The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1894-04-14
g sNUMBER SIXTEEN. .
u Romance OF Wild Life In the
Canadian Northwest.

SGe&4Gs<A4oA4 ANOA III ~ Gov
few evenings ago the writer IN
several friends were cozily nestle
around the fire. One of the compan
was medical man who had spen
twelve years or so in the Canadia
Northwest territories Outside the al
mosphere was chilly, and the indica
lions favored colder weather.
'Ifyou could be transported from ST
John to the prairies on such day a
we had to-day" remarked the doctor
''and were ignorant of the changes tina
few hours bring in that climate, tive
surprises would greet you. To-day yor
observe dotted in countless mum
bcrs over the vast stretches of prairie
sluices or small ponds, whose placid
waters would remi I'D you of so many
mirrors set in rustic frames
Tomorrow morning, as you again
looked over the prairies. the whole face
OF the country would seem to be
changed. Protruding from every sluice
you would see cones made of grass, etc
These are the winter houses of the
muskrat--reared, finished and occupied
In single night; as if these fragrant
little creatures possessed the power of
the Wizard Pancrates
THAT night the sluices would be
sure to freeze. and the muslsrats would
live IN peace until the spring. when the
Indians make their rounds, plunge the
spear down through the cones. and
thus capture numbers of the occupants.
The rats are in prime order in the
spring after their long rest The flesh
Is eaten and the skins are taken care OF
by the squaws
These skins, as we'll as all others,
are kind of legal tender. and it's n
common occurrence for the Indian to
visit store, make his purchase. take a
bundle OF ratsLins from under his
arm, and count them out as five-cent
pieces
The Indian department displays
much energy to suppress smallpox.
which often creates havoc among the
natives of the plains. Doctors are sent
out regularly to vaccinate the Indians.
The doctor makes his rounds with the
agent who pays the bounties- A large
tent is pitched, and the tribe is re-
quested to appear. The stipulation is
that all must be vaccinated before re-
ceiving the money.
THE Indians are distinguished by
numbers as well rs names, and, rs they
are paid so much per head. every mem
Der Of q family must be produced and.
pass through the agents tent Be
fore being paid those requiring itare
"One day." said the doctor, ~ was
tribe of Crees, when a
woman approached with a couple OF
children. She had q rich, melodious
voice, with a Scotch accent When she
spoke stopped for moment and told
ier to step into the next tent and |
would attend to her in few moments 1
saw she was not a squaw, and thought |
he was the wife of Hudson's Bay {
company empioye who wanted to get
'accinated at the expense of the gov /
rnment t
While was speaking the clerk t
houted out: No. ~, and the woman I
aid in low voice: 4 am No. liz. She s.
AIRED her arm, aud both she and the v
hildren were attended to. She passed
n. received her bounty, and then out h
mong the herd of Indians. S
THE face and voice OF that woman ri
aunted me the rest OF the day while ] "
ept scratching the arms of braves, W
luaws, and pappooses- a,
AT last the days work was over and
lstruments laid aside. After supper / q,
It about to satisfy my curiosity as to i.
lie history OF No. 16. A few inquiries n.
iabled me to locate the shack where br
lie put up, and thither bent my way nj
The shack, may say, is a small hut to
tilt of,clay or mud. A fire can be
ade Ia the shack. The place is SO hi
instructed that the squaw sfands the ,vl
icks of wood on their ends SO that 81
C fire is fed as il from q scli-ieeder. In
o. 10 related to rue how and why she Ic
cupicd the shack 1t was rather a sal
mantle story, but yet one full of sad mi
IS from beginning TO end. wi
. My father said No 10, in a voice r,,,
Il Of pathos, is Scotchnan, and is tna
ctor Of Fort Policy, belonging to the EN-
ldson's Bay company. BE ore the ito
rthwest territories were taken over !.
ruled the country for hundreds OF mo
les around. He was magistrate, as
}, and Of course administered the eve
". his
When No 1e reached q certain age tall
} was sent to Scotland in one of the u