Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1896 — RACES ARE AT WAR. [ARTICLE]

RACES ARE AT WAR.

Disatcreementa Between Finns and In* diana in Alaaka Threaten Trouble. J. F. Solomon, who ran a trading sloop between Cook inlet and Juneau twelve years ago, is an old traveler, and has roughed it in South America, Central America and Mexico. Speaking of his experiences in Alaska he tells of a remarkable escape from death he witnessed while at Nucheck several years ago. “I spent some time at Nucheck once. Was there on a trading venture in the schooner. The crew with the boat were about the only white men there at that time besides the post trader and the Russian bishop. There were lots of natives there, and they were most all Catholics. I had a Russian Finn aboard, a quarrelsome fellow, who came pretty near getting us all cleaned out. He was fond of clams, and during his spare time, which was plenty, used to gather clams and put them in a bucket. He would leave the bucket at the water's edge so the rising tide would cover them and keep them fresh. “One morning an Indian kicked the bucket over and scattered the clams. This tuade the Russian Finn mad, and he went at the native hammer and tongs, spreading him all over the place. The fellow fought back, and the Finn drew a small revolver on him. A number of Indians had gathered about, attracted by the noise of the quarrel, and when the pistol flashed into view cries of hatred and anger rose on all sides. The Finn had to run for his life. He got into the house of the post trader, and the Indians howled about on the outside like a lot of wolves who have a seent of meat. The bishop was on hand trying to pacify them. Finally he went into the house and demanded the revolver. The Finn was seared, and gave it over without much of a struggle. The bishop went outside, and after holding it up to the view of the excited natives threw it on the ground. It struck on the hammer and exploded. The bullet struck one of the natives in the front of the neck and came out of the back. The strange thing was that the Indian was unhurt, the bullet slippingabout the neck without penetrating a vital point. Then there was a great powwow. The bishop was smart. He said a higher power had certainly guided the bullet and_spared the man's life, to make peace between the whites and their brothers. The Indians took it all in, and the trouble was tided over. They never went much on the Russian Finn, however, and until we had gotten safely away he never went alone at night.”—Seattle Post-Intelligencer.