Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-08-28
SAVED BY A SQUAW.

Iregret that the heroine of this story
did not have more romantic or music
al name than "Gumboots Jane" Had
it been Faunfoot or Stareyes it would
have been more pleasing to romantic
people, and the imagination might more
easily picture her as ''maiden of the
forest" worthy Of companionship with
those fair creatures met with in the
writings Of J. Fenimore Cooper and
other regulation frontier stories. But as
I am simply giving a sketch from real
life must take the names and charac-
ters as found them.
Truth also compels me to state that
she was no great beauty, fact I the
more deeply deplore because all other
heroines met with in Indian stories,
from the lovely daughter of Powhatan
up to the present time, SO far as know,
were without exception perfect paragons
of native grace and loveliness.
The heroine of this story appeared at
French Bar, mining camp on the
Stickeen river, one day in the summer
of 1881. She wore pair of rubber boots
much too large for her, and as her skirts
were rather short they were quite con-
spicuous. Now, miners have way of
readily coming nicknames for those with
whom they come in contact, and as if
by common consent she was at once
called "Gumboots Jane" The rest of
her apparel consisted of waist impro-
vised from q mans blue woolen shirt,
a skirt of some kind of brown material,
a cheap shawl and rather dirty look
ing silk handkerchief tied over her head.
although no beauty, she was not posi-
lively ugly. She had a pleasant face,
we'll formed mouth and pretty white
teeth, which she seemed to like to show
when she smiled. But her eyes were the
most attractive of her features. They
were large, dark and dreamy, and shone
with soft light that made them almost
beautiful
The Indians of southeastern Alaska
and British Columbia are far different
from those Of other parts Of North
America i'll disposition and habits Of
life. They are intelligent vivacious, in
dustrious and very sociable. They have
but little of the stoicism and vagrant
ways of the tribes of the western plains
and readily adopt our habits of life and
style Of dress. By hunting fur bearing
animals and working in the mines and
fisheries they make good deal Of
money. They also conduct quite prof
liable trade in curios with tourists who
visit this Gland of the midnight sun"
in summer. When out hunting or at
work, of course they wear rough cloth
ing, but when visiting with each other
at neighboring villages, participating
in the festivities of their frequent dances
and "potlaches," or attending church
on Sundays, they dress about as we'll as
the white people.
French Bar is situated in British ter
ritory at the intersection Of the Stickeen
river and Beaver creek, not far from
Telegraph creek. which is the head of
steamboat navigation for miners and
supplies going into the celebrated Cas-
star mining district. The "pay dirt"
there was neither extensive nor rich,
and at the time of which I am writing
the camp contained only 16 men. As it
rained frequently during that season
and was always cool Of nights they lived
in snug little log cabins, making vii
lage just at the mouth of Beaver creek
canyon. Two miners occupied cabin to-
gether and owned and worked their claim
as equal partners, affectionately calling
each other "pards." ," They subsisted
from common supply Of provisions,
took regular turns at cooking and doing
their chores and slept in the same bunk.
Dan Nolan was member of the camp
that summer. He was young and boyish
looking, but his manly demeanor, his
ready wit, industrious habits and ac-
commodating disposition made him a
great favorite with his companions.
He was brought up in Dublin and con-
sidered that city his home, as his moth
er and only sister, to whom he sent part
of each months earnings, still lived
there.
Of course he was not called Dan No
Ian, for miners find nicknames for their
favorites as we'll as for others, and
though not selected with any regard for
aesthetics or euphony they are generally
expressive and often very appropriate.
So Dan was known by the more alliter-
ative name of dublin DAM His pard
was called joaquin" Jones. When he
first came to the Bar, he said his name
was Jones, but as he had a copy of
"Sons Of the Sierras," which he read
and quoted from with great freedom and
frequency, he very soon got joaquin"
as front name 1t was rumored that
he had history in Arizona and was a
bad man when reused. No one inquired
concerning his real name, since in the
far west it is often taken as personal
insult to ask man what his name IN
''the States was.
The first time Jane came to French
Bar another squaw, a good deal older
and much less comely, who I afterward
learned was her mother, accompanied
her. If she had any other relatives, l
never heard of them. did in some way
hear that she had attended the McFar-
land school at Fort Wrangell, Alaska,
INIT never knew certainly whether tie
report was true or not. Still, as she
spoke English pretty we'll, it is very
probable she learned 1t there.
The Stickeen Indians, the tribe to
which Jane belonged, claim the whole
stickeen river region, extending bach
something like so miles into the interi'
or, as their country. But they DO not