THE WEST SIIORE.
A SKETCH OF SITKA.
ItY V. C. PHATJE.
As Sitka is the capital (by act of
courtesy) of Alaska, where the Collec
tor of Customs for the District has his
office, and where the wouldbe manipu
lators of all this Territory, ye military,
rule all but supreme, it may be inter
esting to the render to be invited to
come and stay with us for a while.
The obliging visitor must come about
Spring, and wc will dismiss him the
following Winter, in order that he may
have a smack of all our seasons. As a
mail steamer runs, or is at least sup
posed to run ri'gulfirty onrc n month,
between Portland and here, you will
not need to build a vessel of your own
for llic trip.
The passage from Portland to Sitka,
900 miles by the inner (the usual) pas
sage, occupies, when no delays are en
countered, about six days, and will ab
sorb just seventy dollars in coin.
After leaving Astoria, in a few hours
you will enter the labyrinth of islands
between which we must feel our way
for nearly 800 miles to Sitka. At Vic
toria will be taken on board the pilot,
whom you might blindfold and who
still would lead the vessel safely to its
destination. Having touched ut Nan
aimo, nay farewell to civilization for a
while. It is said that 1 loo islands stud
the archipelago from Cape Disappoint
ment to Cross Sound, a hundred miles
north of Sitka. You will scarcely count
them yourself, but will nevertheless be
lieve it. The islands vary in size.
Pi on) the several hundred miles long
Vancouver Island to the solitary rock
just peeping above water, they arc all
covered from water's edge to summit,
with spruce, pine, cedar, and hemlock.
You will un'ss the wavy line of beauty
ho pleasing to the eye at the sight of
h-afiree forests. The straight, uucom
piomising trunks and branches of the
closely crowded forests, the unvarying
itameness of the scenery about you, will
after the fust day apear monotonous;
after that, almost annoying. On either
tiide, islands; before you, islands; look
b;iek island. You stand on deck and
way to and from the mines every day.
Hence we reach Sitka within a day,
though in the winter-time, when heavy
snowstorms prevail, the steamer some
times is as much as four days on the
way between the two places. Just be
fore entering the harbor, you pass by
Mt. Edgecombe, an extinct volcano,
with a huge crater crowning the moun
tain. From the base to halfway up, it
is covered by magnificent timber, the
rest being bare. It is less than 3,000
feet in hight, and snow does not linger
on it longer than June. Last Summer
a party from Sitka ascended it, and on
the summit found a bottle, wherein was
a paper on which in lead pencil was
written an account of a Russian scien
tific expedition which had made the as
cent in 1S53 and seemed to have been
with gruff voice obeys his orders well.
Let us step ashore. We are not apt
to kneel down and kiss the ground, for
the rain has been pouring down for
some days, making it rather sott under
foot, though to-day it is fair and fine.
Having been sharply mustered by
the grizzly Commandant, who seems
just on the point of asking what busi
ness you have to come there at all, let
us walk up street.
As the visitor enters the town, he is
at once impressed with the signs of its
general decay. The houses mostly
built of logs, are slowly settling down
on their foundations, the lower parts
rotten from being constantly water
soaked. Scarcely more than half of
them are now inhabited. As nearly
evcrv town is noted for some peculiar-
more interested In investigating the itv, I should say that this is one, con-
contents of numerous bottles than
solving scientific problems, if wc are to
judge from the number of "dead mar
ines" left on the field of action.
As yet you see nothing of the town.
You are told that it is at the foot of a
peculiarly shaped mountain, which,
sidering its size, is remarkable for the
number of its huge iron church bells
and the size of its padlocks. Some f
these bells are now doing service for
the military. Three sentries are pacing
their beats night and day; one in front
of the barracks, jail and offices, one at
however, proves to be "not himself at the gate to the Indian village, and
all," there being in fact two of them, another on a commanding hill where
The mountain in front is studded with the powder magazine is. Each of the
long ridge. The one behind is bare
and terminates in a bold peak. Curi
osity has prompted the latter to crowd
closely upon the former, so he might
peep far below into the doings of the
white intruders, right over the ht'iul of
his forward brother. No doubt if the
whites were to encroach on the native
sons of the isle, the hold peaked moun
tain, Verstovin by name, would come
right down and sec them. But the im
pression on the newcomer is and re
mains for some time, that the heavily
wooded mountain and the abrupt, rocky
bare peak form but one mountain nnd n
very peculiarly shaped one at that.
