The Butler weekly times., 1889-07-31
AN ALASKA ROMANCE.
How q Missouri Miners Native Wife
| Led Him to Fortune.

How Missouri Miners Native Wife +.
Led Him to Fortune.
Kansas City, Mo-, July 16.-The
crowd Of passengers in the Union
depot Monday evening were interest
cd in stalwart young man wearing
the garb peculiar to mining districts
and his Esquimau wife and 2-year-
old baby. The woman was clothed
in ordinary female dress, but her
dark skin, sharp, black eyes, broken
speech, and appearance generally
proclaimed her nativity, while the
baby that nestled in her arms and
playfully pulled it's papas long
beard, clearly showed its mixed
blood.
The miner submitted to an inter-
view as gracefully as a politician.
His wife proved to have quite ro-
mantle history, and his marriage to
be a very interesting romance. my
name" said he, lis James Steed. I
live in Alaska, and am en- route to
my parents home, in Dallas county,
Mo-, with my wife and baby for a
visit. Ny wife is an Esquimau,
about % years of age. I bought her
three years ago while I was in the
Forty-mile River placer gold district.
She belongs to the tribe that makes
its headquarters at Fort Recovery,
1900 miles above the mouth of the
Yukon.
In the first place, hired her as a
servant to assist me in exploring the
placer gold diggings of the Law
renee river, a small stream about 100
miles up the Forty-Mile river, pay
ing her husband SO for her services
three months.
When 1 arrived at Forty-AIile
three years ago and staked my claim
[ heard wonderful stories about
Lawrence river, but no camps had
been established there and the bars
above the mouth had not been pros.
, pected. I determined to go and see
for myself. The journey had to be
made in a canoe, and I gave out word
that desired to employ native
to pole the boat and take care of my
camping outfit. 1 confess that
was surprised the next day when g
stalwart native led Il woman into my
hut and offered her as the servant
, l desired. I consulted with othe,
. miners and from them learned that
the native females We're the only
ones that could be trusted. as the,
were diligent, strong, faithful ano
!, honest, while the males were exactly
the reverse, and liable to murder
4 their sleeping employer if there il
, the least chance to get away will
II the body. I learned that the woman
;. was the wife of the man who brough
her to me. The woman seemed anx
y ious to be employed, and I conclude,
! a bargain with her husband.
The next morning she appeare
at my claim with small bundle c
clothing in hand. She set about an
r had my boat fitted up and ready fo
Id the trip by noon, and We pulled ou
). soon afterward. She poled the boa
:. swiftly, while I sat on the stern mu'
ID ing over the degraded condition {
q the Alaska females. When the tim
came for stopping she drew th
boat to the shore, made it fast, an
III drew canvass over the part desigl
= ed as the sleeping apartment. 81
Is could not understand q word that
IL said, but by signs INSTRUCTED her
'n prepare supper. When I sat dow
to eat invited her to join me. 81
F seemed surprised and blushed like
a girl, but accepted my invitation.
elr was little surprised when I four
eo that my invitation meant to her tn
es I snould treat her as wife and n
no servant, and that was the cause
ey her confusion.
&c I found her assistance invaluabl
a'- She taught me how to wash pan
pold. and her native GEOLOGICAL know