Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-08
WAY OUT IN ALASKA.
\ TENDERFooT'S ACCOUNT OF HIS
FIRST TRIP PROSPECTING.
Roseate Romance of Boundless Wealth
and Magnificent Scenery-Feasted by
Hospitable Indian-His Claim to the
Country-A Bad Indian and Family.

and Magnificent Scenery-Feasted by q
Hospitable Indian-His Claim to the
Country-A Bad Indian and Family.
On the morning Of July 0 we left Douglas |
City on the favorite and fast sailing canoe |
Hiak, Capt. Jim Doth well and favorably |
known in Alaskan waters, for a prospecting |
trip in Lynn canal As the day was fine and |
the wind fair, the sail through Gastineaux,
Stephens passage and Lynn canal was de-
ightfuI as each one is dotted with little
Islands, rising from the waters edge to a
height of thousand feet or more, whilst the
mountains on the main land are thousands OF
feet high, with ragged peaks not unlike the
teeth of an old fashioned cross cut saw, the
spaces between the peaks being filed with
glaciers and the peaks themselves are covered
with perpetual snow. As l am chee-chaco
in the country that's what my chums call
me-, everything appeared wild and pictur-
esque and as burst out IN exclamations of
admiration every once in a while at the
scenery, they would say, "Oh, shucksl that
amt nothing; you had ought to see the
scenery on the Yukon"
The first nigh we camped on a creek about
thirty miles from Juneau, where our native
told us there was some quartz. We stayed
and examined it, but did not think enough Of
il to locate 1t. The next day we arrived at
our natives illahee las he called it,, situated
at Lynn Canal, and distant about forty
miles from juneau. 1t is a beautiful bay,
filed with many islands and teeming With
fish, from the mighty whale to the tiny her
ring, while the woods and mountains are full
of h.
and the large and fierce brown bear
The Indian who accompanied us is a fine
specimen Of his race, as he stands over six
feet in his bare feet, and weighs over 200
pounds. He is a Mormon in proclivities, for
he has number of wives, who appear well
| satisfied with him as their lord and master,
and | could see no sign of the green eyed
monster. He is a bear hunter by occupation,
an enthusiast in that line, and many were
the stories and hair breadth escapes he re-
| lated. ! can well believe he is a good hunter,
as his larder is well stocked with fish, flesh
and fowl; his wives were brown, fat and
| greasy; his dogs, of which be had seven,
| were all in splendid condition, and that is
more than can be said of most Indian dogs
| He told us the peculiarities of each, and
showed US the many wounds they had re-
ceived in the encounters with bruin. He
also showed us the hole where he buried the
bears heads, and there must have been
twenty skulls in it. l inquired of him why
he did So and he told me, Bear all same In
dian; by and by he go to the happy roofing
ground"
As host he is prince, and right royalty
he treated us TO all kinds of game put up in
Indian style. We had smoked porcupine put
up in seal oil, and one of our crowd who pre-
tends to be an epicure said it was delicious
there were seals flippers cooked in grease
which were not dissimilar to pigs feet
baked ground hog stuffed with mussels
which gave the hog fishy taste and i'm
proved the flavor of the mussels His bear!
head cheese was actually immense, and thert
were many more dishes too numerous t
mention. He showed many kinds of root
and herbs good for food and medicine HI
also showed his canned halibut, hooks and al
of his dancing outfit. His headgear ant
mask cost him $50; it was wild and uncouth
and was carved out of yellow cedar. 1t ha.
large nose like parrots beak, eyes mad
of mother of pearl, mouth which containe,
the teeth of the only siwash doctor on Noah
ark, ears made from the hide of the ichthyo
saurus, hair made from the sea lions whis
kers. His hunting knife had some uniqu
carving on the handle that represented som
Indian myth the bears were afraid of AS
prospector, like many more following tina
vocation, do not consider him success, q
we examined many places that he showed u.
but could see nothing except white and bal
ren quartz
- -.1a1 -
and we would have gone with him, but OF
of the party had an acute attack of infian
matory rheumatism The native told US til
extent of his territory, and said he expecte
white men prospecting on his domain to pa
him SIS per day for his knowledge an
services. He said the land and water b
longed to his ancestors from time immem
rial, and he inquired if white men owning
similar amount of land would allow ever
body on it. His argument brought forcib
to our mind the 'bloated bondholders"
America and the land question that is no
agitating the British empire, where lord
dukes and ears are holding hundreds
miles square that their ancestors acquired
might, while he claims his by right. tt
only difference l see between them and th
q Indian is that he will be glad to see you hu
or fish on his supposed country, while if "
caught trout in their waters or shot
pheasant in their woods you would get abo
five years.
So we parted with feelings of regret, proi
, ising to return if the Hoonah springs cur
our companion. We ran across two m
looking for fresh water. Just think of i,
C. my chums exclaimed, hunting for fre
water in Alaskal They must be pilgril
like yourself" The next camp we made "
on large stream, where we found an Indi
and his family on barren point, exposed
the elements from all points. He had
carry water nearly half mile We VIC
dered why he built on such a bleak plat
but he was not communicative, SO we CT
cluded he had committed some depredati
on his fellow Indians, and was continua
on the lookout, as a foe could not approa
him without being seen.
The next day we Travelled against he
wind and a terrible rain, and after &
ting drenched to the skin we camped
would be very pleasant prospecting
III Alaska were it not for the rain, head wi
and tides, thick brush and mosquitoes, ant
few other little inconvenience. Then, aga
|
Il. | the deck of an ocean steamer, how roman
-. the majestic mountains and rivers, hundr,
az of miles of pine clad shores, and every n
re-, and then vast glacierl Then in smoo
red narrow channels can be seen the mammt
.ar, whale, forging his way along nearly as
mi as the steamer, and every few feet can
seen the shining silvery sides of a beanti
ns, salmon, disporting, or trying to escape fr
and some finny monster who is trying to ca
~ him for meal / saw a seal gobble one
less than two seconds. To me the amin
y on such a trip remind one of a great 1
&C nagerie, without having to pay at the do
sp' while the waters are grand aquarium; g
take it altogether, were it not for the ST
- reality of beans and bacon, prospect
tour in Alaska is like visiting an ever cha
III ing panorama. - Juneau tAlaska) Min
Record
Considering how much easier it is to
the truth than it is to lie, we cannot help
|ss ing astonished at some of the things we he
II --SOmeryllle journal