The harbor of Sitka is protected by
numerous small islands, 1 he town it'
bells close at hand, to sound an alarm if
neccssarv. When the commandant of
the guard tells the first sentry the full
hour, he slowly strikes its number on
the resounding metal; the same is re
peated by the second guardian', and its
echo calls forth the sound of the third
bell. In addition to this, after nightfall,
the guards call out the hour before
striking it, and the half hour, and each
time they loudly inform the wakeful
public that "all is well." The keen
eye of the sentry on the hill, at the
magazine, roves over the town, and
sees that no disturbance takes place.
Several times each day a patrol goes
through the streets to insure good order.
Periodically, raids are made into houses,
self is on Haruuoir Island, which is So to sc",ch f"r illiclt distilleries; then the
miles long by 20 to 30 wide. Round
ing one of the small islands, h svd- everywhere. It is a delightful tusk
wonder if you are not on some unriif
lied inland lake, and momentarily ex
deel some hidden castle to meet the
c:itchiug view. It seems hardly pos
ible that there should be an egress.
Hut the pilot stands unmoved, anil,
when you least suspect it, he calmly or.
dirtily are within sight of the tow 11, only
11 few cables length distant. First, you
curious soldier has the privilege of peep-
pass by the Indian village, consisting
now of nearly 100 houses. The main
features of this quarter are tilth and
stpiulidness. The Indians, squaws nnd
papooses line the beach nnd cheer you
on your way. All but the papooses see
in von n possible customer: the men will
th is, "l'ort your helm;" the vessel sell yuu the liquor they make from mo
makes a sharp turn, where 11 notice "No lasses and brown sugar; the women
thoroughfare" would seem in order, ' their smiles.
nd a few minutes later you are again in A stockade divides this Indian village
the same predicament, wondering which from the town. A gate gives communi-
ay next ? Often the passage becomes cation between the two. Here a guard
so narrow that a stone can from the of a corporal and three privates is
deck be throw n ashore on either side, stationed day and night. You wonder
Tho daikness of night does not seem to why you see no Indians 011 the streets;
impede the way, for, though you can not but it is lifter 1 h. m.. at which hour ihr
.1;..: : I. .1. . 1 ., 'i . . . " ' . - .
UISI IIL'IIISI, lllf MlOriiil. IMI I, Mil! III.. ' .1 .1..: .1 ...I 1 ..
........ , ,,,,,1, limn iiieiu oui at me point ot,v"fc go io some more inrivin'
iiiountainlops loom up darker against a ,lt. bayonet; the gale then is locked, 'l congenial place. All these Rus
Id k sky, and with unerring certainly ot , be pc gui u,ii nt.xt sians and Creoles, now some 300 in
.. cm.s ,s iiiiougn me enunuei. morning at 9 o'clock. millibar, were formerly employees of
ft ., .. ...... iU I : 1 . : i I - .... . . .11. .
- 1 i""" " me village 01 me natives your "" "r v.ompanv, Dcsulcs sonic too
glance turns to the town itself. As wc ll,r-' who have already been taken
arc nenring the wharf, you aro at once J " "' from Sitka, at their own request,
impressed with the conviction that you I'.v Russian government vessels. After
are now in the holy precincts of an j the transfer of the country and the dis
incorruptible military government, banding of that Company, their means
Itrightly gleams on the wharf the "'' livelihood in Alaska ceased, and their
tremendous trowel-bayonet of the , remittal became a matter of necessity,
ivolishc-d scntrv. who with hi. .h,s.M. !..... 1:.... 1
on a .null island oiinositc the moulb of. ;i I "um "K
r;ik,,7iici
depamue to, the Cassiar mino. A The officer, of the garrison arc there, ,, thc r r v t
customhouse, a mil y gaii ,, a few d with eagle glance, inspect the new- the storiVo'f I ,r
..ores. Ii dwelling houses. old como. l.csiiic, these, the Postmaster L lane inn, henT ii 1 ' V
steamer Wachcd by a C hinaman ! and the merchants rcccii ing freight are ,h, ' " ' ? 'IT'"" -V"" ,hi"
converted into a l,a,d,ng and lodein,, ' allowed to Inr on the wharf. ! " . . 1 " ! " '" ,ma" b,1,,,w"- si
house, together with an Indian ranch, need ain.lv. I.umr , tl,, I ,! " '!"" h,"K' P''.
eiiet these are l ho ,,ri,..i.l r. i .1 T, V I I"-11 fowled
to him ; collar-boxes! and all kind of
impossible places are searched for the
fiery liquid, and every once in a while
the hunters have been rewarded by a
capture o! the "crooked.
