The Year
1935
CALLS FOR YOUR COOPERATION
IN MAKING THIS A
BANNER YEAR FOR NOME AND
SEWARD PENINSULA
There are thousands of acres of gold
bearing ground in the Second Division await
r r
ing the prospector, miner, and capital to make
this section areal bee hive of industry. Your
newspaper is doing its duty to bring this fact
to the attention of the public.
The Nome Daily Nugget
IS YOUR
NEWSPAPER
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future work of publicity by subscribing and
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King Islanders, Remarkable Race,
Dwells On Island 80 Miles From
Nome, Village of About 200 Souls
Not many people are aware
that there is a race of cave
dwellers in Alaska, but such
is the case. This hardy race
lives on King Island, just
south of Cape Prince of Wal
es, which is the extreme nor
thern cape closest to Siberia.
The village of cave dwellers
numbering about 200 souls is
one of the most remarkable
in the world considering
their environments. The is
land is a great mass of basalt
rock, about a mile in length,
rising from the Bering Sea
with perpendicular sides from
700 feet to 1000 feet above
the water. On the south side
of the island the wall is brok
en down by a ravine rising at
an angle of 45 degrees and
talus from the towering cliffs.
A great permanent snow
bank fills the ravine from the
top to the bottom of the moun j
tain. On the west side of the I
village of Oukivak has been;
built. This village consists of j
about 40 houses or under
ground dwellings partly ex-J
eavated in the side of the
mountain and built up with
stone walls across the tops of
which are sticks and poles
caught from the ocean or long
pieces of whale ribs, or any
thing that can be secured
which will answer the pur
1 pose for roof poles. On these
poles are placed hides, which
in turn is thickly covered
1 with dirt.
A low, dirt-covered tunnel
10 to 100 feet long leads di
rectly under the center of the
dwellings. This is so low it is
necessary to creep in on Hands
and knees. The entrance is
covered by a skin of some
kind, and is generally full of
half savage dogs and half
grown children. At the end of
the hall, and directly over
head, is a circular hole about
18 inches in diameter. This
is the only entrance to the
dwelling of this northern ab
origines. In the summer the
melting snow and the drips
from the rocks frequently
render these crude dwellings
too damp for habitation, and
then the people erect a sum
mer home on top of the win
ter home. The summer home
consists of walrus hides stret
ched over a frame, making a
room about 20 feet square.
These homes are strongly
guyed to the rocks with thick
rawhide thongs to prevent
them from being blown off in
to the sea by the fierce gales
that sweep incessantly across
the strait. Outside the door
of the igloo or tent, is a plat
form about 2 feet wide, lead
ing back to the base of the
hill. Some of these platforms
are from 15 to 20 feet above
the roofs of the huts below
them. The entrance of the
summer home is a circular
hole in the walrus skin cov
ered by a flap of walrus hide,
which can be tightly laced to
prevent marauding dogs from
entering during the absence
of the owners. Across the ra
vine from the village at the
base of the perpendicular hill
is a cave into the mouth of
which the surf dashes and
roars. At the back of the cave
is a bank of perpetual snow
and ice. This cave is a store
house for the whole village.
Walrus and seal meat is stor
ed in great quantities in
rooms excavated in the rocks
As the temperature is always
below freezing the meat so
stored soon freezes and keeps
indefinitely.
It is a very dangerous thing
for one not accustomed to it,
to attempt to land at the is
land. and a much more diffi
cult task to leave it. At the
mouth of the cave where the
break in the perpendicular
wall occurs, is the only spot
on the whole island where
where the natives can land
their canoes or skin bidarkas
through the boiling surf. But
in leaving the island it is a
different matter. They can
not get thru the surf which
is nearly always high. So the
bidarka in which they leave
is taken to the top of the cliff
and the parties wishing to em
bark are seated in the skin
boat clad in camalinkas, a
skin waterproof coat which
fits very tightly around the
neck and is then tied over
the hatch in the bidarka in
which they sit, so as to ren
der the boat absolutely water
tight. When all is ready four
men pick up the bidarka and
when the waves are receding
from the island, they cast it
upon a big breaker, and the
men in the boat,quickly right
ing it, go paddling away as
though it was all in the day’s
work. It is a very dangerous
feat which very few can ac
complish. The natives go long
distances over the sea in their
frail boats, hunting the wal
rus and the seal, and also
watching closely for any float
ing driftwood which they
may chance upon.
This is always towed to the
island and carefully stored
away in case of future need.
The natives are very hardy
and frugal, wasting nothing
they can use. The stomachs
of the walrus are carefully
opened and examined for
clams and other shell fish up
on which the huge animals
feed, and every bone and si
new is made use of in some
manner. The natives are of a
cheerful disposition and gat
her around the small stoves
at night while some old man
or other person tells stories
of olden days, of the fights
with the natives from the Si
berian coast, of the fierce
forays on other tribes to se
cure spoils and young maid
ens, and they are much more
comfortable than one would
imagine.
The stoves were formerly
hollowed out of huge stones,
with a receptacle for seal or
whale oil. Into these crude
cups in the rocks a quart of
oil or so is poured and a wick
made of reindeer moss, is
tightly twisted and stuck into
the oil. After it is saturated
good it is lighted and care
fully trimmed at intervals of
a few minutes by an old wo
man who is an expert at the
art. The children as well as
the older people have many
curious games constructed
out of the tusks of walrus,
and they are tough and inur
ed to cold and exposure.
These natives are never idle,
their hands being constantly
occupied in sewing, carving,
decorating walrus tusks for
sale at the city of Nome, 80
miles distant and the women
and girls employ their time
in sewing on skin garments
for the winter. Considering
their cheerless humdrum life
they live, their cheerfulness
and courage in pursuing the
walrus and seal far out of
sight of land, these people are
truly remarkable.—Reprint
ed from a recent issue of the
Valdez Miner.
CHANGES REGULAR
ADVERTISING NUpGET
Changes of regular advertisements
will be accepted up to 4 I’M of the
day preceding insertion. New ad
vertisements will Lie accepted for
insertion in the paper up to 1:30
PM of the day of insertion—The
Nome Daily Nugget
Dr. L. W. Fromm
Dentist
Office—West of Nome Liquor
Store
Front St., Nome.
Nome Laundry
Joe Amarok, Prop.
DRY CLEANING AND
PRESSING SUITS
PHONE MAIN 29
East of Catholic Church
Nome, Alaska.
NEWLY PRINTED FORMS
PLACER LOCATIONS
AND
LODE LOCATIONS
ALSO
DEED FORMS
ON SALE AT
THE NUGGET OFFICE
MILK—FRESH—MILK
DRINK MILK FOR HEALTH
Dieticians contend that fresh milk
contains more nourishment than any
other known food, It lias no sub
stitute.
Our cows are selected from the
best dairy stock on the Pacific Coast
—tubercular tested and approved be
fore being shipped.
IVe deliver at your home—office
—or store; in quarts—pints—or half
pints. Phone your orders.
WALSH BRO S. DAIRY
H. BRORSON
Certified Watch
Maker
Repairs Mailed Back Promptly
Front Street, Nome,
P O Box 278
“ KOUGAROK SPECIAL "
(Fix and Mullins)
CARS FOR KOUGAROK
3 ROUND TRIPS A WEEK
All Kinds of Freight And
Passengers To Kougarok
I
I
Distributed By
Bon Marche Stores
Greenberg & Lewis
J. Lepri
Alaska Liquor Store