CHRISTMAS ENJOYED
BY PIONEERS AT SITKA
Sitka, Alaska
January 12, 1934
Nome Nugget,
Nome, Alaska.
Gentlemen:
I enclose herewith an account of
tie contributions received from
various sotirces for the Pioneer’s
Home Christmas, a list of Pio
neers in the home and deaths dur
ing 1933, and a report of our
Christmas activities. Will you
please print it, or so much there
of as you may think will interest
your readers. A little publicity
will help to continue the meritor
ious work of making Christmas
for the Pioneers next year.
Very truly yours,
Eiler Hansen
Superintendent
Christmas for the Pioneers is
what their friends make it. The
men in the Home are past the age
of product'on, of earning and of
creating, but even as they gave in
the years when they were able, so
are they now ent'tled to receive
when age and intimity has left
them dependent upon the kindness
of othem for the Joys that may
come into their lives.
Christmas at the Pioneers’ (Home
started w'th the arrival of the 8.
8. Alaska, when Santa Claus and
hig retinue of musicians establish
ed themselves in the dining room
on the evening of the twenty sec
ond. While the men ate the or
chestra played carols, and after
dinner they swung into old roll
icking dance hall tunes that brot
back memories of years gone by.
When the soloist sang Holy Nght
a weather i}£aten Viking expressed
the sentimeut of the Pioneers’
by rising and shuding his tear
dimme eyes with a trembling hand
as if he was trying to look back
into the past and recall something
that had long been forgotten. San
ta Claus presented the Pioneers
with a treasure chest which was
officially opened Christmas morn
ing and^ found to contain all the
devices for gambl'ng except mon
ey.
The next days were spent in
decorating trees for the hospital,
the cripples ward and the main re
creation room. Wreaths were !
hung in the window's; the dining
room was trimmed with cedar |
wh'ch was festooned with icicles, |
and when all was ready everyone
assumed that mysterious expression
that comes from thinking pleasant
thoughts.
Christmas morning each Pioneer
received a gift box and a cigar ;
which kept then in good humor
until d'nner time wrhen they were
herved with a realbanquet of tur
key, cranberries, mince pie and
other delicacies. For the first !
time in the history of the Home
each man was served with a hot- j
tie of beer which AI Lomen had
to sell a couple of reindeer to pay
f r. If he could have seen how
much they enjoyed it he would
probably have sold half the Lo
men herd. In the hospital the '
nurses had a table set with spec
ial favors and a full course din
ner, and ten sick men managed to
get well enough to dine in the
style of normal human beings. Af
ter dinner cigars were passed again
and the official Christmas Fund
distrlbtuion was made. It amount
ed then to $6,26 for each man.
Later on in the week more dona
tions came in and it was possible
to give each one of the 127 men in
the Home another dollar. The
Pioneers had a wonderful Christ
mas, and more to them than that
which they received was the
thought that their friends had
not forgotten them.
The gift of a small amount of
cash to each Pioneer means more
than most people think. To many
of the men it is all the money
they will have through the entire
year. Bach one of them has some
thing special he has been looking
forward to that he can purchase
with his money. It may be some
particular medicine that he thinks
Is a sure cure for his ailment, a
watch that must be repaired, a
brand of tobacco not dispensed' by
the superintendent, a book, or
some favorite fresh fruit. To
those- who b*ve something, $7.26
represents very little. To most of
the Pioneers that sum is all the
j capital they have to draw on for
la whole year. It is true that the
Pioneers are supplied with the nee
jessities of life by the Home, but
who would not njoy sharing the
1 P
pleasure of providing them with a
few dollars to Bpend during the
year for the simple luxuries that
mean so much to them.
The Pioneers are sincerely, grate
i ful to everyone that helped to
make their Christmas so pleasant.
Received from Collections of W.
D. Gross:
Juneau, $358.76; Ketchikan,
$56.00; Petersburg, $76.60; Sitka,
j S68.00; Wrangell, $56.00. Total,
' $616.00.
j The Alaska Weekly, $136.00;
|Nome Igloo No. 1, $25.00; Craig
! Igloo No. 30, $50.00; Anchorage
Igloo Auxiliary. $26.00; Anchor
age Igloo No. 15, $25,00; Fair
banks Igloo No. 4, $25.00; Si ka
Benefit Dance, $32.00; Sam Shuck
lin, $6.00. Total, $938.00.
