davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun., 1894-09-16

or between two men talking alone. without In
curing an accusation Of using indecent Ian
euaee. 20 among the Yahgans there were GER
tain forms of expression for use in private and
others for society.
They had poets and novelists and historians.
They knew, for instance, how TO tell In the most
delicate fashion those ally stories in which the
point was found in the thought Of the listeners
and not in the words OF the speaker-whcre the
speakers words suggested but did not say the
thought. No people In the world enjoyed we'll
told stories of the kind more than they. but only
tue skllful-the literati-were permitted TO tell
them. A gross expression or allusion was never
permitted In company. II is q lasting pity that
none of these tales has been preserved for
study. The missionary taught the Yahgans
that their souls salvation was imperilled by
such thoughts, and the remnant Of the race has
become 90 degraded in every way that the best
OF this wonderful oral literature has been lost.
In politics and religion they were almost
equally interesting. They had no form OF gov
ernment-neither chief nor legislative council
but public opinion ruled with iron hand.
Theirs the simplest form OF republic.
When men violated social usages, as sometimes
happened, the guilty were ostracized, and such
was the habit OF thought among them that this
ostracism drove the guilty one away to live by
himself. Occasionally several families were
thus driven into exile together, but did not
learn OF the existence OF any such colonies Of
outlaws as that found below Sc. Lawrence Bay
on the Siberian coast or the Kevalinyes, whoss
home Is back Of Point Hope in Alaska
Grimes against property were rare. As to the
property Of white men they were robbers, but
never sneak thieves. They were generous one
toward another. to the dividing of the last NOR
sci OF food when prolonged storms created .
famine. Crimes against the person were avenged
a
The sun., 1894-09-16

the habits Of thought and mental capacity Of
this Antarctic highlander. I quote Darwin in
this matter a. have done in other matters, be-
cause he was the most eminent Of all who have
seen the Yahgans, and should have been less
liable than others to make errors. Darwin had
on his ship Yahgan called Jenny Button, who
had been carried to England and taught some OF
the English language. OF this Yahgsn Darwin
said: 81 should think there was scarcely another
human being with so small a stock of language"
The Rev. Thomas Bridges, who now lives op-
posite Gable Island, in the Beagle Channel. has
for nearly forty years made = study OF the
Yahgans aud their language. lie has made out
OF this study complete grammar Of their Lam
guagc, and has written what is practically
complete Yahgan- English lexicon. Fully to ap-
preciate the facts that appear in these two man
uscript books one must not only be something OF
llnguist, but must have knowledge Of other
aboriginal tribes. For instance, 1t is helpful to
know that Mr.. J. o. Dorsey. employed by
the United States Bureau Of Ethnology,
Washington. ID. c., after study Of
the Kansa language In the Indian Terri
tory. obtained material for a dicton-
any of about three thousand words" tSee re-
port 1882 -s3.l Ensign Roger Wells, Jr.. U. s,
Navy, working In Alaska, prepared an ANGLO
Eskimo Vocabulary" OF 2,283 words and
" Eskimo-English Vocabulary" OF 2,418 words.
To quote from pamphlet issued by the Alaskan
bureau OF Education" in 1890. "Clrcular Of
Information No. 2,""tho most important con-
tribution to aknowlcdge OF the Eskimo language
is In process OF preparation by l.. VI. Turner. in
his observations made in 1ss2-s4" at Point
Barrow. 1T will contain a vocabulary Of the
kok sOagmyut OF over 1000 words"
Consider in connection with this the number
OF words used by the average citizen OF New
York in his daily conversation. a Thousand
The sun., 1894-09-16
THE LAND OF TIE YAHGANs.

