. Alaska and the Klondike . ity for a formal reception and ball the first night afterour arrival. This very swell event took place in theArctic Brotherhood hall, which was tastefully decoratedfor the occasion. This hall is the social centre of Nomeand the members of the brotherhood and their wives con-stitute the 400. Their hall was formerly a theatre, and,slightly remodelled, it provides splendid accommodationsfor every sort of social function. It is a kind of club-house and here the best element of Nome socially strug-gles almost nightly through the long winter againstthoughts of home and of
. Alaska and the Klondike . ity for a formal reception and ball the first night afterour arrival. This very swell event took place in theArctic Brotherhood hall, which was tastefully decoratedfor the occasion. This hall is the social centre of Nomeand the members of the brotherhood and their wives con-stitute the 400. Their hall was formerly a theatre, and,slightly remodelled, it provides splendid accommodationsfor every sort of social function. It is a kind of club-house and here the best element of Nome socially strug-gles almost nightly through the long winter againstthoughts of home and of the leagues of impassable iceand snow which lie between them and the outside and cards avail when more serious occupationsfail to beguile the lonesome hours. For it should be under-stood that there is very little to do in Nome in mining has stopped almost entirely, the ships comeno more, half the people have gone outside ; the resteat and sleep and amuse themselves and wait for summerto come E o pq 156 ALASKA AND THE KLONDIKE This is the situation from November to June. Add tothis the fact that for a long time in winter the sun almostfails to come up, rises but a short distance above the icepacks of the Bering Sea and four hours later sinks out ofsight again. The gloom of the long Arctic night con-tributes materially to the depression which at last over-comes the winter resident in spite of his effort to resist these things, together with the close association of theinhabitants of this desert island, produce a peculiarresult. As one lady expressed it: I get tired of my bestfriends, and I know that they get tired of me because theyact like it. From cordial friendship and real enjoyment ofeach other at the beginning of the shut in period, wecome to tolerate and finally to feel a positive aversion foreach other, till along in the spring when the days lengthenand the sun comes back and we can get outdoors, and be-gin to count the weeks and t
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