Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1935-08-29
Writes From Alaska
Continued from page onel

TO go to bed, but l guess person
soon gets used to the funny things
about this country.
Another thing that | cannot get
accustomed to is seeing SO much ice
and snow, and yet it is warm here
in town. In the channel we can see
just hundreds of icebergs and there
is snow all around us in the noun
tains and yet it is warm and nice
here in town and one is comfortable
without a coat. 1t has been between
10 and rs degrees since we arrived
here, so you see we have been COM
Portable. | shall enclose a picture
of the town and you can get an idea
of our snow capped mountains in
the background. In the picture you
see the bay too and looking from
the town out over the bay you see
more mountains beyond the bay. but
they are not visible in the picture.
1t really is beautiful place.
The population here is only 500
people, mostly Norwegians and
Swedes, with few native Alaskan
Indians. We have the Indians here.
but we are not far enough north to
have the real Alaskan Eskimos
haven't seen any Eskimos yet, and
doubt if | viii. We do see lots of
icebergs, though, and today | saw
my first seal. There was a boat in
about o'clock, and | went down to
the dock to watch the ship unload.
There was school of seals playing
about in the water, 50 | caught my
first glimpse of the animals in these
waters.
This is one place that was not hit
by the depression. People here
seem to have money and there is no
talk of hard times. Occupation is
mostly fishing. They have a large
salmon cannery here, also shrimp
nery-biggest fish l ever saw
here. Forty and fifty pound salmon
is the usual catch. The people are
friendly and | have not been nearly
as lonesome here as l was in Seat
tie
| had a letter from sister Eliza
beth Massey on the last ship in and
she wrote that she was going to see
you folks on her vacation. / am 50
glad that she is going to spend the
time there in Ohio, as | know the
rest and quiet will do her lots Of
good. Also she will probably get
lat on the chicken and good eats. I
have worried about her a lot as she
was so thin after that operation she
had and | thought she went back to
work too soon. Her work is so con-
fining
| wrote to Uncle Charles r. Mas
sey a few days ago. I do hope that
he had a nice birthday | am so
sorry that Bob and | found it i'm
possible to visit you folks as we had
planned to do but it seemed that
MS work took him farther north all
the time. | guess the change is for
the better, as we both seem to like
this town fine. The store where
Bob works is a modern little place.
and they make good profit on every
thing they sell, as there are no cut
prices on anything here in this sec
tion Of the country. Bob seems so
happy with the Job here. and he is
more optimistic about advancement.
He wasn't getting ahead very fast
there in Denver. Too many chain
stores and cut rates and salaries
We're so low. l think we are going
70 like ii much better here. We
VIII get out of doors more and prob
ably be much healthier. There are
only four miles of road here, 50 YOU
See there is not much use for cars.
Most everyone has a boat instead
OF car. There are few automo-
piles in town, but not many. We
walk about great deal as the coun-
try is so beautiful and such va
riety of scenery.
They have a bathing beach at one
place in the channel and the kids
swim in the ice water and think
nothing OF it, / am afraid I shall
never get tough enough to swim
with them, as the looks Of the ice-
bergs floating about is enough for
me. They say that thew usually
nave lots Of rain here, but il has
Deen bright and sunshiny since we
nave Deeh mere. Guess the rainy
season starts in soon. In this part
OF Alaska they have more rain than
snow, although they have lots Of
snow in the mountains. There is
Iots ot snow in the mountains now.
hunting season opens the last of
this month, and as we are situated
IN the heart Of one of the best hunt !
ing districts in Alaska, we shall no
doubt get to see some good speci-
mems of dead game. There is lots
OF bear, wolf, goats, moose. deer.
and other various game near here
The mountains are so heavily tim
bered that they look like fine game
haunts.
Wen it is getting late and / guess
Ia better close this and get it mail |
ed SO that 1t will get out on the I
ship tomorrow. think of SO much I
to write about the country here that