People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1895 — Curious Alaskan Custom. [ARTICLE]

Curious Alaskan Custom.

A fact remarkable to our civilized women is the one that the Alaska squaws make their ages public. They wear a piece of wood or bone in the lower lip, the size of the ornament indicating the age of the owner. When a girl marries her lower lip is pierced and a pea is inserted. As she grows older this is increased in size until it is almost as wide as her chin and onefourth of an inch high. The result is naturally most unsightly. There is an interesting family at Fort Wrangel, which illustrates perfectly this peculiar custom. It includes four generations. A young girl may be seen sitting at one side of the one-roomed square frame house, while her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother are squatted on the earthen floor near the door, offering mats and baskets to the ship’s passengers who come on shore. There is no disfiguring ornament on the girl’s chin, but there is a big one on the lips of her great-grandmother.

Isaac Glazebrook employs in his blacksmith, horseshoeing and wagon repairing shop more workmen than any other like establishment in Jasper county. Keystone Corn Husker and Fodder Shredder. Sold by Robt. Randel.