$7.25 was given to each of
127 Pioneers leaving a balance of
$17.60.
The, surplus will be used for
maglzine subscriptions or held
over and added to the Christmas
fund for next year. Other dona
tions were as follows:
Alaska Steamship Co., 1 treasure
chest; Northland Steamship Co.,
2 boxes Jap Oranges: Wm. A
Hesse, 2 boxes cigars; Mr. and
Mrs. Blackmer, Ketchikan. sub
scriptions; Race Drug Co., Ketch
kan, 2 boxes cigars; Mrs. Her
bert Redman, Sitka, 2 boxes cig
ars; Mr. and Mrs. Forest Hunt,
Ketchikan, 1 box books and etc.;
Alfred Lomen, Nome, Beer, Cigars
and cigarettes.
NOTEWORTHY MOTHER OF
NORTHLAND 18 VISITING
IN CITY OF ANCHORAGE
Arrayed in picturesque and sti\ik
ing garb, with a handsome park
ejf’’ apd smart bright mukluks, one
of the most striking figures seen
on the streets of Anchorage in
years and the mother of 20 child
ren, active, vigorous and with a
keen interest in life, is Mrs. Char
les Koenig of McGrath, now a
guest at the Hotel GUehell, where
jshe has been visiting for some
time while taking treatment at the
Anchorage hospital \for a recent
injury to the head. ^
Mrs. Koenig is a full blooded Es
kimo, and has been married twice,
liar first husband was a steamboat
man, and her second husband is
now located at McGrath, where he
is working in connection with one
of the airplane services.
Despite the task of bringing a
score of babies Into the world, and
raising a number of them, Mrs.
Koenig has found time to do a
world of things aside from caring
for babes, and takes a keen inter
est in life. She has many plans for
the future, and seems to think that
probably she has had enough bab
ies and has contributed her share.
"I do my part," says Mrs. Koa
nig, ‘‘I have lots of babies and I
raise some fine boys and girls."
I How many boys and girls I
have, did you say,” and her large
dark ' eyes rolled as she looked up
In calculating mood and said: “Oh,
about twenty. I no count them
any more; I lose the count. Any
way nine of my babies still are
living, and some fine big boys and
girls.”
“Having babies any trouble. Not
much, for I like babies. Most of
them bom way out in the Kusko
kwlm country where I had no doc
tor, Just woman friend; and at such
a t'me I do not bo her with friend
iu sband. Just let him go to sleep.
Then when he wakes up he finds
he has a line new big boy or girl.”
Mrs. Koenig was born near Beth
el at the mouth of the Kuskokwim,
of full blooded Eskimo parents, but
had adventages of bejng raised near
the Bethol mission, and contacted
many whites. There she formed a
wide friendsh'p among many of the
best known pioneers of the country.
Among those whom' she knew there
years ago were Dr. Romig, now of
Anchorage, whom she esteems as
one of her best friends.
Despite the years of service to
her family, Mrs. Koenig is erect
and active, and a splendid type of
the most energetic and rugged ot
her race. She has perfect teettu
'every one sound as when she was
ja g.’rl. Dr. Romig says the ab
sence of tooth decay with her as
with many of her ’•ace in the
Be liel region' has been dnd larg*
ely to their heavy diet of fish,
rich' in calcium and phosphorus,
and also the practice of the nat
ives of eating vital par s of the
an'ntals. Their constant use of
native cranberries atjd other wild
berries, he says, also contribute
much to their general health, and
especially is a protection against
j scurvy, to which whites often fall
vict ms in frontier regions. The
na ivts of the lower Kuskokwim,
before adopting the ways of the
whites ate frozen fish in the morn
ings, and dried fish in the after
noons, thus getting the full effect
of vitamins; and usually had one
hot dish of fish or game each even
lng.
Mrs Koen'g has appeared on the
streets of Anchorge nearly every
day since her arrival here two
weeks ago in a most attractive
fur parkey and mukluks, an out
fit which represented a value of
approximately a thousand dollars
when first made. Few women
there are In the north today who
boast a thousand dollar garment,
dress or coat. And the best of it
with Mrs. Koenig is that she made
her entire outfit herself. It is an
elaborate and picturesque makeup.
