The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-12-11

of some of the Chinese dens in San
Francisco, SO many crowded into the
same space. lacked the heart to
talk business with Gardner, who, |
OWNED from some of his remarks,
had not accomplished, in the way OF
making ready of our dog brigade. all
had expected Of him. simply pitied
him for the unpleasant and malodo-
rous fnllness of his home. and pltled
his half breed wife and her daughters,
who were kept cooking for and feed
ing half starved Indians from early
morn nnti late into the night. Hem
ing took his pencil and scratch pad
and my camera. and we went out
to see the New Years day arrivals
and the dogs and the Indians
In front of the fort 3 stockade were
gossipiug groups that grew with
each fresh arrival, while scattered all
about the enclosure. just where their
drivers had left them, were the dog
trains of the Indians who had come
to fill Gardeners house and ent the
Hudson Bay Company's meat. There
was no stabliag nor feasting for these
dogs; in "a below zero atmosphere
they stretched out in the Snow and
waited. without covering. and many
cases without food The Indians
with their blankets. coats or capotes,
and the dogs and sledges and Jump
ers. !" made a picturesque whole
against the unbroken background Of
Snow. but. like all Indian pictures,
it's attractiveness faded away on the
close inspection that discovered the
dirt of the man. and the scraggy,
half.starved condition of the beast.
These people had never before seen
camera, and many OF my plates show
them scnrrylng away or turning their
backs 1t was only after the most
elaborate descriptions to Gairdner,
who instructed the interpreter, who
explained to the Indians. that we in-
duced one or two types 10 sit in
our presence while Heming sketched
them They thought we were max
ing medicine" against them, but
were won over by Heming drawing
the moose and carbon. while they
watced the animals they knew so
we'll develop under his pencil.
When we returned TO the house
the dance was still on; it was always
ION" during the first thirty ak hours
of our stay at LaBlche. Formerly
the Hudson Bay Company officers
merely received" on New Years
day /; but as the Indians have Gus
tom between sexes Of kissing on
meeting, and as it did not become an
impartial officer to distinguish in this
respect between old women and
young, unattractive and attractive.
the feast was substituted so now the
women are fed and danced instead of
being kissed.
l hope that New-YearS' night
will not be recorded against me.
Those Indians danced until four
o'clock in the morning. and they
danced to my utter decentralization
We sat around and watched the
gymnastics and pretended we en-
loyed them until about one O'clock
then we retired We all lh:ee si<.p;
Ia Gardeners office, a tiny apartment
cut from the main room by ih,n board
partition, Of which good quarter
section in the crntte was removed to
admit Of the two rooEs sharing !.
single stove There was a piece Of
loosened Sheet,iron tackled 10 the
partition to protect it from ihe heat,
aud my head was agains: that part
ton, and ous blankets on the same
tloos upon which those Indians
sprlntea and j:mped aud shuffled =
by Casper W. Whitney, IN HarQers
-Nagt.tne for December