Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-05-05

long spetula for digging mAzEOw ous o!
moose and caribcu bones aud . bag OF
finely powdered axurite or ne
blue carbonate Of copper. The later
was used by tho ladies for tsttcoln&
their checks and china, . e,1stom that
think Is dying out little faster tAe3
the tribe. They allege that II one Of
them strikes boulder Of copper with
an AZ or other instrument he Will die
soon after. In some mysterious way
they seem impressed With the Idea
there was bodily danger r;sked Mt the
copper mine. I know there was imam.
cial danger in fooling around any sort
Of q mine, but had never heard snn
specific charge before. Next morning
jackson" volunteered to drum up
some Indians for me In exchange for
''hard-tack" he took along. but re.
turned in the evening reporting he had
been following fresh moose trail all
day and had forgotten everything
about the Indians. He evidently
wanted some meat to go with
his bread. got the two boys
out again that evening however, Tor
the prospects wero dismal Some sug-
gested squaws II necessary TO Hi out
quota. Among most Indians the women
are practically slaves doing al the
work, but the coast Indians OF Alaska,
however, are conspicuous exception.
their women ruling the property, the
regal descent and in many other ways
have rights unknown elsewhere.
These inland natives among whom we
found ourselves. leaned more towards
the former than the coast tribes spoken
of. An incident told me illustrates II
better than any general description
Two miners Of the Yukon valley had
secured his bride from the coast, the
others Zones? sweetheart having
been an inland maiden. Their sum.
mer's work over Smith and Jones start
ed out together in two boats, up the
river, to reach the coast. My informant
passed them where there was good
tracking and in the FIRST boat was
Mrs. Smith steering and Smith hev-
ing ahold the tracking rope Juggling
along tho bank. while just behind WAS
Jones stretched out steering his craft
and Mrs Jones playing the part Of the
tow-path mule. Next day four rats
floated out of the Pelly and the parties
camped about mile below US. There
wore fifteen to twenty In the whole
party and our prospects, looked moro
hospitable-like aud less hospital-like
than they had. gave them o day for
reflection after explaining my plan.
An idea that has tho contract to pierce
an Indians Uranium, not only has to
get through thick skull and tough
hide, but also q dense thicket Of hair,
80 it must be given time unless shot In
with . ride. A few others came in
from day to day, but Ave packers was
the limit could reach, and all Of these
had chain cables and steam windlassss
attached 70 their promises. Worst Of
all, - tests proved. these
wseklings could not be depended
ON for over 90 pounds each. 1t
was mournfully evident the white men
would hsvo to face the MUSIC Il wo
ever expected to make . start. A map
maker. photographer or chronicler.
ETC., Is moro than handicapped who has
TO pack and attend to these duties
while keeping along with lot OF rae
ing savages who have no more idea Of
these than they have Of cosmology.
Independence day came ON the
Fourth Of July this year and was
greatly surprised to find the savages
citrate IL. might have expected II in
side, but where the others caught Il the
good Lord only knows. Here on the
Queens sacred soil tho very savages
were turning themselves inside out
celebrating another country's sspara-
ton from their sovereign. whilo In
Quiries showed that Her Majesty's
birthday was unknown to them.
think the Indians desire to cele-
brnte was based on an omnipresent
eagerness to burn gunpowder and
make noise, and that the patriotism in
It. like the result of the explosions, was
all smoke. Guns and pistols weIe bang
ing away at frequent intervals, and in
the evening several tough stumps and
logs were blown up in lieu OF natio n
al salute. l noticed one instance of the
economy OF physical exertion that
rather impressed me. The problem