Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-08-26


thence into Asia and down through
Europe But the success of the Allan
tic cable stopped all work on this line
and the last of the wire was placed at
the point which is now named Tele-
graph Creek. This town mas 500 inhab-
itants, mostly Indians. They are SINH
lar to Indians we have here in many
ways, but in some respects they differ.
| consider the Alaska Indians the most
honest race Of people ever dealt with
under the sun. You can leave valuables
hanging anywhere in a tree in open
sight and they are safe. These Indians
get their living chiefly by hunting and
trapping. They leave their furs, which
are their living, and blankets, which
are their money, in trees. For this rea-
son they show honor among themselves
and nothing is ever disturbed. An ex-
ample: Two of US got ahead of our
party one day and at night left our guns
and blankets exposed while we returned
to camp. The next morning we met a
drove of Indians who had come by our
outfit. Guns and blankets are big
part of an Indians income but they
didn't touch ours. They had not the
curiosity to examine them nor the
avarice to steal them. The Indians
there are divided into two classes,
Crows and Wolves. Their funerals and
methods of burial are peculiar. The
bodies are burned, ashes saved and
placed in trunks. At Telegraph Greek
many of these trunks can be seen.
Marriages are also strange. A Crow
cannot marry Crow, nor Wolf marry
Wolf. 1t must be Crow and Wolf
Wolf and Grow, or none at ali. A big
event among them is the Potlatch. At
a certain time of season Indians from
all parts are invited to congregate at the
camp of a rich one among them. The
wealthy buck has there all his blankets,
guns and property. He gives large
feast and then distributes his guns, ETC.,
among his people unit becomes poor
as the poorest. The language spoken
is known as the Chinook, a peculiar
jargoD, easily learned. 1t comes from
the old Hudson Bay traders, who orig
mated it so they could converse with
the Indians. By tribal title these
brown-hued people are known as Stick
Indians.
Gold mining in and around Telegraph
Creek is now of very little importance.
Just below there about 100000 was ex-
pended on Bucks Bar Then again
about 20 miles away, on small tribu-
tary known as Middle creek, hydraulic
company sunk about $4,000. Today
passing through that same region is
presented an emphatic case and seem
ing sad one. of the way rich folks and
scheming ones bleed and dupe the poor
people who put money in their stock
companies. Here was the first place
we saw gold that was in the gravel.
Along about June lst to 18th, 1896, we
heard that gold had been discovered at
Lake Teslin. Our party of five was
soon joined by eight more persons and
thirteen of us started on a hazardous
journey which white men had never
undertaken before. Our Indian guide
was the only one to give us assurance
that we would ever see civilization
again. The trail that we cut for our
horses was the single mark to lead us
back again and that was the thing that
encouraged us to 60 on. The region we
traversed was the most difficult | ever
passed over in my life. In some places
the mountain travel took us three or
four hours to make mile. After cross
ing Taltan creek found lava beds and
volcanic formations which increased the
difficulties. For the first fifty miles
had no mishaps, farther on sink-pools
kept us on the lookout. Passing up
Taltan to north fork of the Takou we
found the worst passage of all Then
came Koukitchle lake. It is impossible
for me to give you perfect idea of the
rocks and scenery here. 1t was a sea
of water three miles long surrounded
on three sides by eminences 5000 to
5000 feet high. Timber grew up the
mountain side to a certain distance,
called timber line, and the top of the
mountain was without vegetation, Just
the same as hair grows to certain
height on the side of the head and then
drops off leaving bald top These
were bald-head mountains. Forest and
lake abounded with fish and game.
One popularity is that the mountains
are covered with moss. The moss
seems to hold great amount of water
which obstructs travel considerably.
Mosquitoes, or Alaska humming birds
as we call them, were the most dis
agreeable pests we had to contend with
Crossing the Nahlin river we came
into what is known as the lake region
at the head of Yukon river. Going
downward every mile brings a lake, in
area from an acre to q square mile. We
followed along these little bodies for
90 miles until head waters of Lake
Teshn were reached. Before we came
to it we thought it was a large river.
Averages p miles wide, is 13O miles
long. 1t was the 10Th of July. Here
was the place we had struck for. Here
we expected to make our fortunes.
Found one Indiansthere and asked him
where the gold diggings were. He told
us to go to large river coming into lake