The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-06-23
THE Il MOSQUITO.

. luo ISUsQulto ~ ANVAc ktsy 49,
.hrives in lands both fricid and tropioal;
from one end OF the world to the osher the
little tyrant persecutes mankind with his
vicious bite and tantalizing singing.
In Alaska, during the summer time. his
presence makes life almost intolerabie,
even the tough old moose n carbon and
shaggy coated bears are driven from the
valleys and compelled to sock shelter on
the hilltors. which are swept clear OF in
sects by the constant breezss.
When the Indian is resting in the woods
he sets FIRE to tho leaves and twigs around
him, making a smudgs which protects him
against She cloud of insects till he 10 ready
TO shoulder his pack and take the trail
again. Before leaving he never thinks OF
extineuishing the fire he has made, and big
forest fires often result from his negleot-a
breeze will fan the smouldering embers into
a flame. which will creep up into the dry
spruce and hemlook and rapidly spread I'LL
miles M miles of timber lands arc burned
to blackened stumps.
When travelling in Alaska the white man
emears his face and hands with bacon fat
and pin pitch as q defense against mos
Quito bites, but even with this unsayory
rrecaution l have had my head so swollen
by the poisonous shin ginR that ! could not
wear my hat.
Sleep Ia simply impossible without the
shelter of q good mosquito net, and this
must be carefully tucked In. for oil night
long swarms Of mosquitoes will be creeping
all over 1t, perslstsntly seeking an entrance,
and if there is a weak spot in your fortif-
cations it will be discovered. When by
some accident a man finds himself at the
mercy of the pests, he will attempt an es-
cape no matter what the risk.
remember that one time in Alaska l
was hunting mountain sheep on sorns
heights which could only be reached by
dangerous climbing. Late in the evening
/ found the farkness closing round me. and
! was at an elevation of 5000 feet; Mt oil
points steep slopes reached down the valley
below. After searching for q possible
head of a small cascade and / decided to
follow this. Al first the little stream tum
,bled over huge bouiders, among which ]
carefully made my way without accident,
but then / reached u point where tue waters
flowed over a smooth lace of rock which
slanted down abruptly for fifty feet. As
was hesitatiug about continuing my jour
ney by this dangerous route clouds of mos
.uuitoes were swa!min9 around mo nuc
ATTACKING me most numerically. and
!. detet minsd to escape from them at al
hazards. Throwing nv lest ous in from
of me, I let myself slide down the stee!
rock. For some distance l sped along mer
rily, but | was unable to stop myself. Anl
urou reaching TN uneven stretch of stone
was thrown of my course and tumblet
head over heels. in which und!gnihed posi-
ton / continued for q few yards until
was flung broadside onto a hemlock ssuml
which stopped my further progress in {
nerve shattering manner. This %tob0ggan'
ing experiment. had been unpleasant. l wa
bruised and scratched. and stabbed all owe
with the spikes of the devil's club plant
but as I sat in the smoke of the camp ii
that night felt grateful for having es-
capped the mosquitoes, even at such q cost
The ALASKAN Indians have a legend re
earding the origin of mosquitoes.
In the oiden times there lived in thu
cnow-buried mountains of klecea an ok
giant, hidcous to behold and mighty il
strength. He lived with his wife and thret
big sons-all were cannibAls and they sub
sisted entirely upon HUMAN beings. Iht
old father had snares and spiked pittfall
on all the trails leading to the interior will
which he caught the unwary traveller. 81
successful were the giants inhuman efforst
that the powerful! nations of Chilcat ant
Goonennar dwindied Gown till only a few
families were left. Eventually T. medicine
man. ambitious for glory. decided shat h,
would put his natural cunning and super
natural power against the giants strength
and skill. Armed with u kesn-bladei knit
and an assortment of wonder- workini
charms, the doctor started off for tn
contest. He approached the traps vet
carefully. and then purposelY aud witt
but slight ~injury. he caught himself in on
of the snaYes and lay still as though Gead
eoon the old giant, making his ronuds i
the morning, came along, and seeing til
sleek carcass Of the doctor ohuckled to him
self at his unusual success. and putting til
body into a sack which he always carrie
for the purpoge, he started home to receiv
the congratujatory remarks of his famil
upon his fat catch, and upon his reachin
his hut preparations were at once made I
convert the doctor into a dainty meal. Th
smouldering embsrs of the IRE were blow
into flames, and big cooking pots had q
ready been p divided, when suddenly II
doctor gprang to his feet and commence
to cut and stab with his knife; 30 une1
pscted was the attack. and SO dexterous
WIS the weapon handled that in a few mir
utes the blood-thirsty old giant and his el
tire family were lying dead. These cam
balls had been very untidy and dirty. ar
here the duss was lying three inch
thick. This flew mp in clouds when Il
SO manage took place with the medicil
man. and every particle turned into q mo
quito when the giants died.-E. j. ClRve.
Now your blood should be purified. Tia
Hoods SarHaparilla, the best Spring medicine