The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-07

livered through an interpreter is too
frequently crude and weak.
A certain bishop once began his talk.
Children of the Forest" The inter-
prefer rendered it, Little People
Among Many Sticks Such talk
reaches neither the common sense nor
the imagination. At first he dared not
venture among the older Indians, but
talked to boys. He gained the person.
|al attachment of some of the boys and |
lone old man, and with these as sort
Iof body guard he ventured cautiously
from one place to another. He then
travelled from one group or Tsimp-
Iseans to another. and thus avoided
being identified with any one group.
This he regards as another essential
Ito success, for if one becomes identi-
flied with any one group his influence
over the other is lost. AT the end OF
five years he had friends In each OF
the groups and proposed to them that
they build town for themselves. The
separation of the Christians from the
lheathens was another essential. A
Christian Indian living among heathen
lis prosecuted and tempted, ana pro-
gress is impossible. Fifty persons
Joined him and they built the town or
lMetlakahtIa, where he lived in HI
tile house with a three foot fence round
lit Those at the fort considered IL an
act of insanity; but he lived here I'M
molested. He was given power as
magistrate His Indians We're scatter
ed over the country much or the time
and among them he appointed a large
number of constables. BY the aid or
these he enforced the laws for forty or
Iffty miles around him and heathen-
ism melted away.
| After a time came previous dispute
with the church of England ana the
| Canadian government over the rlluai
and the ownership of the land: IN Or
der to worship as they thought ut ana
have a title to their homes they moved
to Alaska where they now are. one
more feature of this work which Mr.
| Duncan calls essential is the industrial
advancement of the people-w1thout IL
Christianity makes the Indian poorer
It increases his wants but does not en-
able him to catch any more salmon OF
kill any more game.
He found the Indians filthy and soap
was worth a dollar cake. He taught
them to make their own soap. SLOWLY
they acquired one trade after another.
There are now in the village carpen-
ters. boatbuilders, shoemakers, bak-
erv. tinsmith, jewellers, blacksmiths,
photographer, a sawmih and salmon
cannery. beside the household indus
tries of mat weaving and basket max
ing. The great industrial institution OF
the town is the salmon cannery. Dur
ling the season $4,000 or $4,000 cases are
canned and sold. Here there are over
$50 men End women employed during
the canning season, and numerous
lcompanies spend their summer in
camp at neighboring streams catching
salmon. They are paid 61s cents eacn
for the fish and are provided with SAN
boats in which to bring their catch TO
I the cannery. This business Is conduct
L. Met JoIr al Ia Industrial
pany. The shares in this company are
held partly by friends in the United
States and partly by the Indians them
selves.
While the people are growing in
morality industry and solid virtues, the
lighter side of their life is not neg
lected On the lake in the island there
are many merry skating parties in the
winter. Baseball, football, running,
wrestling, jumping and other athletics
are Systematically encouraged. But the
pride of the village is their cornet
band. The natives when first seen by
Mr.. Duncan knew no music 5ut the
din of a Shaman's (medicine NAM
horn. When Mr.. Duncan brought some
instruments to the town they thought
, noise the essential and outdid the sha-
mans. Now their band is the best in
Alaska and we'll worth hearing.
While among these people the strang-
err is constantly surprised at finding
, them more like white men tina ncould
: be expected. They are Industrious,
supporting themselves and their town
institutions. They believe in early ris-
ing and work in the cannery COM
: mences at o'clock.
1t is true, however, that they have
not yet attained the stake where men
will work ten hours a day and continue
1t for long periods. But their conditions
of living do not demand it. There is
hard work in the summer catching sal
i mon; during the spring they hunt bear
and other game; but during the year
there is much time of enforced idleness,
They have been accustomed to this for
. generations, and hence are not. the
: equal of the white man in endurance
of long continued labor. DR.. Bennett
informs US that as race they are ro-
: bust, but easily suceumb, to disease.
This is a great obstacle, and when we
see their industry we must give them
Il due credit.
They closely scrutinize the belong
ings of strangers and are quick and
2 judicious in adopting anything they see
which can be used in their business.
One young Indian was willing to- pay
good price for a 44-calibre revolver.
because, he said: Il hunt bear every
spring and if 1 miss him with my rife
could pull this out and shoot him
quick" He also wished to buy pair
of high-laced shoes and a suit OF oil
skin clothes, because they were the
, best he had seen to keep out the
: water. That which indicates most
| clearly their change of life is the ten
) dency to adopt boats instead of canoes.
Canoes are and for a long time will
{ continue to be the common means OF
2 travel; but there are Indians who think
l there will be change. In the whole
: Sitka district the canoes are each cut
5 from single log of wood. The log is
; first dressed and followed out and then
, steamed and spread OPEN Many OF
them are models of form. Great care Is
: expended on them, and if their makers
: were paid good wages their price
2 would be fabulous. A good new canoe
e able to carry three men and 1000 pounds
: iof baggage. is worth $3.50. An Older
8 canoe of the same size may be pro-
> cured for $40; some cost $500 and $500
| 1.-The Indians have abandoned to a great
: extent the old method of padding the
}. canoe, and they are furnished with
> oars and sails. This is made possible
= by having a rigid body, unlike the bari
3 Tor skin canoes of other places. They
= Require great care, for a collision will
> a rock would crack or break them anC
: Irender them useless. They are alsC
: leasily cracked by the sun, and wher
:, , lout of water they must be carefully
!. lowered by mats or cloths. This i!
i quite serious in a country of rocks anC
!, high tides and occasional hot, sun
:, shiny days. They are rather cranky
7 at all times. Being of one piece o
!. timber they are subject to large cracks
:, as we'll as small ones, when unde1