The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-04
He Tells a Traveller
Something About the
Eskimo Language and
Dog Teams.

/, tention to this popularity and again to
that, his eyes light up and his counte-
nance becomes animated with an in
| tereSt that could not be hidden, no
matter how many years he might be
| detailed to stay on the frozen banks
| of the Yukon.
Father Barnum had been out but
| once since he went into the Yukon re-
gion, coming out the last time by the
| trail and enduring all the hardships
and excitements that fall to the lot Of
| the prospector crossing the pass on
| the snow-building boats, skimming
| over lakes and frozen rivers, again
| plunging through dark canyons, over
white-capped rapids, and all the time
with a physique that seemed better
| fitted to adorn drawing room in a
center of culture and refinement.
! Don't you ever sigh for the COM
| forts and pleasures of civilization?'
asked him.
mo, no." he said; at am simply a
soldier and this is my duty. I follow
it and find pleasure in it,
Father Barnum will talk Of every
thing but himself. He talks of the
country, and has found in it beauties
which the average miner overloOks.
The Eskimos, he says, are the happiest.
best-natured people on earth, being
full Of laughter, and the affection that
exists between the elders and the chill
dren might well be emulated in more
| civilized nations. His work with the
Indians, both on the Yukon and on the
coast, has made him an authority up
on them 1t is his theory that the In
dams originally came from the interior
Of America, being driven further and
further north by the more powerful
tribes, and he apparently takes no
stock in the generally accepted theory
THAT the Eskinos are traceable to the
Mongolians
Father Barnum's description Of the meth
o6s of transportation in the winter in his
part OF Alaska was amusing. l was shown
his winter suit and was told what he would
wear when ready for sleigh ride, which
meant travelling behind team of dogs, all
of variable temper and each Of them ready
at any moment to stop and fight with some
other team coming in sight. To undertake
to describe the numerous garments would be
to enumerate about three full, suits Of the
heaviest sort of clothing, and these wrapped
in fur. The fur parkee goes over all.
By the time a slight man has gotten on
his winter suit and is ready for travelling he
outrivals the stoutest Of aldermen In his
proportions. For instance, the question Of
gloves is very simple one. First the travel
er puts on a heavy pair Of wooden gloves,
then, over this pair OF fur gloves, and
finally over all heavier g!ove. To keep
the foot warm heavy hose, with fur-lined
boot is used, over this another fur boot with
the fur on the inside, and over all a fish
skin boot to keep out the moisture.
Wrapped in robes the traveller gets into
his sleigh. There are anywhere from one to
dozen false starts on the part Of the dogs
Each dog is bowling at the top of his voice
There is no stopping to bid goodbye. Every
body bids goodbye in the house, and then
it is jump to get into the sleigh and get
the dogs away. All that the average Eskimo
dog knows about pulling a sleigh Is to get
up and go. If they all get up and go to-
gether and you in the sleigh, everything
is all right but If does not happen to
60 they all stop to argue it out. and another
start has to be made. This time in their
haste to be off the sleigh may overturn, and
there is another start. Everything has to
run smoothly in starting a dog sleigh, or
there is no start or there may be varied
mishaps.
Finally you are off. Away they go and
you are entirely at their mercy. You can
They seem to take revenge on their human
masters by swinging down on the ice beside
a crevasse, running so close that it seems
miracle that deg, sleigh, and everybody do
not go into the crevasse, never stopping
until they reach the end of what they con-
slider the journey.
Perhaps on your Journey you are fortunate
enough to meet somebody coming the other
way and the chances are largely in favor
Of a fight. in which the dogs of both teams
participate to the le-t dog. At this time the
travellers are welding clubs with judicious
effect, get the teams Strengthened out and
away you go again. One thing is sure-you
must always be in the sleigh when the dogs
START because this is train that waits for
nobody.