The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-04-15
camp in sight and the policemen abou

camp IN Slght ana the poIe-nnen aoOut
exhausted.
Early in the evening, tired out, we
camped; not even attempting to improve
on a coarse gravel bar for bed place,
by going little farther. That evening
Iheard ruffied grouse drumming in
the woods near the camp, but SO far we
had seen no game birds.
The night of the 30th and 31st the
river rose a scant inch, but Robert in
sisted that the stream was SO swollen
that unless we got Il strong upstream
wind we could go no further, although
it was but few miles to where river
transportation ceased, and all effects
would have to be carried on our
packers back.
At noon we got away with just
enough wind to spread our sails, but
these had to be aided by the poles, pad
dies or tracking. BY 4:30 we had
sighted the houses at the head of
anal-navigation, a couple of miles
away, but it took three hours hard
work to reach them.
The country was now much more open,
the timber growth extending over
the tops of most of the hills. At $50 we
made desperate yet brilliant fight
through high-rolling rapids, to attain
point which we got by the very epider-
mis- on the skin of our teeth. 1t settled
the days success, however, and by T:30
we camped at the head of canoe naviga-
ton, with the consolation that on the
next river we were to float down.
This day we had made but three and
half miles, but equal to any fifty of
common travel At least the Indians
thought SO, for they begged to stay over
the next day.
The days delay was taken advantage
of in astronomical observations, arrang-
ing packs, the doctor investigating
geology, etc, etc. Bear tracks were
very numerous and the Indians reported
this locality full of large game, deer
alone being absent. We were now
getting far enough inland to leave be-
hind the greater moisture of the Pacific
coast and the Indians assured me that
it was dry here when the seaboard was
usually drenched with showers. A
strange Tah5u came into camp spread
ing the cheerful report that the snow
was from ten to fifteen feet deep some
twenty miles ahead on the trail /
thought l saw a scheme in it at the
time and felt satisfied of it later. l did
not hire him as a guide. Now that the
Indians will undoubtedly enter closer
into the descriptions or the adventures,
it may be well to mention them here
more in detail, so / give their names
below. both native and Americanized,
and the tribes to which they belonged:
Native. AmeIicanized Tribe
Kook-sah'll, Robert Tahku Cr'linkit).
Shsk-Qua-tah, sam, Sitka
kah-ee John, hootznahoo. "
Skeet-lah-1ah. Edward, Chlkat
Koo-nagh-ka-s Jim, Tahku
Kool-teen, Paddy, Tahku
Tah-wootz, Barney, Italian
The Italians are an interior tribe near
the Cassiar mines of British Columbia.
Slzeet-lah-kah, the son of Shot-rich,
Chillzat chief, had served me as packer
when boy of but II years of age, in
1888. Even then he carried sixty-eight
pounds over forty-mile mountain trail,
and this time he was clearly the strong
est and most enduring of allthe paclfers.
Sam had attended mission school in
his younger days and knew our Ian
guage well enough for rough inter
probation. Paddy had also acquired
a small share of it among the miners,
while, in fact, all of them understood
it better than they pretended.
1t will be remembered that the In
dian packers would have to double"
their loads of 200 pounds over the trail.
In order to keep the effects together at
night it was thought five miles would
be fair days work. ten miles OF pack
ing 100 pounds and five miles returning
the latter. by comparison, being equiva-
lent to a rest
Before o'clock the packers started
with their first loads, and at 7:30 dunn
founded us by returning. stating they
had made some four miles. At this
rate the enthusiastic promises of some to
make ten or twelve miles daily seemed
probable. My doubts. however, as to
their accuracy were confirmed when
later the four miles dwfndled down to
a scant two; still, thought to myself,
as l wiped the perspiration of my face,
might have deemed it a good half
dozen if had carried 100 pounds over
it instead of camera and a tin cup.
The first part of the trail led through
groves of .jack-pine." 1t is flexible
confer, if ever there was one, as in
many places the Indians had tied trees
and branches together to mark the trail.
This had been done years before, but
the pines had grown right along, Just
the same, and these knots in the bodies
of the now large trees, or two dashed
together. looked curious enough.
Where we found the first packs there
was also canped Il Tahku family FRI m
the interior, bringing ont furs 10 trade
at juneau. The principal furs OF South
eastern Alaska are black. brown and
grizzly bear, mink, beaver, land and sea-
martin, lynx, wolverine. silver, cross
and red fox, and occasionally white
and blue fox from the lower Yukon.
When the skin of any fur-bearing ami
NAL is dark-colored the fur is poor; the