The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-04-12

CENT hASb 10 JdCASOu park WIS nuCn
amused az the various rumors ahoat con.
corning the Esquimsu and his life in Chi
cago. Some said: at is money-makine
scheme. They did not bring their man
ners and customs with them, but are
forced to accommodate themselves to
their surroundings here. They do not
even wear the same style of dress that
they use at home" Others said: .'Bv
ell means visit the Esquimau. You can
see everything else next summer, but in
order TO get good idea of the Esquimau
you must see him while the weather is
cold"
That it was a money. making scheme
did not doubt, otherwise its loneliness in
Chicago would be as pathetic Us Mark
Twain's grief over the grave OF Adam.
That they did not bring their food house
bold utensils, and building material all
the way from Labrador ] could easily be-
lieve. but / was convinced that thew must
needs bring their own flesh and blood.
and upon this conviction my decision was
rendered in favor OF the visit The dis
coveries and invention of man excite
wonder and claim admiration, vet TO me.
more interesting than all is man himself
"a condition perhaps more easily ac-
dear reader. that am g maiden lady Of
thirty summers.
The Esquimau village is located in the
extreme northwestern corner of the fair
grounds, and is surrounded by a high
tight board ieaco With but two openings I;
one, about the center of the lagoon that
flows through the inclosure. allows the
exit OF an inhabitant to drum up trade
wnen business is dull in his canoe when
the lagoon is not frozen over, but in a sled
drawn by dogs when the ice is sufficiently
strong; the other admits the victim
whose curiosity has been screwed up to
the % cent point.
1t was through this aperture that I
passed on the afternoon of Feb. q. In
structions were given at the gate to open
the door and walk into any hut on the
ground. The day was cold and dreary and
the lake was very lavish Of its breezes,
vet, notwithstanding, l fully expected TO
see the entire population sitting ont in the
snow tanning vigorously, for | had read
the newspapers. / was greatly disap-
pointed. The first thing that met my
gaze was a row of little square huts built
of slabs, with the bark on the outside
Scattered around could be seen about
forty sight-seers, and perhaps half that
nun Der OF creatures clad cap-a- pie IN fur
inferred that these were Esquimaux, and
upon investigation found my inference
correct.
They resemble very much in form and
feature the Indians of the United States,
except that they are very much smaller
in stature. l think 1 did not see a single
one over FIVE feet in hight They all had
copper-colored skin and straight black
hair.
had watched the men lounging
around and smoking their pipes
for some time when my mind nat
urally turned to the women of the
tribe. ! failed to see any out Of doors, 30
/ mustered my courage. fastened 10 one
of the huts, turned the latch, and stepped
in, and TO my utter amazement i did not
see a woman. NV first impression was
that they had left the girls behind them,
but later l noticed little babe, who, the
guard who happened along just then kind
ly informed me was Potter Palmer, jr., and
YVES kuEt6 anu = ndiI months OiQ. anu now
imagine, ii you can, my CONSERVATION
when l discovered that the patterns for
the entire family varied only 10 size and
not in style. In order 10 detect the
women 1t wOs necessary to study the
features.
Mr.. Palmer. jr., of Chicago YOU will be
glad to know, was thriving. lie had the
strength Of an average white babe of eight
months and without any apparent ex-
ertion could sit alone upon his mothers
lap. His very nod seemed to be voun-
tary. He and Christopher Columbus. ir.,
who is of the same age and is also Chi
csgo-born. seem TO be vieing with each
other to see which could first attain man
hood.
The houses were very small and each
contained but one room, but the capacity
OF that room for bad air was marvellous.
Our own mammoth Tomlinson hall never
held half as much as the smallest hut in
an Esqnimau village. II was 50 strong
that at first it seemed 20 be animated. and
] almost feared asphyxiation. But il soon
ceased TO be so formidable, and fingered
long enough to count fourteen persons in
oneroom, six of whom were children, and
TO observe two benches that served as
seats, one medium sized bed and four
boxes, two sitting on the floor and two
hanging on the wall. These l Judged
were used also for BEDS And a cook
ytovs and few cooking utensils tina;
looked very much as though they had
come from a down town hardware store.
j saw also a washing tub sitting on a stool
with about two gallons OF very dirty
water in it. the only indication ! had
that washing had been entered upon their
program OF life.
The six men who we're in the house
were all smoking pipes and the smoke
was so dense that not all the objects in the
room could be seen until the door had
stood open some time. Fresh air did not
however. seem 10 be IN demand BY the
inmates the men quickly moved out oil
the draft and the women Immediately
joined in a miserere OF woe. ] did not
inRsr long, but soon gained the fresh air
and proceeded 70 rinse my lungs with
many full, deep breath.
For some minutes / stood alooi and con-
templated them. 1 wondered what was
their conception Of earth. OF life, of heav-
en, II they really had any intelligence,
any aspirations, any soul. when suddenly
fur pocket-boOk, redolent of tobacco and
other doors less attractive 10 the oliactory
nerve, wse fiourished before my face, and
a voice crisd: Quarter QuartsrP
thought that that was my opportunity Ia
gain information and began questioning
the young woman, but she immediately
whiTled round, just in time TO attract the
attention OF refined locking middle-aged
couple who were making their way to the
,ns 80 10 -.