The body "of the parkey comprises
<5 fine Kuskokwim squirrel skins;
j while around the bottom of the
[ample skirt is a fine rich hem of
jotter; and the hood is faced with
jthe long-haired fur of the grey
I wolf. Numerous fancy doo-dads
[made of ermine tails dangle from
the front of the garment, ✓from
chest to wa'st-line, lending a sum
ptuous and festive air to the
whole.
The mukluks are a fancy crea
tion with waterproof seal-skin
bottoms, while the leg of the boot
Is gaily furred with hear skin; and
j*et off with checkered and border
ed tops and tassels.
Exemplifying to Mrs. G tchell
and friends how easily the muk
luk is removed and how warm it
is, Mrs. Koenig deftly slipped off
her hoof, and revealed a heavy1
snow-white woolen sock and be
neath that a wonderfully soft,
prettily-beaded native-tanned moc
casin on a small and dainty foot
such as is characteristic of the
Eskimo women.
“I make the niocass n too,” said
Mrs. Koenig,I make lots of
mitts and gloves and sox and
other things to wear, make all my
dresses and those for the babies.
And am I a good cook? Well you
just come over to McGrath some
day and I will show you how to
make a real mulligan or soudough
hot cake or a real wedd ng cake.
“What Is my native name?” ask
ed the interesting object of the
[sketch. "Well my daddy he call
me Kavjlil.’’
“What does that mean?” The
answer came with a sly laugh and
apologetic blush: "Oh, that means
■Pretty Pox," and my daddy was
known as ‘Little Pox.’
"Yes, when a little girl I liked
to dance, and we danced Eskimo
dances a long time. Finally when
at Bethel we first saw white men
dance. But that was strange. The
Eskimo children all went up and
looked in through an open win
dow, and I came hp last ahd look
ed in. I saw white men hug
white women very close, and go
round and round very fast, and I
ran* away and said ‘O hell, tHat Is
to much for me.’
"But after while the Eskimo
girls all learn the white man’s
dance, and I learned It too. Did
I dance much. Well, I danced all
night; then all day;- and lots of
times all next night and all next
day, up two nights and two days
and never rested., Yes, I think
-that helped make me happy and
strong so I later could take good
care of the babies. I like babies
and I think I have done my part.’’
Coming over from McGrath, Mrs.
Koen'g and others flew with Pilot
Sassen, recently, when the wea
ther suddenly becgme cloudy, and
i they were forced to camp out three
j nights en route. She was perfect*
ly at home In the open, warmly
■clad in her great parkey, and en
joyed the little outing en route
immensely and 1b having a fine
time here seeing picture shows and
other metropolitan attractions not
as common in the smaller towns of
her na ive realm of the vast Kus
kokwim. —*■., Anchorage Times
BUFFALO TO ROAM
WILDS ONCE MORE
Last of the Buffalo that once
roamed over the Western plains,
millions in number, disappeared a
halt century ago, the victims of
wanton slaughter. No one has
dreamed since then that the day
night ever return when these
shaggy beasts would again be seen,
in big herds and be hunted for
their meat and robes, but the
chances are' good that this bit of
history will be repeated several
years hence.
This time the buffalo hunter b
paradise will be Alaska, but there
w 11 be no ruthless slaughter as
before. Uncle Sam aud Alaska’s
co”ernment will s;e .0 that. .*.
t^st carried out by Vie U. S. Bio
>hKal Survey in co-op valion w.'fi
Alaska’s game commissi.-'? prove’
’hat buffalo will II rv* in va:'t
areas of the territory ■«.;!. unute 1
for any practical purposes.
In ? 928 a half d'>teu buffaloes
were imported from A’ntana into
;.-i Voiced region knoiv.i as Jarvis
Pais. 1’rom this s’.u’.l start hoi
trown a herd estimaf •» a* 60 anim
als livine in the w'ld s'i.« on th * r
own icources. A siu.u*- test on a
3- "enimont prese-v-.; in Canada,
v. iiere winter temp-riu’es ara
still in.’rc severe, ha< fioved e> •
U£ily si rctssful.
There is plenty of ro. in in Alas
ka for the propaga'ioi of millions
of buffaloes. Reindeer also are
multiplying rapidly there altho
not native to that region. A small
herd imported about 30 years ago
has now grown to approximately
2,000.000 animals with a constant
increasing quota being slaughtered
every vtear to supply the markets
of the northwest with cheap veni
son . — Kxchange
1 ■■■ 1 1 ——— '
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