REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE,

U. S. STEAMER U. S. S. Rush

November 2nd, 1903, II-30, A. M.

San Albra Bay off Klawack. 190

My dear Elizabeth:

Yesterday morning after going ashore I met a number of the Natives and they invited me to speak at their service in their little church. I spoke and had a very good audience. Dr. Kyvig and Mr. Fisher were there. Billy Benson had gone up to skagway for a visit.

I lost no time in finding Kanet the old man who had promised me a pole.

I was anxious to find out if he had invented an excuse to back out; but he had not. His grandson is George Dimert who interpreted for me.

I had a long talk with the old man in his home where his wife sat beside him and would prompt him occasionally in his interesting narrative. He described the totem-pole which he gave. The raven on top represents his clan, the woman beneath his mother and the two crouching figures were slaves who belonged to his uncle a noted Icht in his day. He had his picture an old daguerreotype which he brought out from an old camphorwood trunk. He took out also a very old bag made like matting which contained a number of callers which were used when a totempole was raised, also two tocall mallard ducks. Homade me a present of all

these. As I was leaving his house a young man with smiling face called me and I entered his home. His wife was washing the dishes. John Staney or Te-eh-hoot is his name. He made me a present of a dancing blanket or rather apron adorned with buckskin tassels the end of each holding the bill of a sea parrot. The body of the apron has a raven cut out of red flannel. He gave besides adancing head dress made of red fea thers hair seal and a minks tail. As I left his house with George I borrowed a small boat for Geo. to pull me off to the Rush and the man who owned it sent his small boy a long line his stoop to get an ogive.

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me a pair of large brass bracelets twisted like a rope. I can hardly
understand what caused them to make me these presents, I had in nowise
even hinted that I wished curios.

It is now 6-40 P. M. We got off early this morning with George aboard
so that he might pick out his grandfather's pole and turn it over to me.
We have had a very fine day. The weather is getting colder We made a
good run to Klawack and anchored about a mile from the village. We found
Mr. & Mrs. Waggoner and most of the natives who have promised poles
were at home fortunately. I called upon Gunyah. He and Russian Bob and
Thomas Snook Rev. W. will be with us tomorrow We are to start at 9A. M.
The vessel is not well rigged for hoisting heavy things on deck, and
we may have some trouble in handling the poles. Thomas Snook, John Dar-
row, Tecumseh Collins, and others have had lots of trouble lately before
the court in Wrangell. I promised to look into, the matter carefully.

It has the appearance that Thomas and his deputy marshal have worked
them for all there was in it. Mr. & Mrs. W. Miss Culp and Dr. Chis-
holm called upon the Captain. When they left he loaded them with mag-
azines and loaned them an umbrella. ~~Wednesday 3rd II 55, A. M. we are~~
just about to drop anchor in front of Tuxekan. We have with us Rev.
Waggoner chief Gunyah Russian Bob Tho. Sook and Geo. Dimert. It has
been blowing hard from the N. E. all morning. Jim Healy our pilot went
with Bob and Geo. and a number of men up the launch to Bob's place to
get the large canoe. It is 8 miles from Tuxekan. Nearly all went ashore
and we went to work to dig out the poles. It did not rain and we made
good progress. The first one out is on deck and four others are ready
to launch in the water. The chief engineer took photographs of all. I
hope he got good ones for I want to use them the papers which I intend
togive each donor. This is an ideal location for a native settlement.
It appears strange to me that Waggoner can not see his advantage and

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and seize it at once. The old chief says it is a better place than
Klawack which freezes over in winter for which reason they cannot get
water to drink nor fish to eat; besides it is more open to the wind
and hidden to the sun in Winter. I feel well pleased over what has been
accomplished today. The party has returned from Bob's place and they
have brought the large canoe. It is a question with the officers how
to handle it so as to transport it without injury. Captain Fengar pro-
poses to sling it to the davits on the starboard side. I did some work
and raised a sweat hte first for a long time. Rev. W. will feel disapp
pointed if we do not get away tomorrow for he and all his people are
going to Howcan to attend aconvention of natives who are members of
Christian Endeavor Societies. They hired a steam launch from Howcan to
tow their sloop upand back for $,40. As hthe launch will ppoba-
bly pull out tomorrow morrow morning we shall take the Waggoners Bob
and Thomas Snuck and Miss Culp to Howcan on the Rush. All the natives
K from Klinkwan will be there and we shall save time by going that way.
Wednesday November 4th, 12-45 P. M. The day has been pretty good and
we have accomplished much work. WEgot out early and began to dig at the
poles. George Staney and his family came along in their canoe. They own
the best house here. Gunyah Had given two poles but Staney put a v eto
upon one ,because it belongs to an old man who has not given his consnt
He however gave us a much betterpole in front of his own house.All have
worked with a willand most all the pieces are on board. WE shall remain
her tonight and get off in good shape tomorrow morning. I bought 6 old
boxes for $3.50. They will do To show off in the Indian house for they.
arethe real thing. We took out the bones from some of the poles and bu-
ried them. One of those which Thomas Snuck gave had the remains in the
butt end of the sick which was in the ground. We sawed off 4 feet of it
and put the piece back in the ground. Beside it we buried the bones th-
at came out of the other pole. Thy were wrapped in a new brown blanket.

