The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-10-05

Thermometer reaching 81 degrees be-
low zero. We reached home Dec. 8,
having snow-shoed 400 miles in sew
enteen days exclusive of the day we
stopped at LIE Pierre house and the 4
days at TT. Mcpherson.
The next three months dragged by
with the most tiresOme monotony,
broken only by small row with the
natives. Occasionally small band
OF Indians would come in with their
dogs and sleds and remain a day or
two and depart, much to the relief of
the two white men who had to put up
with their insolent and everlasting
begging.
AS to that rumpus with the Indians
! am not particularly proud of my
part in the affair, but it may be of
some interest to others. The trouble
was caused by a slight indiscretion on
my part, that is, in giving an unusu-
ally impudent young buck cut over
the legs with a dogs whip, whereat
the said Y. b. gathered together his
grandfathers, uncles, aunts, cousins
and other disreputable kin and an
nounced his intention of filling me
full of nice round little holes. 1 did
MT exactly run, L withdrew like the
Confederate General who cleft the
enemy behind by hard riding", and
once within my sylvan retreat, took
down my arsenal consisting of repeat
ing rifle and double barrelled shotgun
and, having barred the door, awaited
which were not long in
coming. The assembled clans gath
cred on the outside and procuring a
stick of timber, were about to batter
down the door but desisted on my
positive assurance that the first
gentleman who came through would
be presented with about a tablespoon
full of buckshot. Under such circum-
stances being first was rather ticklish
business and the door was not broken
down. The next day, everybody's
temper being cooled down, the matter
was arranged without shedding the
blood of any of the best people.
This incident brings up the subject
Of the character and disposition of the
Indians of Alaska. The entire valley
Of the Yukon and it's tributaries, a
reg ion comprising the fourth part of
A laska and an immense extent of the
The British Northwest territory, equal
mi the entire Mississippi valley in
arsa, is peopled by what ethnologists,
scientific men and explorers generally
,all the Tinnch race. These consist
,fa large number of separate tribes
md bands, differing somewhat in
language and customs, but having a
sufficient degree of similarity to each
,ther to class them as one race, or in |
he unique language of Forty Mile |
nan "the same breed of varmints."
Su bsisting entirely on fish and meat
md clothed entirely in skins, they
IRE of necessity hunters by occupati-
N and lead rowing and nomadic
life. Physically they are the finest
avages 1 have ever seen, 1.-the and
veil built, almost universally healthy
nd strikiDgly good looking. In all
aspects, mentally, morally and phys
cally they are superior to their near
leighbOrs, the brutal and vicious
'hlinkets on the south, and the equal
y degraded Eskimos ON the north
nd west.
A year among them has satisfied
ne that their dangerous qualities
ave been greatly exaggerated. Some
f them intend bad enough but as my
:iend Billy White would put it, they
scare at the cars" After they once
ct it into their heads that a man is
OF afraid of them, they are quite a
lvil lot. In the matter of disposition
ne various tribes and bands seem to
iffer greatly, those at Forty Mile are {
tame as cats, while the majority of
lose in this vicinity are well dispos-
l though there are a few hot heads :
nong them, like those with whom 1 !
ad a rumpus. II
Just at noon on January %. while
ated in the house, busy with my
lOughts and a caribou stew, L was
artled by great shouting and fir a
g of guns, accompanied by barking !
dogs and a general hubbub, and ii
shing forth to learn the cause of the y
sturbance, beheld low down OH the
utheJn horizon, the smiling face of q
d Sol, just returning after an alb
nee of seventy days. He looked a
ther sneaking and only remained
sight less than two minutes, but I
Oh day thereafter remained little
nger and rose few degrees higher, Ii
g nights growing gradually shorter z
d the days longer so that before the
'se of March they were of equal v
18th and by the first of May it had
ne to the other extreme and was ri
hit all night.
Continued 9