Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-02
AN ALASKAN ROMANCE.
How a Missouri Miners Native Wife LIE,
Him to a Fortune.

AN ALASKAN ROMANCE.
How a Missouri Miners Native Wife Led
Him to a Fortune.
Kansas City Cor st. Louis Globe Democrat.
The crowd of passengers in the Union
Depot Monday evening were interested in
a stalwart young man wearing the garb
peculiar to mining districts and his Es-
quimau 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 its papas long beard, cleared
showed its mixed blood.
The miner submitted to an interview as
gracefully as a politician. His wife
proved to have quite romantic history,
and his marriage to be very interesting
romance. my name" said he, sis 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 My wife is an Esquimau, about %
years of age l bought her three years
ago while was in the Forty-mile River
placer gold district She belongs to the
tribe that makes its headq uarters at Fort
Recovery, 1900 miles above the mouth of
the Yukon.
an the first place | hired her as a serv-
ant to assist me in exploring the placer
gold diggings of the Lawrence river, a
small stream about 100 miles up the Forty
Mile river, paying her husband $40 for her
services three months. When l arrived
at Forty-Mile three years ago and staked
my claim heard wonderful stories about
Lawrence river, but no camps had been es-
tablished there and the bars above the
mouth had not been prospected. l deter
mined to go and see for myself. The jour
ney had to be made in canoe, and gave
out word that desired to employ a native
to pole the boat and take care of my camp
ing outfit. confess that | was surprised
the next day when stalwart native led
woman in to my hut and offered her as the
servant | desired. | consulted with other
miners and learned from them that the
native females were the only ones that
could be trusted, as they were diligent,
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 woman was the
wife of the man who brought her to me.
The woman seemed anxious to be employed
and | concluded bargain with her hus-
band.
"The next morning she appeared at my
claim with a small bundle of clothing in
her 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 on 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 it fast, and drew canvas over the
part designed as the sleeping apartment.
| She could not understand a word that
said, but by signs | instructed her to pre-
pare supper. When | sat down to eat |
invited her to Join me. She seemed sur
prised and blushed like a girl, but ac-
| cepted my invitation. | was little sur
prised when l found that my invitation
meant to her that l should treat her as a
wife and not servant, and that was the
cause Of her confusion.
81 found her assistance invaluable. She
taught me how to wash pan of gold, and
her native geological knowledge enabled
her to tell the gold value of any district we
struck at glance.
| "She learned a few words of English
and we got on together amazingly well.
| The day before we returned home noticed
| that she was downhearted about something
and | inquired the cause. Her eyes were
full of tears as she turned her st-look-
ing face toward me and said I don't want
to 90 back to my husband again. He will
beat me- 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 l would buy hef she would work
the gold out Of my claim after working
hours. l agreed to her proposition. Her
ewes frightened up and from that hour to
this she has been the happiest woman in
! Alaska. | found her husband on a big
spree. and he readily sold the woman for
$40 and pair of boots. The money
proved to be his ruin. He filled up with
Alaska Fur Company whisky and was
drowned in the Yukon a day or two after
ward
Now that the woman was mine pro-
Yided 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 native wives,
and the women formed very select circle,
greatly envied by the females OF their
tribe.
~ 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 chance, and guess it is all regular
under the circumstances.
81 think my wife is nice. love her
dearly, and did you ever see finer baby
than that one In her arms
A correspondent of the St. Louis Globe
Democrat asserts that there is tin enough
in Pennington and Custer counties, Colo
| RADIO, to supply the world for centuries to
come. He says he obtained six pounds Of
tin from nine pounds Of ore in mine near
Custer.
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