Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-09-06
SAVED BY A SQUAW.

| regret tndC tne nerOne OIL Iule
story did not have more romantic
or muslcal name than "GumbOOts
Jane" Had it been FaunfoOt Ol
StareyeS it would have been more
pleasing to romantic people, and
the Imagination might more e asllN
picture her as a "maiden of the
forest" worthy of cOmpaniOnshiT
with those fair creatures met with
in the writings of j. FeuimOre
Cooper and other regulation from
tier stories. But as | am simply
giving sketch from real liIe
must take the names and charac
terS as found them.
Truth also cOmpels me to state
that she was no great beauty, a
fact | the more deeply deplOre be
cause all other herOlnes met With
in Indian stories, from the lovely
daughter OF POwbatan up to the
present time, so far as | know,
were without exception perfect
psragOns OF native gIa;e aud love-
lineSs.
The heroine of this story appear
ed at French Bar, a mining camp
on the Stickeen river, one day in
the summer of 1881. She wore a
pair of Rubber boots much too
large for her, and as her skirts
we're rather short they were quite
conspicuous. Now, miners have a
way of readily coming Dlcknames
for those with whom they come in
contact, and as If by common con.
sent she was at once called "Gum-
boots Jane" The rest of her ap-
paerel consisted of a waist imprO
vlsed from a mans blue wOOlen
shirt. a skirt of some kind of brown
material, cheap shawl and q
rather dirty looking silk handker
chief tied over her head. The glr
was about I6 years old, and al
though no beauty, she was no
positively ugly. She had a pleas
ant face, we'll formed mouth anC
pretty white teeth, which she seem
ed to like to show when she smiled
But her eyes we're the most at
tractive of her features. They
we're large, dark and dreary, an(
>hOne with a soft light that made
them almost beautiful.
The Indians Of southeastern
Alaska and British Columbia ar
tar different from those of Othe
parts of North America 10 dlsposl
ton aud habits of life. They ar
intelligent, vivaciOus, industriOu
and very sociable. They have bu
little of the stOicism and vagran
WAYS of the tribes of the western
plains and readily adopt our habit
of lite and style of dress. By huu
ting animals and working in th'
mines aud fisheries they make
good deal of money. They ais
conduct q ute a profitable trade
curiOs with tourists who visit thl
Gland of the midnight sum l
summer. When out hunting or g
work, of course they wear rOug
clothing, but when visiting wit
each other at neigbbOring village
participating in the festivities
their frequent dances aud spot
Iaches,' or attending church
> Sundays, they dress about as We
as the white people.
French Bar is situated 10 Britis
territory at the intersection of tn
Stlckeen river and Beaver cree
not far from Telegraph cree
which is the head of steambOS
navigation for miners aud suppl,
going into the celebrated Oassi'
mining district. The "pay dir
there was neither extensive d,
rich, and at the time of which | o
writing the camp contained onl
l6 men. AS it .ralned frequent
during that season and was aIwa.
c)ol of nights they lived IN snI
little log cabins, making a Villa
Just at the mouth of Beaver cre'
cany on. Two miners occupied
cabin together and Owued al
worked their claim as equal pal
I ners, afiectionateIy calling eat
d other "pards." They subsist
from O common simply of prov