opossum and the monkey and left the ostrich
and the camel2
some years ago the Chill Government sent an
expedition TO explore the Yahgan country. The
report made by the commander on his return
refers To the Yahgan language as nasal and
harsh; II sounds like the barking OF a dos"
Nearly One-half OF the explorers OF the region
speak Of IL in like terms. But an examination
OF the language as printed in the Yahgan trans
latiOns OF the Gospels Of Luke and John and tho
Acts OF the Apostles, shows a remarkable num-
Der OF yOwels, while all who speak the language
agree that II is soft and sweet to the ear as q
love song in French.
To make study OF the construction OF this
language here would be impossible for lack OF
space. even IL knew the facts but something OF
the way the Yaghans talked tO one another will
be interesting because it gives insight into
their character, Let It be remembered that
this was tribe OF so-called ssvages, and that
among sayages the squaw is supposed to be
wretched slave.
But the Yaghan man never spoke 20 his squaw
OF ans property in the family as mine" He
said ours " instead. lie even said "suT har-
pOOn.' lie never gave orders directly 10 either
squAw or child. II he wanted something done
he would use an expression that meant Tell 20
do" It Was as II he said 20 his squaW, Have
some one do 50 and So" More remarkable still
there Was no such word in the language as
obey" They could not say Obey me-" TheV
said instead, "oblige me by" " Make me the
favor or" Would you be pleased or be 50
Kind as 10 do this or thAtf" Even when the
fahgan Was angry and wished to drive away an
offensive person he used polite sentence.
Food was abundant In the old days," said
the Rev. Thomas Bridges, 4" and life was easy
with them Hence the YahgAns had abundant
leisure 70 cit about the huI IRE and tAlk 10 one
another. They improved their Opportunities In
wonderful fashion As among civilized people
eertsin tsrHls and names MAY b. assd bstsssR
$4,000 via. - sAsa tAlkiRS q a RhEzasiaa
The sun., 1894-09-16

But the Yahgans. despised by many as "sav-
ages of the lowest grade" pitied by . few as
most abject and miserable creatures these
Yahgans had language from which has been
compiled vocabulary OF over 40. 900 words.
As said this is q story in part of one of the
most interesting American tribes. How small
Is the proportion OF the story that can give
may be inferred from what has Just been said
about their language. Where did they get or
develop all those words7 Are those 1000
words the remains Of a language which under
other circumstances greater. or Is the vo-
cabulary now at Its greatest state OF perfection
How does It happen that such a remark able
mental development was found In people that
live as these Yaheans did1 Questions multiply,
but no answers are found. Anthropologsts sup
pose that the peoples living at the ends of the
earth under adverse circumstances are "con-
quered races, exiles, or criminals"
1t IL guessed by some who have read OF the
Yahgan that he comes from some ancient Peru
Wan or Brazilian civilized tribe. and fed In war
time to Cape Horn. But the Yahgan language
Is not that OF Peru or OF Brazil, or even that
OF the lost tribes OF Israel. There is in II moth
ing to connect 1t with any Of the other great Ian
guages Of the world. Why, then, should we
think incredible the possibility OF the Yahgans
having originated where they are2 In the allu-
vial beds OF Patagonia and Of TERRA del Fuego
are found the petrified remains OF the opessum,
the kangaroo, and the monkey. The ostrich and q
modified camel nhe guanaco) now live on the
desert plains OF Patagonia. Who. then. shall
say positively that the Yahgan race has not lived
through the cataclysms that destroyed the
The sun., 1894-09-16

