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In The News
The Alaskan.
Sitka, Alaska Territory
Vol. I, Number 7.
December 19, 1885.
Page 1.
HISTORICAL.
After the massacre at old Sitka in 1802, the Kaloshies became very
uneasy, and fearing the return of the Russians moved their principal
village to the mouth of Indian river, about where Mr. Haley's farm ranch
is now located. It must be remembered that Baranoff was at Kodiak when
the massacre took place, and that as soon as he was informed of the
occurrence started for Sitka, but go no further than Yakutat that year,
(1803) but in the following year arrived with the vessels which had been
built in the meantime, and to his surprise found the principal ranch at
Indian river instead of on Crab-tree island, where it had previously
been.
For the defence of this village the Kaloshies had erected a very strong
fortification - an irregular square, with its longest side facing the
by. This fort was constructed of timbers so thick and strong that the
shots from the ships would not penetrate through them. On the side
looking toward the sea were holes for cannon, and in the rear were the
gates.
It appears that Captain Lisiansky visited the island about that time,
and at the request of Baranoff assisted not only in reducing the fort,
but also in establishing the new settlement, the present Sitka. So, in
addition to Baranoff's two vessels built at Yakutat the previous winter,
there must have been at least two others present - the one in which he
sailed from Kodiak and that commanded by Capt. Lisiansky. From these
vessels the Russians landed a few cannon, and with a very considerable
force attempted to carry the fort by a land attack, but were repulsed,
and the entire attacking party would have been destroyed had they not
been protected by a heavy fire from the ships. On the next day the fort
was subjected a heavy fire from the ships, and at night the Kaloshies
sued for peace, offering to give hostages.
Negotiations were carried on for two or three days, when one morning it
was found that the Indians had escaped, leaving only two old women, a
little boy and two European renegades in the fort. It was believed that
these renegades had instructed the Indians not only how to build the
fort, but also how to use the artillery of which they were in
possession, and which was probably that which had been captured by them
at old Sitka. It need hardly be said here that these renegades were
promptly executed by the Russians.
On taking possession of the fort fourteen houses were found within its
walls, and in them a large quantity of dried fish and other provisions,
and from appearances it was judged that it must have had at least eight
hundred male occupants. It was ascertained too, that the fort had been
abandoned because the Indians were without ammunition with which to
continue the defense. In the houses Baranoff found most of the furs and
other goods which the Indians had captured at old Sitka, those reclaimed
by the English captain two years before proving to have been but a small
part of the whole.
During the fight several of the Russians were wounded, but it does not
appear that any were killed. The next day after the capture of the fort
a boat, manned by six sailors and a midshipman, was sent ashore to
procure a supply of fresh water, and shortly after landing they were
attacked by the Indians, and before assistance could be rendered, were
all killed, the Indians immediately thereafter fleeing into the woods
and beyond safe pursuit. The bodies of these slain men were buried on
the shore close to the by, the spot being marked several months
afterward by a wooden monument erected by order of Governor Baranoff.
The remains of this monument are still to be seen.
The Indian fortification having been destroyed Baranoff, as has been
related, proceeded to the erection of a new Russian fort on the present
site of Alaska's capital. On the summit of the ke-koor, where the
"castle" now stands, there was then an Indian house, surrounded by a
stockade, and in it lived one of the Indian chiefs. It took the Russians
two days to capture this house, such was its inaccessibility and the
valiant defense made by its owner.
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Page 2.
The commission of Miss Sallie L. Ball as postmistress at Sitka arrived
by this mail. We trust the trouble about stamps will now be over.
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THE LATE HON. E.W. HASKETT.