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was one of a party of three who con cluded yesterday that as nearly
evrybody was away they would get ona quiet littke spree. The necessary
wherewithall was wizard oil which thy bought of a young man by the name
ofThompson who is keeping the cannery store. They found the old woman
dead in the bed and her husband dead onthe floor bythe door. Dr. Cole
gave the old man who was brouht aboard an antidote and took him ashore
When he got in the house he began to prepare himself to die; so he
pulled out a white shirt and put it on over his dirty one. His boy is
treasurer of the Christian Endeavor Society and was among those wholeft
yesterday for Howkan. Iasked Dr. Cole to go with Mr. Waggoner and make
an examination. Hdid so. Mr. W. brought offthe empty wizard oil bottles
Ishall turn them over to Mr. Boyce at Jneau. I tell these people that
it makes it very hard for their friends to help them when they act in
such a manner. It may be necessary to make it acrime for any store to
sell a native any patent preparation or proprietary medicine with al-
cohol in it. Doctors and licensed drug stores alone should be allowed
to dispose of them to natives. Some thing must be done to better pro-
tect them against themselves and against their enemies.

8-45 A. M. We got off early this morning for Mr. Wag, and the natives
who were going to Howkan came aboard late in the night leaving the
two dead bodies unburied untill they return. Before we started word was
sent that the old man who put on his best clothes to die did die at 5
o'clock this morning. Charlie's Green's mother a few weeks ago took
wizard oil and almost died. Charlie gave her all the butter that he co
uld get her to take and thus no doubt saved her. She became blind and is
now recovering her sight. Probably you recall the boy who has a crip-
ple back, and was at one time in the Mission. If they ask me to speak
at How kan I am in the humor to do so in very plain terms. I want them
to understand that they are handicapping the efforts of their best
friends. These thre deaths will certainly have a profound influence

I6 I obtained two papers from Mr. Babcock, a weekly Seattle Times and a New Haven Register. I learned of the elections in the one and of the Yale vs Columbia; and Harvard vs Carlisle foot ball matches. New York is a doubtful state now for the Republicans and they will have to work very hard to carry it for Roosevelt. The general result is unfavorable to the Republican party continuing in power.

12-25 P. M. Tues. NOV. 17th, We got to work early this morning and soon had the three poles in front of Johnny's house in the water. They are good ones. We then tackled the house and got it pretty well knocked down before 12 o'clock. I think that we shall be able to get everything on board today so that we can get away from here early tomorrow. I have exercised a good deal today and now feel somewhat tired. The steward went hunting and Peter got the lunch, clam chowder, and it was an improvement on what we had the other day. With two good plates of it inside of me I will be able for more work this afternoon. The weather is good for working. The snow was about 1 foot deep on the roof. We had to remove it before knocking off the shakes. The chief took some snap shots at my request. One was the interior of San-hat's house. I hope the negative may be good.

6 P. M. Wedid not get through before quitting time this evening/. It will take till noon tomorrow to finish up here. I felt awfully done up to-night and I asked the captain for a drink of whiskey. Peter brought me lemon and hot water and I took it. Immediately after we ate dinner-thin soup with green peas in it, roast with dressing, brown potatoes, canned peas, pickles, soda biscuit, and tea. I suppose that the whiskey whetted up my appetite a little for I ate with a relish. Lt. Covell and Marshall brought in 5 deer as we were through eating dinner. The Capt's steward got a good deer and two ducks this afternoon. It is not much trouble to kill a deer down this way. I am getting awfully anxious to get home but I am not saying so to any one. I hardly know whether to expect mail at Ketchikan or not. I would like to know how you all are at home. It seems a long time since I left there. THE chief engineer took a negative of Patty Kitcoon for me this afternoon. Patty has a well carved box for which he asked $6. I offered $5. and he said I can have it. A box somewhat like the doctor's which I have. I wonder if I shall bring you this letter myself. It is getting too long now.

22 This is a very long letter. I think that I should call it a diary or daily chronicle of what we have been doing on the Rush. Well you can read it and it will save me telling you the history of the trip. Anyhow the effort has given me considerable practice on this machine. Can you see any improvement? Oh, I'm not flattering myself that I have all at once become an expert. It is now 12-45 and lunch is over and weare going up Chatham Strait with good speed. We are about 20 miles from the entrance of Peril Strait. At this rate we shall no doubt make Poison Cove tonight. I am trying to read the book of Ezekiel through before we reach Sitka, but I'm afraid that I shall not accomplish the task. The weather is threatening but the barometer stands pretty steadily at 29.7 which is not bad. I learn that many of the crew will be discharged the first of the month by order of the Dept. under some new regulation, and a number of the men will not reenlist. This action will probably keep the Rush at her moorings until men can be sent up from below. I think that the work on the poles was the last straw for some of them. Most of them have two and a half month's pay due them and that sum will make them feel perfectly independent.

4-30 P. M. We are still under way and will probably anchor at Dead Man's Reach, the place where we tried to get clams when you were so sick on the Rush. The ship has made a good run for the number of hours which she has put in today. If we get the morning tide at the Rapids we will make Sitka by noon. I have been devoting myself to Ezekiel this afternoon and have finished chapter 28. I imagine that the recent discoveries in archaeology shed much light upon this prophet.

We came to anchor at the above place at 5 o'clock. The wind has freshened up a little but the ship rides easy. For dinner ox-tail soup, roast beef, brown gravy and potatoes, boiled rice, sweet pickles, apricots, cake and tea. As I peg I hear Mr. Newman singing in the ward room. He has a very agreeable voice. They are a better class of menthan was on the vessel last year. Now for some more of Ezekiel.

Tuesday Nov. 24th, 8 o'clock A. M. We are just passing through the Rapids. As soon as I eat breakfast I will gather up my belongings and be ready to take my departure. The master at arms has handed me his bill for 87 meals furnished natives at 20 cents a meal. Well I'll tell you the rest in a few hours from now I hope. With love and affection for you and the children and those who dwell beneath our roof, I am

Yours truly,