Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-09-21


been quite satisfactory. OF course, poor
and unframed as they are, they want all
that they can get from us, but there is a
saving feature about it, they are willing
to work. We do our own cooking and
homework generally, but 1t is easy to
get capable help for washing and sewing,
cleaning, etc., and for the out of door
work, chopping wood, bringing water,
etc., we have always had plenty of help,
easily obtained, so that we can save con-
siderable time for our more important
business. Our water barrel is quite a
feature in the domestic economy. 1t holds
about twenty pailfuls, and we have
to have the water brought up a
steep bank from the Anvik river. In the
winter it is drawn through the ice. We
found that the Indians were getting a
bad habit of begging matches, which 1T
was the easiest thing for them to ask for,
and the hardest thing for us to refuse,
and so, at Mr.. Parker's suggestion, we
handed the pals to those who asked for
matches, and offered them a small bunch
for two pals of water. Since then |
believe that the matches have kept is
supplied. Mr.. Parker's genius has struck
two or three excellent points lately, one
of which is to educate the older boys not
to let the women of the household do the
work proper for men. Behold him in the
midst of a crowd of dogs, and snutty-
faced children, fourishing a large walk
ing stick, and reckoning to a woman on
one side, who comes toward him, pigeon
toed, with a bucket in each hand and an
overgrown boy on the other, who does
not like the aspect of things, but who
cannot decently refuse on account of Mr..
Parker's uniform kindness, and who
finally gets into the traces with a joyous
laugh. [Melodramatic-that last We
are now the only English-speaking per-
sons here. In the late fall a Roman
Catholic priest-a Jesuit-and a compan-
ion not in orders, came with two boys of
n of the traders upon the river, and re-
manned until a month ago. Two of them
spoke English very well, but relations
we're strained between us until the priest
became sick in the middle of the winter,
and at that time he accepted our help
and has since acted very well, so that we
have had pleasant relations with him.
They all removed to a station forty miles
below us, and at going they gave us a lot
of excellent firewood, and on returning
for some things lately they brought us
a fine sledful of fish. II we entertained
them, and gave them every attention that
we could. | suppose that you will want
some idea of a winter in this latitude. l
am surprised to find it so little different
from what | have been accustomed to.
On our shortest day we could see to read
from 0 a. IN. to 3 p. m. The ice upon the
rivers, protected all winter by a consid-
cradle depth of snow, does not seem
much thicker, as far as | have seen it,
than at home, but they say that a thou
sand miles up the river ii gets very thick,
and that scarcely any snow falls during
the entire winter. Here have seen wa
ter obtained in the coolest weather by
simply digging away the snow with a
snow-shoe. Once only during the past
winter the thermometer registered fifty
two degrees below zero and in that wealth
er Mr.. Parker was out upon a sled jour
ney of a couple of hundred miles. and
came i'm uniniured, though he suffered
somewhat from the cold. | soon after
made a Journey of 225 miles to st. Mi
chael and return, and camppd out four
or five nights, upon one of which the
thermometer here registered twenty-four
degrees below zero. but | did not suffer.
| had a tent, and was protected by my
fur clothing and a couple of fur rugs.
The feet are kept warm in the coolest
weather by packing them well in straw,
outside the stockings, and inside the fur
boot. On the journey of which |
speak, | made test of the value of a
dog team, drawing 400 pounds with
out difficulty a distance of l25 miles with
seven dogs and crossing a range of hills
at an elevation of perhaps 1000 feet.
The road was a narrow track, about "a
miles, no house whatever, and most OF
the way the trail following the river
courses. / had a grand time at St. Mich
ael, where there is a family of Church
people. | was toasted there bodily anG
spiritually and joined them in family
prayers; the return, with loaded sled'
and the track in hardly fair condition
took five days. We have lived comfort
ably during the winter, and have KEEP,
some geraniums and a fuschia alive
One of the plants is just about to,blossom
We are full of plans and of needs anC
here | want to ask you to help us if yo,
find it possible, but only within limits.
Lately had a genuine powwow will
the Indians. We had determined that w,
ought to be nearer the village in order t.
get a more regular attendance and me
the Indians as the representative of botf
Mr.. Parker's and my wi wishes, ant
settled with them for the exclusive
right to build on a spot which W,
had selected. They agreed to the term
which we offered, seeing the advantage t.
. the children, although they had it plain
ly put before them that they might an
ger Il trader who had spoken about tn
| site, when he found out that we wante
it. The conference took place in tn
public house which all Indian villages o
any size have, and where they seem t
; pass much of their time in the winter
when not away from home. On the da.
that | met them, they had been maxim
Z snow shoes, wooden pals and vessels
grass mats, sleds and other things in tn
{ same room, and | believe that many o
= the men slpen there and have their meal