The Salem (Iowa) News, published at the former home of the late district
attorney of Alaska, has the following in regard to him:
"Mr. Haskett, though young, had, by his energy and perseverance in his
profession, risen to a position creditable to himself, and that opened
up a future for higher honors. He was at one time a resident here, a
student at Whittier, and afterwards taught school. He joined the
Congregational church March 29, 1868; studied law in the office of
Schott Howell, of Keokuk, Iowa, and was admitted to the bar in 1872. In
1874 he was married to Miss Jennie Lester, and who, with a little
daughter, Hattie, still survives him. He was born in Wabash county,
Indiana, October 23, 1848. In 1884 he was appointed by President Arthur
U.S. District Attorney of Alaska. The following extract from one of his
letters, when just on the eve of leaving Sitka for home, shows the inner
workings of his life:
"I expect to take the next steamer for Frisco. As I am on the Pacific
slope now, and can take in the sights without much additional expense, I
am of the opinion that I had best do so. I have written James Haskett to
look up a location for me in Kansas. If I were alone I should never
think of leaving the Pacific coast; but taking into consideration the
fact that my parents and Jennie's mother are growing old, and that I
might contribute to their happiness in their declining days, I will
forfeit my pleasure for their comfort. A life if only a life anyway, and
so far as I am concerned, I would as soon see others enjoy life as to
enjoy it myself."
Those of us who can remember him can appreciate his benevolence of
heart, and bear testimony to his sympathetic nature. In private life he
was of a genial and sunny temperament, remarkably social, and devotedly
attached to his friends, to whom he was ever true. The cloud of mourning
so heavily hanging over the home of the deceased, is felt throughout the
entire community, and an outflow of sympathy is manifested toward the
bereaved ones, such as this community has not felt in many days.
The Masonic and I.O.O.F. lodges turned out to his funeral, and after
exercises at the residence, conducted by Rev. D. D. Tibbits, Mr. Curry,
of Leon, reading an obituary notice from a Leon paper, the large
procession proceeded to the grave. The two orders united in conducting
the exercises, in accordance with the wish of the deceased and in
response to the desire of lodges at his former home."
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Page 3.
That the aboriginal Sitkans desire that their children shall have the
benefits of an English education is evinced by the fact that the school
lately established in their village, though only opened two weeks ago,
has over seventy pupils enrolled, and would have more, but for the fact
that the building is not large enough for their accommodation; it it
were, another teacher would be required, Miss Rankin, who is now in
charge, having her hands full, as it is. The educational agent should at
once make arrangements for the erection of a suitable school building -
one capable of accommodating not less than one hundred pupils.
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CAUGHT AT LAST.
Among the thriving merchants of Alaska is Mr. R. Goldstein, at Juneau,
to whom, by the November steamer arrived his wife and six young children
from the lower part of the coast and settled in Juneau, in which place
he had been engaged in business long enough to fix upon it as a home. By
the Idaho on Tuesday last arrived another Mrs. Goldstein, an elderly
lady, who asserts that she is the wife of Mr. Goldstein, and that he
abandoned her twenty-fours years ago at Winnepeg, Manitoba. There seems
to be no doubt of the truth of her story. She states that she also
became the mother of six children, before being deserted by her husband,
three of whom are still living. She has been search for her "old man"
ever since he took his departure, and what the outcome will be remains
to be seen.
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Page 4.
POPULATION OF SITKA.
An actual count of the inhabitants of Sitka, made this week, by the
district attorney and Mr. George Kastrometinoff, interpreter, shows that
the present civilized population amounts to 297. This does not include
the children, about sixty in number, at the Home Mission School, nor the
several attaches of the mission now resident there, but whose return to
the States is possible, nor the persons who have already made their
arrangements to settle permanently in Sitka within the next few months,
nor the attaches of the U.S. ship Pinta, whose terms of service is
nearly out, and who will also settle here, and one of whom is even now
putting in thorough repair a large building he has bought, and will fit
up as a hotel.
So it will be seen that the governor's estimate, at least of Sitka's
population, is under actual count of civilized inhabitants, in which
number the children of the mission school are certainly to be
classified, and but very little over-runs the population, even exclusive
of civilized and English speaking Indians now present; while, if the
whites are to be taken in who are on their way to Sitka, and resident
already in intention, his statement is about as near correct as possible
to put it, in round numbers. In fact we believe it will be found that
his estimates are under the mark, if anything, in all instances except
that of Wrangel, where the population has fallen off rather suddenly,
but not permanently.
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