wild celery a. among the deiicats vegetable
productions, but on the whole he concludes that
"t Il the most savage country have seen.
There Il no place in the world which offers such
desolate landscapes." To this may be added
the testimony Of Admiral Anson, who said en-
phatically that II was " the most horrible coun-
try which II was possible 10 conceive"
On tho whole, II appears from reading the
stories Of these early navigators that the land Of
the YahRans, while lacking the eternal ice Of the
Eskimo land, was bad enough. and in the matter
Of storms II was worse even than the region Of
Bafin's Bay or Davis's Straits. As for the diff
ference in the people II Is apparent that the
Yahgans were believed to be far more wretched
than the people OF the North, because the
Esklnos were clothed in the warmest Of furs
and lived in huts which, II made OF ice and
snow, were still perfect shelters from the furies
Of the storms, while the Yahgans went naked and
often slept unshetered from the snow and the
freezing sleet that fell in every month Of the
year. Indeed, II was because they were believed
10 be the most wretchcd and degraded people in
world that Captain in the British navy left his
post, as will be told at another time, to become
q missionary among them and so lost his life.
The islands OH which are found the homes Of
the Yahgan Indians are almost without excep-
tion mountains that rise from the depths Of the
southern sea. As sails among them tho
idea that here is mountain chain
that at some time long past was sud-
denly submerged In the sea is Irresistible.
For miles and leagues ono may coast along
without finding beach wide enough to furnish
a foothold, not TO mention place for hauling
upa yawl. That the mountain is as precipitous
below the water a. II Is above IL easily proved,
for soundinRs with the deep-sea lead line often
give from sixty TO 100 fathoms within 100
feet OF the shore line.
Rising TO the height Of 1900 TO 1000 feet,
these precipitous mountain peaks are lacking in
nothing to make them grand and impressive.
That they seemed desolate TO the early naviga-
tors none need doubt, however. for the old-time
sailors had ship wretchedly UNIT for
such stormy seas, and he was ill.clad, half
The sun., 1894-09-16

scoop ont the earth Of The bottom cf the wig
wan and heap II mp against tho brush wall,
thus making = saucer-shApcd cavity for the
floor, the brm Of which rose high enough TO
serve somewhat as q wind break. Moreover the
limpet and other shells gathered by the squsws
were commonly piled 10 windward Of the hut
Certainly, II Judged by any white mans stand
ard, the Yabsan house was as bad as any In the
world-far worse as shelter than that Of the
Arctic highlander, with whom the Yahgan may
be fairly compared.
So, too. Of his dress. He wore n single Rusnaco
or sealskln across his shoulder, holding II in
place by thongs that crossed his breast This
was the best he wore. They were often stark
naked, and the children were always 40. The
traveller who visits Hermito Island In the Inn
mediate vicinity Of Cape Horn, will hnd them 60
at this day. Living thus, "shelterless and naked
In land Of fierce and freezing storms" one
need not wonder that even scientific observers
believed the Yahgan "the most miserable speci-
men OF humanity To be found on EARTH
And yet all who thought him either physically
or mentally uncomfortable when In his natural
state wero entirely wrong. On the contrary, he
wns about the healthest and happiest savage
that ever smashed the head Of an egotistical,
meddesome white man.
Tho Yahgan was built for the climate where
he was found. He was in one respect like the
whale that lived in the waters about him. He
had a coat Of fat under his skin that was very
much better for him than the best OF nannels
and blankets. Besides, he had custom that at
once protected him from the cold and rendered
him offensive TO his white discoverers. He
creased himself all over frequently with
any oil at his command, and that is .
custom worth remembering by people who
may be cast away or lost in cold climates. Had
the early explorers initiated instead Of despised
the Yahgan they would have had fewer tales Of
suffering to tell. In these later years sporting
men OF the United States have learned that
when about TO enter long-distance swimming
matches they can endure the cooling effects Of a
race through the water much better II they coat
themselves thickly with come such grease as
The sun., 1894-09-16

