from eight
TO fifteen dogs, and the owners are
compelled to keep the CANNES chained
for safety. Formerly they ran in droves
along the beach and sometimes attacked
children and old people. Every house
has hanging around it strings of her
rings and other kinds of fish, cleaned
ana put on racks or hanging to the
houses to dry. Some of these racks
contain thousands of fish. The natives
also make curious skin boat, about
ten to twelve feet long, which is cover
ed over the top and has a round hole
about two feet across ir the center,
where the boatman sits. Ihs hole is
made by using hoop, to which the oil
ed skins are sewed about four inches
above the gunwale of the boat. Each
canoe carries but one passenger and is
very light, but the Indians go out long
way from shore in very rough seas in
them. These boats are made very nice
ly, and when new are of yellow hue.
The boatman always carries with him a
spear and an extra paddle, besides two
or three smaller spears and some lines.
A lot of boats are tied up here. The
one we are working for is about 300
feet long and fiat bottomed, like all of
these river boats. 1t is built with a
great paddle wheel behind. In the fall
these boats are dragged up on skids,
which run into the water, so that they
may not be frozen in. Attempts were
made for several days to start the boat
we are waiting for, but the boatmen
had poor luck with it, as the tide was
too low. Saturday they moved it lit
tie, but the tide went out, leaving it
still resting on the skids on the shore.
Saturday noon, as we were going back
to work, the first mate said to me that
he was up against it, as he had to wash
and paint spar that hung over the side
of the boat 81 feet up, the boys were
afraid to go out on it and he couldn't
lower it. | told him thought it would
not be so very hard to do, so he said,
well. while we are talking about it,
say we do it," So out went, and when
got about half way out and saw all
those big rocks below 1 was at least
half sorry that had offered to do it, as
the stick was very slippery and the
wind swung 1T a great deal, After
had it washed came the job of painting
it. which was harder than the washing,
as my hands got so much paint on them
that l could hardly hang on. Guess l
will have to paint it again tomorrow,
but shan't mind that so much, as the
boat is now out in the water.
Probably we will be here for week
or more yet before we get under way
and go up the river. Shall run up about
1000 miles and then return to this port.
was promised $l0O month, board
and travelling expenses from Seattle
and return if would come up here, and
here l am. Don't suppose III hear
much from you, as last fall when was
east of the mountains l never received
one letter from you, though l wrote to
you several times. If get time / shall
probably send you letter from SOME
point on the Yukon. Should you write,
a letter addressed to st. Michael, Alas
ka, will reach me. Mail comes slow
here, as they have to depend on the
boats. 1t takes about ten days to get
from here to Seattle and at times the