Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1888-11-22
orIm.. .ra Herrar.in aI,.h..

Ms VOORHEES,, a well known lady Of New
York, has recently refurneaffom an extended
tour through The great Northwest To
reporter she related some Of the experiences
Of her travels:
Il hHFe irnrneyed over $4,000 miles by
land and water, size said. but the incidents
of the trip have been, ] dare ssy, murh like
those Of Other tourists who foil0sed the sane
route. What has impressed ne most pro-
fOundly and fllsd me With q horror which
gTows Hifh the recollection of il is the awful
condition Of the Indian woman in Alaska.
Travellers hint vaguely at TINS ell, ofscizd
reports aIlude briefly and apolGEstFeaIly to
tt, bat the great world is ignorant OF its Ell
isfenee. fpeops realized that IN the wilds
effts Alaskan territory this civilized, rp6ne3,
advanced nineteenth century United States
holds q perfect inferno Of crime and torture
where helyless women aud msre children are
beng saersced and gradually sxterminated,
surely sorre remedy might be found. In al
that country there is no law-fhere can be
no restraift-and the lowest animal passions
Of the roueh miners, trappers, hunters, sol
diers and Saiiors rage unchecked The In
dian woman Is considered the lawful spoil OF
these men, They steal then If they can, II
not, they buy them from their parents for o
knife, 8 jpg OF run or q string OF heads. II
these eonsiderstionsdo not weigh, then they
make the old people drunk and carry OF the
girl. A miner vii come end dicker fora child
fourteen and bear her Of shriehing with ter
ror. She becomes ihe slave 81 the whole
camp. and is family sent back 10 her people
10 die.
"Do none Of the Indians exhibit o desire
20 protect their wOmenS' Mrs VOORHEES, was
asked.
seldom: and hthey did shat would IL arail2
Soldiers are kept there az the expense Of the
government to prevent their rising. What
do they do They work in the mines, hunt
and fish, taat II, when they don't drink
themselves 10 death. There was 8 case
not long z u a whole tribe perishing ia one
winter from rum. They had SOW al the furs
and skins they had in their possession
for liquor, and When 7hose who had survived
the immediate effects Of their p~otat5sBs had
20 nlees the bitter weather without clothing,
they froge 20 eeath. lt.is q common lau
among the Indians that they must not die
pose Of q aau,ghter without the consent OF
the mother s4BaH, and as the mother usual
ly has an instinct at least which prompts her
TO protect her oTspring from the white man,
the only way 70 deal with her Is b. driRk.
The sguaws are as given 10 liquor az the
na3es. so the white msn seeking a bttie
maiden brings enough drink for father and
mother. When both have saeegmbed TO its
influence. there is nothing more TO stay the
destroyer Of the ehId. The poor, shrinking,
shrieking little victims are dragged Of 20
their fate and there is no power TO succor
fhsm. Mrs. MeFariane told Of one woman
who brought her last remaining girl TO the
school, and prayed that she might be taken
in She told aheartrending tale Of how her
other daughters had been torn from her by
brutal whites and carried 10 ruin and death.
and she said she Was pover3ess 70 protect
this last little one. who was even then
threatened with n ike tate. SO she besoaght
them 10 receive the child. III give you the
very words Of the Indian mother. They
were: i want Z keep child with mel
darsn't White man viii take her away
had several pretty sqHaw. When they about
fourteen, they an stolen by white man. He
onIy senf them home 10 die"