then let her bait run quickly down again. Some
nsh, too large 20 land thus, were speared when
they came In sight. The Yahgan did not know
the Joys Of taking four pound trout with a
seven-Ounce rod, but they had just as much fun
as do the New Workers who go out TO the fishing
banks every summer day.
Indeed, speaking of sport, there was an ex-
element about bird hunting among the Yah
gans that no man of any race need despise. In
his canoe, padded by . squAw or two, the YAH
gan took his bird harpoOn and a torch OF light
wood by night. Only in gentle weather did he
dare do this, but even in the fairest OF nights
the treacherous whirling squalls came down
from the mountains. He must needs turn now
and again TO look at the sky he drifted along.
peering ahead into the gloom for the CLINT Of the
plumAge of the bird he sought There was dan
ger too, In the swiTls the swift tide made hero
At ebb and there at flood. And then the bird
was no sooner seen than It skurried squAwking
away, and Only the man Of skill could hurl the
hATpOOn through the moving target.
BY day the Yahgan hunted birds and guanaoos
with . sling. Almost any Yahgan could hurl a
pebble the size OF an American hens egg 10 a
target 100 yards away, but some were known
who covered 200 yards. This means that they
could not only reach out but could hit the game
at those ranges 80 frequently As to Astonish the
white men who saw them do Il.
Bows and arrows the YAhgAn did not make.
He did not have 70 do 30. He was = canoe In
dian and carried the more enicient, though
heavier, hArpOon instead. He did not make
dishes or pots because he did not boil his food,
and because EaAnAoO shoulder blades. big shells,
blAddera. and blAdder-like leaves OF sawed
served his purposes. What he needed 70 make
be made With unusual neatnesS and skin. but he
knew when he had enough and worked for
nothing whAtevsT bsYORd.
H. nov, it hAs bssn demonstrated that the
sAEiy explorers looked a the YHhEAn products
thEOush PEsjuaicsd syss. The reader vii pazs
sttk LaeEsalias Plszssss y : eonsiAsEatasa e
The sun., 1894-09-16

plucked Il out They were a long lived race
and some probably lived TO be hundred in the
Old days; They were not Cannibals. but held
human life as sacred as civilized people do. 10
Is admitted that In times OF dire distress through
prolonged storms they sacrificed one tan old
woman 10 save the rest, but II that msGe them
Sahnihals then an American army ohicer
held In high esteem Is cannibal. When
I3od was scarce those who got IL divided
al they had with those less fortunate, and
while hunting away from the huts the men sub
sisted on the inferior parts that they might carry
the parts most esteemed To the women and
children. But this much must suffice
To sum the matter up. this Was q race, more
than 5000 in number. Callei the most abject
and wrotched people in the world. and Yet "ia
their circumstances and with their materially
their wcrk WAS perfect They were called
Sayages, and yet neither Governor nor
Judge was needed 10 preserve tho pros.
pority Of the nation. They Wero called
heathen. because they kngw not God, and
yet, prompted by an inner light they
took no Thought Tor the morrow. they visited
the widow and the orphan IN their affictlonI
neither was there any among them that lacked.
CleaT-eyed and strong -limIsd. they we're ahlc.
twenty years ago, U taCe tue y hitc destroyer as
they faced the ho~ling gales that swept their
To-day the traveller can dnd less than 800 ~
AL tnat people. And Of those that remain the
greater part Ars selfish, hypOcriu deal. cringluS
beggars, Ihe story Of this transformation, - I
al hsssa y Sla9ak thoss who sroashl q. nill -
The sun., 1894-09-16

they were eventually able 10 destroy IL altos
eether. The memory Of the deeds done by this
being was so terrifying that the tribe deter.
mined that no such thing should ever come
again to wreck their peace.
To prevent such a coming they Invariably de.
stroyed at birth any infant that came into thu
world not perfectly formed. The YahgAn's
stature was not such as 70 meet the approval of
the British explorers from whom Americans
have obtained their ideas Of Yahgan forms, but
there never was q nstural-born cripple 10 be
seen among them.
What the Yahgans' claims TO physical beauty
we're may still be learned by one who sees then,
The sun., 1894-09-16
CAPE horn ADORIGINES.
The Yahgan Indians South Of
TERRA del Fuego.
THEIR HAPPY NAKEDNESS.
Civilized Teachers Came to
Amend but Enervated
the People.


