The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-09-04
AN ALASKAN COURTSHlP.
Mr.. Steed Bought His Wife First aro
Married Her Afterward.

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
her papa's long beard clearly showed
its mixed blood.
The miner submitted to an interview
as gracefully as q politician. His wife
proved to have quite romantic his
tory and his marriage to be very in
teresting romance. MY name, +" said
he, "is James .Steed. lived in Alas
ka, and | am en- route to my parents
home in Dallas County. Mo. with my
wife and baby for visit. My wife is
an Esquimau, about twenty-five years
of age. | 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 l hired her as
servant to assist me in exploring the
placer gold diggings OF the Lawrence
river, q small stream about one hun
bred niles up the Forty mile river,
paying her husband ten dollars for her
services for three months.
when arrived at Forty-mile three
years ago and staked my claim | heard
wonderful stories about Lawrence
river, but no camps had been estab.
lished there, and the bars above the
mouth had not been prospected. l de-
termined to 60 and see for myself
The journey had to be made in a
canoe. and l gave out word that de-
sired to employ a native to pole the
boat and take care of my camping out
fit. / confess that was surprised the
next day when a stalwart native led a
woman into my hut and offered
her as the servant l desired. con-
suited with other miners, and from
them learned that the native females
were the only ones that could be trust
ed, as they were diligent, strong, faith
full and honest, while the males were
exactly the reverse, and liable to muir
der their sleeping employer if there is
the least chance to get away with the
body. l learned that the woman was
the wife OF the man who brought hor
to me. The woman seemed anxious to
be employed, and l concluded q bar
gain with her husband.
The next morning she appeared at
my claim with small bund lie Of cloth
ing in hand. She set about and had
my boat fitted up ready for the trip by
noon, and We pulled out soon after.
ward. She poled the boat swiftly,
while sat Oh the stern musing owe,
the degraded condition of the Alaska
! females. When the time came for stop
ping she drew the boat to the shore
made it fast and drew a canvas ovel
the part designed as the sleeping apart
, ment. She could not understand ;
word that l said, but by signs in
structed hes to prepare supper. Whe,
l sat down TO eat invited her to joiI
a me. She seemed surprised, and blushe
!, like girl, but accepted my invitation
l was little surprised when foun
= that my invitation meant to her that
should treat her as wife and not as
a servant, and that was the cause Of he
!. confusion.
q II found her assistance valuable
j. She taught me how to wash pan {
v gold, and her native geological know
$ edge enabled her to tell the gold valu
q OF any district we struck at a glance.
;. She learned few words Of Englis
and we got on together amazingly wei
t The day before we returned home
noticed that she was downhearte
q about something and l inquired tn
ID cause. Her eyes were full Of tears {
D. she turned her honest-looking face t.
ward me and said: 'Idon't Want to g
,e back to my husband again. He wi
beat me. He don't treat me like yc
t do She finally informed me that HI
a. husband would sell her forever fl
e! $50, and proposed if l would buy hi
x she would work the gold out OF IN
v. claim after working hours. agree
to her proposition. Her eyer brigh
o. ened up, and from that hour to tn
she has been the happiest Uoman
10 Alaska. / found her husband on a
III spree, and he readily sold ti,e WON;
| for 500 and pair of boots. The mon'
proved to be his ruin. He. filled ,
o. with Alaska Fur Company whisky a
was drowned in the Yukon day
a two afterward.
he Now that the woman was mine
8, provided her with clothes like Amt
70 lean women. 1t cost her a considerat
o. effort to learn to wear them, but S
e. did. l did not, of course, let her wo
II. in the mines, but treated her like
American wife. Several other mine
on secured native wives, and the WON
formed a very select circle, grea
DO envied by the females OF their tribe
OF II had big luck at mining and Diet
lie mined to take my wife and baby ba
I to the States TO see my parents. WI
we came out we stopped at Sitka q
were married in regular style. L
II. was our first chance, and / guess il
,le all regular under the circumstances
,s- II think my wife is nice. love
". dearly. and did you ever see a fiji
Ia baby than that one in her arms?