The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-11-13

The Horrible Narrative of a New York
Lady Who Has Travelled in Alaska.
The Unspeakable 0utrages Committed on the
Indians by the Superior White Mana
Blistering Disgracs to Civilization.


known lady Of this city, has recently returned
rom an extended tour through the great North
west. To World reporter she related some OF
The experiences OF her travels. II have jour
neyed over eighteen thousand miles by land
and water" she said, "but the incidents Of the
trip have been, dare say. much like those OF
other tourists who follow the same route. What
has impressed me most profoundly and filled
me with horror which grows with
the recollection Of it is the awful condition OF
the Indian women in Alaska Travellers hint
vaguely at the evil official report, allude briefly
and apologetieally to it, but the great world 10
ignorant of its existence. II tho people realized
that in the wilds of its Alaska Territory this
cizilized, refined, advanced nineteenth century
United States holds a perfect inferno of crime
and torture, where helpless women and mere
children are being sacrificed and gradually exter-
minated, surely some remedy might be found.
In all that country there is no law, there can be
no restraint, and the lowest animal passions
OF the rough miners, trappers, hunters.
soldiers and sailors rage unchecked. The In
dian woman Is considered the lawful
spoil of these men. They steal them if they
CAM if not, they buy them from their parents for
a knife. q jug Of rum . string of beads II
these considerations do not weigh. then they
make the old people drunk and carry off the
girl. A miner will como and decker for child
of fourteen, and bear her off shrieking with ter
ror. She becomes the slave Of the whole camp,
and 10 finally sent back to her people to die. A
lady with whom / talked Of these horrors of
Sltka told me Of . case which had come under
her own observation. as she could vouch for its
truth in every revolving particular This lady,
by the way. 10 the hrst white woman who ever
went TO Alaska OF course, there may have
been some Russian women there before, but
mean the first woman from our country or
England. Well. she knew of little girl having
been carried of forcibly by some soldiers, and
one day, few months after, an Indian woman
came to her exhibiting signs Of great grief, and
begged the white mother, as she cslsd this
lady, to go and look at her daughter, who was
dying The lady went to the place whore the
girl lay on the ground . mass of rags, filth and
corruption. She had been returned to her peo-
pie by her captors, to whom she was no longer
useful Such horror 10 felt by the Indians at the
approach of any one afflicted as she was, that
they avoid the victim as though she was plague
who wa: only fifteen years Of
age, they had built stockads about
the place where she lay. completely inclosing
her. A small aperture had been left on the side.
close to the ground. through which food and
water was thrust to her. The white mother
crawled through this hole to reach the sufferer.
and did what was in her power for the wretched
young creature. One was entirely gone, and
the girls face horribly disfgured. Because she
had been kidnapped by soldiers, the brave white
lady sent word to the garrison that they must
give medical aid. physician came, through
whose efforts the child's life was saved. This
girl now keeps vieilsnt watch over the young
Indian children in her vicinity. She is a pupil
in the school.
when arrived at Tacoma, called on Mrs.
McFarlane. the lady in charge of the mis-
sionary school. / spent Saturday and
Sunday with her. and / learned some very
startling facts regarding the life OF the people
in that neighborhood. knew something about
the Indians before, but what learned from her
was q new revelation Mrs. McFarlane is a
Virginian. She went out as a missionary years
ago. and has been working ever since. She has
started three schools for Indian children, and is
regarded with the greatest esteem by all classes.
/ could not repeat the details of the dreadful
story she told me of the barbsrous condition Of
life in that neighborhood. 1t is really unspeaka-
BILE. The story have just repeated is a mild in
stance Of the brutality which seems the birth
right of these poor little squaws.
Some of the criminal practices prevailing
came within my own observation. We were at
Juneau on the Fourth Of July, and a celsbra-
ton was arranged 1t was intended as q patri.
otto denomination the part of the whites
lawful to sell liquor TO an Indian there. but as
have already said, law does not prevail So the
first move was to ply the Indians with rum until
they were stupidity drunk. Then the white men
carried them outside like logs, flung them on
the ground in their sodden sleep and returned
to the women, when there ensusd a scene that
is beyond description. No beastly oreie ever
conceived could surpass il. You could not print
the story. The Alaskan horrors are more dread
full than the pine woods atrocities. They are
hr 1vaw D.fs
do none of the Indians exhibit q desire to
protect their women" Mrs. Voorhis was asked.
Seldom. And il they did, what would it
avalll Soldiers are kept there at the expense Of
the government to prevent their rising. What
do they dol They work in the mines. hunt and
fsh-that is, when they don't drink themselves
to death. Tnere was a case not long ago. of a
whole tribe perishing in one winter from rum.
They had sold all the furs and skins which they
had in their possession for liquor, and when
those who had survived the immediate effects of
their rotations had to meet the bitter weather
without clothing, they froZe to death. 1t
Is common law among the Indians that they
must not dispose Of q daughter without the con-
usually has 40 instinct at least which prompts
her to protect her offspring from she white man,
the only way to deal with her Is by drink. The
squaws are as given to liquor the males; 50
the white man seeking little maiden brings
enough drink for father and mother. When
both have succumbsd to its influence there is
nothing moro to stay the destroyer OF
the child. The poor, shrinking. Shrek
ing little victims are dragged off to their
fate, and there is no power to suceor them.
Mra McFsrlane told Of one woman who brought
her last rem naming girl TO the school and prayed
| that she might be taken 10. "She told heart
| rending tale Of how her other daughters had
BEEN torn from her by brutal whites and car
ried to ruin and death, and che said she wa.
powerlsss to protect this last little one. who
| was even then threatened with \ like fate. Sc
| she besoueht them to receive the child. I'll
give you the very words OF this Indian mother
Il want to keep child with me. but dare not
| White man will take her away. had severa
| pretty squaws; when they about fourteen they
all stolen by white man. He only sent them
| home to die"
Sl,xas h.