-
wild. ch,ny. and storrn-'wsPt Island. They
IphabIt-SavaEe Prinsitiveness OF These
Antarctic HiEhisndsr--E Early Aceou.t'
br Capt. Cook and by Dsrwin-Homes s,d
Family Life OF the Y.hssss-Th.,r c.-
.oe., shell Axes snd IHarpoo.-- Methods
AZ r,.b,,r- yoe.,,,.-v. s,,.r.,,,,o...
and Social N.ture-De-ce. .dn.t. Perhaps
g.. .,,..,,,,,.,s so,,, .-.r,o,, u....
This Is the story In part OF one OF the most
ai,ns known In tho history OF American
sn,n1-, ,...,s,,' ~ | ~ =. IT. na',,a.L
able qualities OF mind and body, and unfortunate
bec.ise tbev bave been oInost exterminated bv,
changes in their habits, wrought by Christian
missionaries It begins with what was said OF
tnem ana the,r country py .neL cary eNp'orers'
and 1t ends where the missionaries began what
va. intended to be the S work & Of sy'Sf ws them
ri -, ',iT dd sor !, ,si,t no ,IId ,a,:r
Ths aopp U % as III. island,
.or,h ~ ,be state - WsesI,sn may he calisd
contained when discovered. and s,ll maintains
three distinct tribes Of Indians. One tribe oc-
cppicl the Island OF TERRA del Fuceo 10 tho
euP'.u 'he 's''iu VI iNii" u'i u'So W 'i0
north and cast OF the coast range OF mountains,
ofwhich Mts Darwin and ssrmiento are the
obi taf h. \ m nd rih ha. mt ia thav
ohleI peaks u was ianu trioe' 'hA' ,s uhey
rarely If ever built canoes and they subsisted
almost entirely on such producta as the lnnd nf-
,a.aaI ,ra,iar -, I,o,,n,od ~. Io,.,ds %
iolueu. . ano'ne, iuoo oooup'u rlo i'..u' "
the westo Cockburn channel. They were AL
ways, so to speak. race OF sailors; they built
canoes, cruised about their region as fancy or
the prevalence OF food dictated, and were very
little dependent on land beasts for food.
-. =, IN 49,. -, A., a., ,.,. 81, ,,os .a
Last Oh AL we COME Vo tne trIoo tha' h'eu anu
now exists among tho islands lying south OF
TERRA del Fueqo and along the very narrow
-. -. =, r.. -, ,.ia ,,,s Ii.
south Deach Oh that great islahu itseiI-a trioe
that might well he called the Antarctic High
landers since they live further south than any
-. , 80 - =, -, .
other known people ana the lana they occupy
Il but succession of mountain peaks. These
reonle Arc tnoyn M the yaboans
p.upie aie N"o"a o,u. ao 'ne .a"sae
Inc known history OF the lahgahs begins In
the stories told by the early navigators of tho
region Itisa br,ef matter,mcrciv the record
The sun., 1894-09-16

tAnt woman who was suekllng a recently born
child came one day alOngsid : the vessel and re-
Inained there out or mere curiosity while the
sleet fell and thawed on her naked bosom and
on the skin Of her naked habyi These poor
wretches were stunted IN their growth, their
hideOus faces bedaubed with white paint their
skins nlthy and greasy their hair entangled,
their voices dlsCordAnt, and their gestures ylO-
lent. AT night Ave or sin human 6eings make
and scarcely protected from the wind and rain
OF this temPestlDus climate, sleep on the vet
men one eau hardly make oneself believe that
they are fellow creatures and Inhabitants Of the
same world. There is no reason To be-
lieye that the FuegiAns decrease in number"
Quotations like these might be multiplied al
most indefinitely, but two or thFec brief onss
relating 10 the Land In which the YahgEns lived
wiz Sufiice: King says that the vegetation Is
magnificent In some places. and under the shel-
Ter Of the great forests some UlAnts are found
that VSald b considered defeats In England" ("
CAVt. Coca AEEsss Stth Ia. saA describes n
San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-02-06
Tho EncvcIonmdia Rritorrioo

