The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1896-07-04
STRANGE ALASKA INDIANS
They Live In q Region That I0 Rtoh
I'm Precious Metals.
Thsar Builoes end Doaessae Utensils Aade
- Pure 0t1voe and Coppsf-A Tx1bo
That lGsintain System
AnAs.,... - 0sosOS1s II

river, in Alaska, about two hundred
miles from the sea coast, where white
man has never been allowed to visit,
dwells a strange and peculiarly mystic
rious race of Indians, says CORE
spondent of the st. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat. In recent years, through some
unknown means, they acquired posses
sion Of few gums, and now when they
come down to the trading posts on
Kneek river, at the head of Cooks inlet,
they often bring bullets nodded out of
silver and other metals. The Alaska
Commercial company's agent, three
years ago, obtained several Of these
bullets and sent them to San Francisco
to be assayed, and the returns indicated
that sixty-1ve per cent. was silver, the
remainder being copper and lead, with
q slight trace of gold. The Indians
have great many primitive weapons
and cooking utensils, all of which are
rudely, though skillfully, made out of
pure copper. They have frequently in
formed the white traders that silver
and copper abound in immense quanti-
ties at the base of q certain peak back
of Spirit mountain, which is now reck-
oned as the highest mountain in North
America by surveyors and engineers
who have viewed it from distance. It
Is known that these Indians have no
means or knowledge of reducing ore,
and it seems almost certain that they
must be telling true story about sill
yer and copper being found in almost
pure quantities in it's native state. The
winter is the only time the Indians
visit the coast for trading purposes.
In the summer the post on Kneek river
is abandoned on account of the rapa-
cious appetite Of the mosquitoes. it be-
ing impossible for human person to
survive their attacks. Several In
stances are known where they have
killed and devoured Indian dogs. The
natives, for that reason, give the coast
. wide berth in the summer.
They are shrewd and very active
traders, and will not tolerate lying or
deceit on the part of a trader. Over
trivial mistake in the weight Of q piece
of tobacco, intentional or otherwise,
they killed the trader some years ago,
and then fastened up the store and left
everything undisturbed, where it was
found the following sprihg. The gum
boat Pinta made an unsuccessful effort
to apprehend the murderers. Subse-
quently it was learned who the real In
dian murderer was, and the traders sue
cessor killed him. He, however, lost
no time in getting out of the country,
and barely saved his life. Along in the
early spring some two hundred or three
hundred Indians come down to the post
laden with huge bundles of rich arctic
furs, the most valuable and highly
priced OF which are the black foxes.
The trading begins by the Indians bar
tering of one skin at q time in ex-
change for money, and then the trad
ing goes the other way, the Indians
purchasing domestic goods. This sort
of thing usually lasts . month, and
then they pack up and return into the
mountains, which are impenetrable to
white man on account of the deep
snow and dense underground. The
women carry the packs and the males
act as escorts. The women are small
and puny, though very wiry and active,
while the bucks are very large, active.
and Of sinewy frames, very powerful
and expert wrestlers. - 49,.
They resolutely refused to allow
white miners to 60 into their country.
Three years ago party of ten, armed
and provisioned, started up the Copper
river to find the traditional mountain
Of silver, where the natives nodded
their bullets. They were met by
large party Of Indians who learned Of
their approach, and warned them II
they persisted upon continuing their
mission the whole party would be mas
sacred. The miners very sensibly re-
turned and abandoned the search.
Over In the interior, back of the ooun-
try inhabited by the Copper Indians,
lives another tribe, which are refused
permission to visit the coast for trading
purposes, and consequently are forced
to sell their furs to the Copper Indians. .
1t Is also faid that the Copper Indians
have system Of slavery and that they
have many tribes in absolute subiec-
tion. The Indians are exceptionally
intelligent and observing, but very re-
served toward the whites. When ques-
toned closely they freely admit that
their objection to close association
with white people Is on account Of their
debasing influence ON the coast tribes,
whom they aver were ruined by af8liat-
ing with civilization.
The general opinion prevails that
when the government forces these Indi-
ans to open this country up to explora-
t&asn ~S~A -sN