The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-09-05
AN ES0UIMAU WIFE.
SIZE COST TWENTY DOLLARS, But
HER HUSBAND LOVED HER,

IakInS-MonteZuna's Hidden IreAs-
ure. 9f
The crowd of passengers in the Union
Depot kansas City)a few days ago were
interested in a stalwart young man wear
ing the garb peculiar to mining districts,
and his Esquimau wife and two-year-old
baby. The woman was clothed in ordin,
airy female dress, but her dark SKIN
sharp, black eyes, broken speech, and ap-
pearance generally proclaimed her nativ-
ity, while the baby that nestled in her
arms and playfully pulled her papa's long
beard, clearly showed its mixed blood.
The miner submitted to an interview as
gracefully as a politician. His wife
proved to have quite a romantic history
and his marriage to be a very interesting
romance. MY name" said he, lis James
Steed. 1 lived in Alaska, and l am en-
route to my parents home in Dallas
county, Mo, with my wife and baby for y
visit. My wife is an Esquimau, about
three years ago while l was in the Forty
mile River placer gold district. She be-
longs to the tribe that makes its head
quarters at Fort Recovery, 1880 miles
above the mouth of the Yukon.
SIN the first place / hired her rs a ser
want to assist me in exploring the placer
gold diggings of the Lawrence River, a
small stream about one hundred miles up
the Fortymile River, paying her husband
$40 for her services for three months.
when | arrived at Fortymile three
years ago and staked my claim, | heard
wonderful stories about Lawrence River,
bu no camps had been established there,
and the bars above the mouth a
not been prospected. / determined to go
and see for myself. The journey had to
be made in q canoe n l gave u word
that | desired to employ a native to pole
the boat and take care of my camping out
fit. l confess that | was surprised the
next day when a stalwart native led a
woman into my hut Inc offered her as
the servant | desired. ] consulted with
other miners, and from them learned that
the native females were the only mes
that could be trusted, as they were dill
gent, strong, faithful and honest, while
the males were exactly the reverse, and
liable to murder their sleeping employer
If there is the least chance to get away
with the body. | learned that the wo-
man was the wife of the man who brought
her to me. The woman seemed anxious
to be employed, and l concluded a bar
gain with her husband.
1.-THE next morning she appeared at my
claim with a small bundle of clothing in
hand. She set about and had my boat
fitted up ready for the trip by noon, and
we pulled out soon afterward. She poled
the boat swiftly, while | sat in the stern
musing over the degraded condition of
the Alaska females. When the time came
for stopping she drew the boat to the
shore, made 1t fast and drew q canvas
over the part designed as the sleeping
apartment. She could not understand a
word that | said, but by signs | instructed
her to prepare supper. When | sat down
to eat | invited her to join me. She
seemed surprised and blushed like
a schoolgirl, but accepted my in
Yitatiou. | was q little surprised when
/ found that my invitation meant to her
that / should treat her as a wife and not
as a servant, and that was the u of
her confusion.
81 found her assistance invaluable. She
taught me how to wash q pan of gold,
and her native geological knowledge ena-
bles her to tell the gold value of any dis
trict we struck at a glance.
"She learned a few words of English
and we got on together amazingly well.
The day before we returned home / no.
ticed that she vas downhearted about
something, ana | enquired the cause. Her
eyes were full of tears as she turned her
honest-looking face toward me and said
L don't want to go back to my husband
again. He don't treat me like you do
She finally Informed me that her husband
would sell her forever for $50, and pro-
posed if | would buy her she would work
The gold out of my claim after working
hours. agreed to her proposition. Her
eyes frightened up, and from that hour to
this she has been the happiest woman in
Alaska. / found her husband on a spree,
and he readily sold the woman for $40 and
a pair of boots. The money proved to be
his ruin. He filed up on Alaska Fur
Company whiskey and was drowned in
the Yukon a day or two afterward.
stMNv1 thot tho xUnrn an uoc nnipa nT.O-
vided her with clothes like American
women. 1t cost her a considerable effort
to learn to wear them, but she did. / did
/ not, of course, let her work in the mines,
but treated her like an American wife.
Several other miners secured wives, and
the women formed a very select circle,
greatly envied by the females of their
tribe.
Il had big luck at mining, and deter
mined to take my wife and baby back
to the States to see my parents. When we
came out we stopped at Sitka, and were
married in regular style. This was our
first entrance, n l guess 1t is all regular
under the circumstances.
81 think my wife is nice. l love her
dearly, and did you even see a finer baby
thar that in her arms?"-Chicdgo Herald.
Irresistible Impulse.
A young man was killed in a suburban
village who had repeatedly told me of the
struggle he had with himself whenever
he stood on the platform of a station
while a train was passing. "John," said
he one day, "if anything eve happens TO
me don't let them say that l was crazy.
/ have as happy a home as the sun shines
on and am blessed with as interesting q
family of little mes as you would find in
a months journey. Unfortunately for
me | allowed myself to be talked into buy
ing a home in the suburbs and on that
account find that | have imposed upon
myself a daily struggle with the hydra
headed monster self destruction. l
cannot help it. Every time / go
near a railroad track | have
an almost uncomfortable desire to throw
myself under the wheels of the passing
train. They seem to say Come to me,
come to me- with a voice OF command
that l have. up to the present time, been
able to resist, but | fear that my power of
resistance is weakening and shall soon
give way. IL / do, old man, l want you
to fight the insanity theory and explain
my feelings to my friends. OF course |
| might move nto the city and have had it
| on my tongues end to suggest it to my
| wife, but this would necessitate explana-
| lions and only worry the little m l
may succeed in fighting off this foolish
| desire, but if / do not and am ever picked
up on a shovel | want you to let the world
know it was not a suicide, but al acct
dent"
promised that this should be done and
tried to make light Of what | called his
foolish fears. He smiled a sickly, faint,