The Red Cloud chief., 1885-09-04
AMONG THE CHILKATS.
A Thrilling Adventure with IN
Alaskan Brown Bear.
rhelInsenious Devices Adopted by North
er" Indian" e B.m"vo a Monster
GrizslZ&soMa Log Bridge-Chiikat
0TrHders and Their Patrons.

Alaska. our Arctic coloay. way of in
the northwestern part of our continent.
has a coast line equal to that of all the
United States on the Atlantic and Pa
ciic Oceans and Gulf of Mexico put to-
gether. All along the northern coast
and much of Behring's Sea the ice hugs
tEeIshorcs. and here the polar lear is
fou.hi, never extending his excursions
very Var from land upon the wandering
packsi Of ice. and still less inland.
Ncarlk all the rest of Alaska is ropu-
lated Alth the brown and black bears
in varying quantities. and of the brown
species l intend to tell q story which l
heard while travelling in that far-away
land.
II YOU look in your Alaskan maps for
S,tka, the capital and largest town i'll
Alaska, you will see that it is on an
island. with many islands around it.
close TO the coast. Among the north
crn islands Of this lOEg group and the
mainland. near by. is II large tribe OF
Indians called the Chilkats. u most war
like band not very long ago. Their
country is very rugged and mountain
Gus. and lack inland Il little ways the
h oh mountains are covered with snow
and ice the whole year round. the cross
inc of which is attended with consider
n ic danger. Through this glacier-clad
mountain range the Chilkat Indians
knew of two or three passes which led
them 10 a more level country beyond.
where another tr be of Indians lived
tha, secure 'larg. numbers of valuable
furS. These warlikc Chilkats. however.
never allowed the white lei of the
coast TO 60 inland through the few
mountain passes and trade for the tine
furs that the Indians there caught. MOI
wuui,i they allow these same Indians to
come through the passes and trade their
fur> 10 the white men for such things
As they wanted. but buying trading
material from the white men on the
coast they put it in convenient sizet
bundles. that they could easily carry
ovrr srch perilous paths rs those OF thu
coast range of mountains, and. gaining
the inland country of their Indian ne gh
bor>, traded this material for their furS
and putting these again in bundle
carried them back to the white men. ant
sold them 10 these people at good
round profits. considering the mere pit
tances At which they had beer secure,
from the Indians of the interior. An,
ono. however. who has ever been owe
these Alpine trails. IS was the author
few years ago. would think thew ha
IA r,y earned their money by their hsr
work in carrying the huge loads on the
backs over them. Sometimes the
made two trips . year when energetic
and from this source of trade for yeal
they are the richest tribe of Indians thu
know.
In the heavily wooded country o
either side of the snow and ice-cla
mountain passes are found the blsc
and brown bear. For the former ii
Indians have no tear; in fact. they =,
very eager to meet it in order to secu'
the glossy. jet-black robe it carr,
around with it and the meat which the
get for food; but for the big brown bes
two or three times IS large IS his hlal
brother. tiey have the greatest drea
anu only hope he will keep out of the
WA, when OF ihcir travels The bla'
bear when he sees them coming seeI
Ia. div able to get out of the way h:
fast enough. from the way he breaI
through the brush and scrambles ov
The logs; but the brown beast. it d
turhed suddenly, makes { ferocio
rush on the person, and generally ties
him to pieces Il not quickly dispatche
r. the Indians ore in large numbers
NJ run Away. but otherwise is sure
kck cut quite slowly enough to suit
- e-nnreniAnoA ~ bic brown be
Alaska = great deal Ike the q
Is Of Is ar western part Of our COZ
81 faot many IN Alaska speak Of