On arrival of the monthly mail
steamer, all the inhabitants flock to the
main street, watching fur the newcomers
and waiting for the news. There at
once you sec the combined population,
of whom by far the majority arc the
Creoles, descendants of Indians and
Russians. Some of them are tall and
w ell formed, even a few young women
very good-looking; but they arc nearly
all small in stature, and of dusky com
plexion. Of native Russians only
about five families, remain, and they are
wishing for means and opportunity to
night, and the loillng w aters foam nois
ily alvout us. Here the pilot has, if not
his hands, at least his jaw s full, for the
dillctcnt commands to the helmsman
ctowd thick mid fast from his lips, as he
snvi.imly and nervously watches the
unquiet nuns of the trembling vessel,
I'inally, w e come in sieht of Wraneell. .v,,i;.i,.wi i. .."r.i. u:. l
"'. -.,.. null., niw null ins SIIU 11
I
iH'isona pass throned here on their inun ... .. I. ..V ... i .1...
" s'ein seiiiiv is on
ll.rt ..1... v.. l .. .. . . " 'l
l IOOUS.-UUI me anove oliien.l ilmuli lie exe win . .1,.. i. .
1 , " gcs, i nis
account of the rabid rivalry anion-.
them, owing to which the Indians ask
and obtain nearly the full market value
for their peltry. y'
Further on a disused Lutheran church
is fast going to ruin. The roof is parti
ally in very bad condition, and the
water has now no difficulty in finding
its way into the interior, which is well
furnished. A fine organ graces the
church, but before long all this will go
to wreck; a number of the windows
are broken, and a gust of wind drives
the pouring rain within. The door is
secured by one of those peculiar Rus
sian padlocks of which quite a number
are yet extant in Sitka. This one, by
no means the largest in town, measures
S inches long, 5 wide, 3 deep. The
Centennial ought to have 6ne of them.
By far the finest building is the
Greek Church, with a pleasant exte
rior, and well furnished inside, where
massive silver ornaments, costly and
good paintings, and heavily gold cov
ered Bibles, are in profusion. The
personcl of this church consists of tw-o
priests, a reader, an nssistant reader,
and a choir. Instrumental music is not
allowed in Greek churches, neither arc
seats, and I have seen men women and
children standing erect as long as four
hours at a time to perform their devo
tions. The sexes take separate sides;
men to the right, women to the left,
children neutral. It is a breach of be
havior und morals to look askance; all
eyes must be directed to the sanctum,
and sparking or criticising of dresses
becomes absolutely impossible. No
collections taken, which is a rather
agreeable feature 'of their worship, the
Russian Government maintaining its
churches. Leaning room against the
walls and pillars is at a premium
and a prey to the early arrivals, while
the tardy believers must stand firm as
Lot's pillar without any support what
ever. The worshippers are ever cross
ing themselves and bowing and kneel
ing down, with their foreheads all but
touching the floor. This they do, not
all together, but each for himself when
he deems it the proper occasion, nnd
consequently there is a continual move
ment in the congregation. Of all the
officials, the reader is the busiest, as he
is almost constantly reading or singing
at the top of his voice, and often have I
heard him starting in with a clear vig
orous larynx, and before the end of the
service he was hoarse as a.fug-whistle.
So far as one can make out, the priest
has but little to say for himself or any
one else, as -he performs the symbolic
part of the worship. Saturday evening
at six, or Sunday evening at nine, ore
their regular hours of worship. Their
Sabbath used to be Saturday, and is
still so throughout Russia, but in the
American churches the difference has
been split.
Right beyond this edifice is the
Town House. Once: the itinerant
carpet-bagger made his headquarters
here, and instituted a civil government,
to support which the residents were
taxed pretty severely. When after the
transfer of territory, several hundred
American subjects rushed hither to be
come millionaires, the taxes came in
well enough, but when these several
hundred subjects left, revenues de
creased to almost nothing; the patriots
power could not see the uoint of
holding office for the honor only, and
so the municipality expired and the
iniiiiary governor became step-falher to
Sitka. As is generally the c;isc, the
tern step-father rules with an iron rod.
In this Tow n House is also kept the
school. So long us Sitka had civil'
rule, the citizens employed a teacher,
but now a competent soldier is by the
Commandant appointed to fill the office.
The l'ost Fund and occasional subscrip
tions by the citizens defray the expenses.