CLIPPINGS.
Extract from The Seattle Daily Times October 31st, 1902. - "J.H.de Bfcondeau was
instrumental in determining the original Russian boundary line dividing the
British and Russian possessions in Alaska and so establishing the exact territory
to which the U.S.secured title under the Alaska purchase. According to de Blondes,
the line followed a northxvesterly direction along the summit of the mountains on
the northerly side of Rainy Hollow and conforms to the course indicated in the
Anglo-Russian treaty of 1825. Pending the attempt of the United States to relocr\
this line a temporary one was run between Wells and Kluckwan for the purpose of
local administration of law. It was while the temporary line .was being run in
1900 that De Blondeau met the U.S. engineer in charge, Mr. FY*a.zier, and became
interested in the search for the Russian line. De Blondeau was born in Marseille
and in 1898 went to Alaska a9 a miner and prospector. As the result o: kindness
shown to one of the Indians of the village of Kluckwan he was adopted by that
tribe and in his search for the old line he not only received essential help from
the Indians in finding it but by his position among them was given access to relic
of the Russian occupation of the country that were still preserved by the Indians <■
Eight stone markers (pyramids of stone),averaging eight feet square at the b^se
by as many feet high, were found ranging from the fork of the Chilkat River west
ward thru the Porcupine district to the old"Russia.n House"near Three Guard men
Mountain north of Plea.sa.nt Camp.
A Canadian view of the monuments discovered by De Blondeau is that
these piles of stone were the remnants of huts built above the timber line by tne
Chilkat Indians for use as trading posts in dealings with the Sticks of the Inte
rior who were not allowed on the Paci’fic Slone”
The present boundary line is a compromise and runs thru Pleasant Camp
to which place the Alaskan Road Commission hones to complete it’s road from Haines
next summer. At Pleasant Came imrkers and a wir e swathe cut in the forest clec.rli
define the International Line.
Today in the village of Kluckwan there are six iron, cannon, relics of
the Russian occupation, and at Wells stand two log buildings erected by the Can
adian Mounted Police, when that area, fell under their jurisdiction.
TOTE M3 •
One of the finest and tallest totem polos m existence is in theSitka
National Monument Park adjacent to the Sheldon Jackson School campus* Carved '-y
Haida artisans and originally erected in the village of Kasaan it was procure.'. ^
from the World’s Fair at St / Louis in 1904 and removed to that city as a part of
the Alaska exhibit. At the close of the fair, through the efforts of Governor
Brady, it was sent to Sitka to be erected and permanently preserved in the public
park, along; with other totems of similar origin. The totem pole, which is ■ ut
one expression of the totemic system, is now a thing of the past in Alaska.
Aside from diminutive and inferior specimens prepared for tourists trade totem
poles are no longer rm.de and the totem carver, a man of ability and distinction
in former times, has vanished along with his outgrown social conception. . The
passing of the totem pole and the totemic system in general carries with it tne
disappeara.nce of a real art and brings a feeling of regret even to those w o * v
been most instrumental in supplanting old superstitions with modern trut- . ^
Totem poles were of four principal classed: genealogical, historical, le^enuary
and mortuary. In as much as the natives of Alaska believed that men were, once
animals the principal characteristic of the totem pole is itsanimal figures. o^
the construction or design of the totem pole native people were able c.t a g unce
to distinguish the clan of the comrrunal house in front of which, it stood and to.
determine whether or not a welcome awaited v/ithin. The carvings were.no worsn_
as idols nor intended to represent deity. They were highly honored and revered,
because vitally associate^, in the minds of the natives, with questions Ox origin
the supernatural, and the proper respect due to the great heroes of _e
--.-.-The Verstovian (Sheldon Jackson School/.