The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-09-18

needle or nail or other cheap and sim
pie article IL needed ut once q fox.
skin or blade Of whalebOne will bt
willingly exchanged for it, if they have
it, the value of the skin or blade being
enough in civilization to supply the tribe
with these articles for an indefinite
period. For . summers work on q
whaler-abOut two months--they gen.
orally receive = cheap breech-l0ading
gun. bought in the United States fol
from "a to sc. and % or 50 worth Of
ammunition. Things Un which they
have worked patiently tor months they
will trade away for some civilized
trinket that could not have occupied
more than y few minutes in its manu-
facture. Nor are they much more con-
siderate in their exchanges of commodi-
ties with each other, and the most in
congruous payments are often made by
them. never saw any display of that
characteristic SO common among In
dams, and generally known by the
aesthetic title of ''hOggishness," where
in liberal gift to one for an article
must be added to in purchasing the
same from another. To prevent this
supposititious trait determined at once
to fix standard of value in obtaining
dogs from them, large numbers of
which needed for my anticipated sledge
journey. but, as l had placed the re-
muneration at good rates. never had
occasion to wrangle over it with them.
In fact, such contentious are wholly un-
known among these Esquimaux in deal
ings with strangers or with each other.
Even Wien several whalers are winter
ing in their vicinity, and one is unusu-
ally stingy in payments and others con-
spicuOusly generous. the former is not
''boycotted" altogether in the amount
of meat. furs. clothing, and other ma
terial they have for them all.
Thieving among these bands is almost
wholly unknown, and this has long been
their character. A British exploring
expedition that wintered among them
over half q century ago, speaks of this
virtue among them. A small party of
Esquimaux had built their igloos, or
snow-houses, near the ships of this en-
peditiOn-that is. two or three miles
distant-and a number of the white
people visited them. Upon returning
to the ships one person noticed hhat he
had lost a glove, and supposed that it
might have been purloined by THE ma
tives, until one of them who had fol-
lowed the party returned the glove, hav-
ing walked the entire distance for that
purpose. Two dogs were purchased
from them by one ships crew. They
disappeared one night, and suspicion
was naturally aroused, but the next
morning the two dogs were found Sc
curely tied. Esquimau method, on the
deck ofthe other ship. After the dogs
had broken loose from one ship and had
returned to their village, their original
owner had brought them back in the
night, and by mistake had returned
them to the wrong vessel. Surely they
carry out the Biblical injunction to
avoid even the appearance of evil in
manner that would not stand with the
conduct with some civilized persons.
When lived among them our party was
never careful to collect tools or other
things left around the house. and L do
not now recall that we ever missed an
article. The party left large amount
of trading material, amounting in value
to probably 81 900 or 81. 900, in snow
house in the village. and visited the
whale ships over a hundred miles away,
and nothing was touched during its alb
sence. have already noted for what
tritling wages the Esquimaux work
hard all summer, and yet here was
enough to be had by stealing to supply
them for n number of years. The pro-
lection in a snow-hOuse is about equal
TO that in tent with the flaps tied. or
house with an unlocked door. During
most of our absence no Esquimaux lived
in the village, but they were away wal
rusing in snOw-hOuses some two or three
miles distant, and thus no one was left
to guard the house, rendering thievery
very easy. Had anyone stolen. any
thing and been detected. there is no pen
atty provided for the Oifense, or for any
other crime committed. The only time
when the integrity of anv one of the
village natives was questioned was
when a member of my party lost valu.
able penknife. 1t disappeared mysteri-
Ously ut the same time with an Innuit
who bore the worst reputation in this
particular line in the tribe, although
none of them could furnish bill of par
ticulars as to any single definite act of
his in the past. We were living in the
snOw-huuscs at the time, but when sum-
mer came and the igloos had melted the
supposed stolen property was found on
the ground on the site Of our old snow.
house, and this supposed charge against
the Esouimau was thrown out of court.
They had method among themselves
of borrowing articles in the most COM
munistic way without any waste OF
words. Under all circumstances, how
ever, such articles are sure to be re-
turned to their original owners. If they
are ont of oil for their lamps or lack of
provisions and find cairn (pile of large
stOnes) containing oil or meat of any
kind they do not hesitate to break into
and take enough to relieve their
immediate nccessities-neve more
and attach % stick stuck up in the
snow alongside the despOiled cairn pay
ment in full for what has been taken
therefrom in the way of a snow-knife. a
bag of bullets. or whatever they may
have handy and know will be useful to
the other party whose meat or oil has
been taken. If this owner belongs to
the same village as the traveller the for
mer will be compensated when they
meet. This snOw-knife or bag of bull.
lets, or what not, that has been sus.
pended as collateral from the upright
stick may bangle there for a month OF
two. and all the Esquimanx within
travelling distance may pass it daily
and it will never be mOlested until the
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