The Encyclopedia Britannica
has 600 American writers and
authors on American articles alone :;
whereas Appleton's which claims
to be the most "American" OF all
Encyclopedias, has less than $50
writer's for the entire work.
James X. Robinson, of Sierra
Mojada, Mexico, and Miss Alice l..
Symond. OF Boston, Mass, were
united in marriage yesterday by
Rev. Dean Richardson.
Send for catalogue, Sullivan
Shoe Co., Commerce and st. Mary's
SITS. % If
1t is great domestic remedy and
should be kept in every home. Mr.. Nor
man Chea ham. Waverly, Sussex Co..
Va. who has never been without it for
Twelve years subScribes TO this opinion.
He says: "Our family has been using Dr.
Bulls Cough Syrup for twelve years and
ar never without it i'm the house. 1t is
invaluable"
-Sullivan's So shoes, the "Best
on Earth" % If
-Jacobson's new Photographic
studio, ll3 Alamo PlaZa, is now
open for business. Everybody is
respectfully invited to inspect this
finely appointed gallery. A new,
and really beautiful picture is
"The Platina." 1t is sure to please
refined taste, and guaranteed
ABSOLUTELY PERMANENT.
4 cod If
Ladies muslin underwear at
reduced prices at
2 5 ct l.. WOLFSON'S.
If you want a first class shave
or work done call and see S. ID.
Thomas in the basement of the
Clifford building. , D I'm
Rev. Father Jas. Gilman has
been transferred from RefugiO to
Mason.
San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-02-06
A TEXAS LEAGUE.
1t Is Still Likely That 1t Will Ma.
terialize,

a meeting is to be held in San
Antonio on Tuesday, February 81
for the purpose OF organizing a
Texas League of Professional Base
ball clubs for the ensuing season
Private communications have been
held by the projectors of the League
for several weeks past and it was
decided TO keep the matter strictly
quiet until work for organizing the
League could be begun in a proper
manner.
The cities to be represented at
the meeting and are aXious for a
place in the League are as follows
Austin, to be represented by c. L.
Taylor; Fort Worth, j. J. Slattery
Houston, Horace Moore; Calves.
ton, Charles Lewis; San Antonio,
John c. Phelan; Dallas, c. p,
Fegan, Waco and Sherman are
also claiming for admission to the
League and will send representa-
tives. The close cities would form
a good light club league, which
could be made a success with a
salary limit of $500.
With eight cities in the league
and each city having a capable
manager for its club, success would
be certainty. Good games would
be played and it is well known
fact that the fans of the Lone Star
state want nothing but good ball
San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-02-06
Fun at the Washington.

The Washington theatre was
crowded to the doors last night to
witness one of the finest vaudeville
entertainments ever given in San
Antonio. The specialties were all
new and very smoothly rendered.
The performance concluded with a
very funny burlesque on Andran's
comic opera, ia Mascotte," which
was finely staged and handsomely
costumed. The same bill will be
repeated tonight and during the
week.
San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-02-06
NOTICE.

ESTATE OF wINsIOw WARD, DECEASED.
Whereas, letters of administration upon
the estate OF Winslow Ward, deceased,
were granted to the undersigned by the
County Court of Bexar county on the 18th
dav of January. A. d. 1894, all persons
holding claims against said estate are re-
quired to present them within the time
prescribed by law.
My residence is No. -. Porter street,
South Heights" and my pOstOfIice ad-
dress No. POI Alamo Plaza.
c. NJ. KINGSLEY.
Administrator of said estate.
January 81, 1894. q I'm
San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-02-06
Presidential Nominations.

The President has sent the fol-
lowing nominations to the Senate
John r. Walker, to be attorney
of the United States for tho west.
ern district of Missouri; James O
Shelby, to be marshal of the west
ern district of Missouri.
To be registers of land offices
I'D. Bryant at Las Cruces, New
Mexico.
To be receiver of public moneys
Simpson Reynolds, of Kansas, at
Wekeny, Kan. James p. Ascarite,
at Las Cruces, New Mexico.