The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-04-10
TRIP WITH THE INDIANS
RECALLS A VISIT TO JUNEAU IN
THE EARLY DAYS.
The story Related by one of the
Members of the uI-Fated
Starr Whale Crew.

many years ago:
i remember well my first stay at the
old Franklin hotel" said Harry Stevens.
II had been one of the members Of the
| Inflated Frank Starr whaling crew, which
/ after months Of hardship on the beach,
/ waiting for the winter gales out of the
Takou inlet to subside that we might get
/ around Point Gardiner into Chatham
straits, at last made the passage and
reached Kilisnoo. We were all dead broke,
but Starr went to work repairing a wharf
for the Northwest Trading Company and
l turned over to him my share in the oil
we had cached on Admiralty island in re-
turn for an order on the company's store
at Juneau for 81, the amount of my canoe
passage from Kilisnoo TO that place.
This was exceedingly cheap fare, but
a Sitka siwash, whom l had known at
Treadwell's, was anxious to reach Juneau
and through his intercession and the add
ed consideration that l work a paddle
throughout the trip and supply flour for
the crew while en- route, the SitlSa's uncle
was prevailed upon to make the voyage
of some 70 miles.
1.-THE night before 1 was to leave Kills
moo Starr handed me a letter to Koehler,
The manager of the company's store at
Juneau, which 1 naturally supposed con-
tanned the order for the 81 1 was to pay
my siwashes.
1T was in the middle of winter, and
there was little daylight in that latitude
during those months. SO, what with max
ing camp as darkness fell and breaking
camp only by daylight our voyage con-
sumed five days, and, holy smoke! but
what hole those siwashes did make in
my sapolil (hour.)
At juneau.
I'VE landed on the beach at Juneau
about o'clock in the afternoon of jan
uary day. The darkness blacker than the
hinges of hell, and only relieved by the
CLINT of the lights, cleaning on the snow
cast from the Franklin house and Slim
Jim's saloon.
Never for a moment mistrusting the
validity of the order 1 carried within my
shirt, I told the siwashes to haul the
canoe up on the snow and we would go to
the company's store, where they would be
paid.
Never had sight been more welcome to
me than the glimmer of those lights Of
Juneau, and it was with a light heart L
led my little party to the Northwest Trad
ing Company's corner. Entering the
store the first person 1 met was Denny
La Porte-a Frenchman of education, ex-
lied fer some cause, whose cherry hear
tiness, courteous manners and known
pluck had given him the brevet name of
count To him 1 handed my letter, ask
| ing at the same time that he pay the
| siwash as quick as possible, as 1 wanted
my traps taken out of the canoe to the
Franklin hotel, it being a rule of the In
dams of the north that settlement be
made for transportation before the cargo
| be landed
Denny took the sealed letter, opened
and read it and then, with an odd look
of inquiry at me, passed back to the Office
and handed the letter to Ned James, the
booAKeeper, Koehler the manager, being
| absent. James read the letter and a ais
cussion followed between he and the
count moment later I was called into
the office.
Steve, what do you believe this letter
contains?' asked James.
why, it's an order from Kilisnoo for
you to pay 81 to those siwashes for bring
| ing me here and to give me credit for
some underclothes, overhalls and a pair
of gum boots answered.
Read it, said James, handing me over
| the letter.
ITO my dismay and anger, the order in
| stead of being what had expected, and
been told, was to the direct contrary, its
| substance being that under no considera-
ton were Frank STAIRS men to have any
| further credit.
what to do, 1 had no idea. There were
the siwashes waiting to be paid, and there
were my sole possessions, poor as they
| were, in the canoe. 1t was then that
Denny the count came to the rescue.
| "'Who's watching the cancer he asked.
| Two boys, sons of the old siwash,
answered.
That's good said Denny Now I'll
| tell you what to do. Ned and 1 will hold
| the old man and SItka Tom here in the
| store and you hurry down to the canoe
and have the young siwashes pack your
things up to the Franklin hotel, and tell
| Flanagan or George Wheelock (the two
proprietors) to look after the luggage
1T was no sooner said than done: and a
few moments later the hibitues of the
| Franklin hotel barroom were startled by
| seeing the door open and a procession
formed of one white man and two Indian
youths, the former ragged and unkempt tc
a degree, enter and deposit sundry parcels
| upon the floor. For their trouble 1 pre-.
scented one of the young siwashes with my
ak and the other with some fixed ammu
milton for a 45-callber rife ] had lost in &
capsize months before.
without a word to anyone in the room
| left the Franklin and returned to tht
store, hoping at least to borrow money
enough to set the drinks up for the house
when I returned, and thus hide my bust
ed state of finances from Flanagan, whit
was behind the bar Of the hotel when
with my serving men had entered.
Have you got everything out Of thu
cancer asked Denny on my again reach
ing the store, the siwashes are becoming
restive.'
" Everything safely landed in tn
Franklin I answered.
In Choice Chinook.
ScrIbbllng a few words on a card, h
handed the bit Of pasteboard to the oil
Indian and in few choice Chinook word
told the siwash 1 was not c.. %. d. pack
age, but was to be paid for on the retur
of the canoe to Kilisnoo with a receipt 70
my safe delivery and he was giving hiI