The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-11-14
HARD WORK OF ARCTIC WOMEN.
They Even Chow Their Husbands Boots to
Make Them soft

They Even Chow Their Husbands' Boots TO
Make Them SOFT.
While much has been written about
Esquimau men--their skill as hunters,
fishermen and in the management of
Kyaclk-little has been said about the
duties and the labor Of the women in
those lands.
A great deal of their time is occupied
in sewing and in singing, but the Esqui-
mau wife sings while she sews, and
therefore no time is lost.
She does not have to make bread, be-
cause there is no -four in that land;
neither does she have to wash and dress
the baby, because the baby wears no
clothes and is never washed. Neither,
for that matter do its parents wash.
The baby rests, while awake, in loose
hood, its legs spread around her waist.
The Esquimau wife accompanies her
husband on all journeys and on all ex-
tended hunting excursions. Her serv-
ices are needed in repairing clothing, in
cooking-when there is time for such
luxurious fare-and to carry share of
the load in summer, when everything
that can not be packed on the back of
their faithful dogs must be borne on the
backs of the people.
When on journey in winter the wife
sits in the sled sometimes, but oftener
runs alongside or ahead of the dogs. If
the sled is heavy the husband, who
drives the team, may sometimes rest
his weary limbs on the sled, but the
woman must not. When the dogs give
out and the sled moves slowly the wo-
men are the first to don the harness and
help pull the load
When a halt is made for the day the
men build the snow hut, but as the
building progresses the women close
the interstices of the snow blocks with
soft snow, and in very cold weather
they pile loose snow against the sides,
and if need be, over the top, with a
broad, wooden shovel, called a poalde-
rit. As soon as the hut is finished the
women take all the skins and other
household effects, which are very few
in number and simple, having first
beaten off the snow from the skins
with short stick called an anowter.
The woman also puts up the big stone
lamp, lights it, melts snow or ice to
make water for drinking or to cook
with, erects drying frame over the
lamp and in many other ways makes
herself generally useful. Her place in
the hut is at either end of the bed
which is only platform of snow that
occupies nearly the whole interior, and
just in front of the lamp, SO that she
can give it constant and careful atten-
ton.
The man does the hunting and much
of the fishing. He drives the dogs and
does great deal of the other hard
work; but, after the hut is built, the
dogs embarrassed and fed, and every
thing made secure for the night, he can
turn in and sleep. Not so with the wife.
She has to dry the fur clothing he has
just taken off, by placing it on the dry
ing frame, where it has to be turned
from time to time, and when dried it
has to be softened.
This she does by rubbing such articles
as are made of reindeer skin between
her hands, and chewing the boots which
are made of seal or walrus skin. If any
of these articles require mending she
must do it either before she goes to
sleep or waken early, before her hus-
band has to get up, and do it then.
The women are very kind-hearted
creatures, though, and often sacrifice
their own comfort to that of others.
Often have come into a snow hut with
feet almost frozen with the cold. My
hands would be so cold and stiff that
could not unite and remove my shoes
and stockings. Some old woman, with
heart as big as her body, would notice
my condition and Immediately come tc
my relief. She would unite the strings
pull off my boots and stockings and put
my frozen feet under her fur coat
, against her own warm body until the
circulation was restored. l have fre
quently seen what seemed to me like
, imposition practiced upon them, bu
: they never complained
: The women are no drawback to
= travelling party. The men do not have
to wait for them. They are not very
: graceful walkers, and could not win
crumb at cake walk, but they cal
: keep up with the procession, even i
, their hips do appear to come unhinget
! at every step.
S The women and girls can all juggle
v by throwing stones up into the air, a
e well as any professional juggler l eve
g saw-three, four or six stones, with on
hand or both hands. They make al
sorts of figures with string-reindeer
: bears, geese, musk oxen, dogs and tn
t like-and there is one thing they can d
t to perfection-a woman will change he
4 coat right in front of your eyes, an
It there will not be the slightest sugges
S tion of indelicacy in the act.
a 1t must be remembered that snoy
n house consists of but one room only
o and most of that one is taken up by tn
= bed, which is also of snow.
l. 1t is not often that woman has OF
Il casion to change her coat-once @
IS twice year, perhaps-but If she doe
e she can not go into the privacy of he
bedroom, for her bedroom is th
d common bedroom of the entire house
n hold and there is no such thing q
!. privacy. 80 that is why, l persumt
d they have acquired the art of maxim
i lightning changes of costumes in public
so as not to shock those who chanced {
e be present. All one ever sees is til
to new coat poised in space for momen
N then a little wriggle and the flash of tn
discarded garment flying through tn
r air.
The women are boot and shoemaker
rs as well as tailors and mantuamaker
c, Boots are made of sealsl1in Throughout
n, or else the legs of sealslSin and the sole
"a Of VolT.i1S or oOlx- -ioolF slim RnfnY