The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-01-02
ESOUIMAU SLEDS OF ICE,
A Close Second TO the Traditional Yam
kee in Inventive Genius.
CAN'T FREEZE HIM OUT A LITTLE BIT
,,,,.,.,. ,ooI mr. " ood. I'm the Midst OF Ice
and snow, lie Finds warmth
and Light-Makes Many Use
ful Things.

T., apnearance the, snort plump
.aor,hy Esouimau and the long, ahh'
c,daverous Yankee are about as lar apAi'
no TWO human types could be- YET 'Hey
have traits in common. II there Is any
.n.i,,y sunerlatively characteristic OF me
Yankee it is surely his nieclSii'e,i -
unity. and the hat-faced, roly -Poiy =
'''i,,,,,, A. simply a marvel in the same
49, tIowph he doesn't look II.
In fact il is TO his cleverness thaI ne
o,,es his existence. No race not ieIIl9
~ ov,edients could possibly survive lot
st,oIs year in that land OF eternal WIN
,ar where nothing can be done IN the
mo manner as in other parts OF tue
,,.o-ld Really those regions OF lisht
INA vere never meant for man 20 u"eH
in and the hardy natives are aDie ~ -
.h,re only by defying nature aho ou'"'
ting her at every turn. s.o,.
In a country where the mercury u'OPs
down into the bulb and freezes nv
h,llst that YOU could shoot out oil Gun
- he long without shelter means dea'n
20. tho materials out OF when men puliu
houses are no where to be FOUND 90 the
-t,tet,, F,souimau builds hut or the very
snov that seemed likely 10 Destroy MN
and makes himself very comfortable IN H.
p,,t aoain in that terrible climate ne
bas neither wood nor coal nor anything
olsa that we are accustomed 70 use ior
81. f,daed n he were 10 build an ordl-
-, g. IN bis icv den he would quickly
hr,no bis own roof down upon his head
a., moss OF slush. SO. with little
lamn which is nothing more than a
eoucer full OF blubber. he gets warmth
and light. and heat for his cooking
risb and seal are his CHIEF means or
s,beis.ance. vet for his boat he has NOT
wen the birch-bark which serves the
,r-nose so well FOR his Indian neigh
t-ors a little farther south. Not IN the
leas, daunted. this Arctic Yankee makes
a craft OF skin. which IS scarcely more
than an inflated bag. but which NJ
-,arfn,,iates With such amazing clever
ness that he can outride The rous 'est
seas and actually turn somersaults on
Tho .unb1lng waves. They are not easny
baked these phegmatic, stolid-ioo@ius
savages. -,,,o,,
Most ingenious Of all are their sledges.
Everybody IS supposed 20 Know now IT.
-. otsorco ~ wood. they build them or
numherloss little pieces or none. 10y
G,tea nierced. and bound together with
hits n, sinew. But though everybody -
presumed 10 know how II Is done no.
body but IN EsGuimau can DO u. you
might more readily construct bicycle
n, scranton and stove-wire. II IS task
recurring infinite skill and patience; yet
when finished one ot these sledges last fol
many generations. an heirloom dandec
down from father 70 son, better Tor us
p,,,pose than ANYTHING we. with all our
science. could offer as n SUBSTITUTE AT
the same time strong ana flexible II en-
lures the toughest usage as il Is drag
red by the wild. feet dog-paeks over the
frozen wastes that glrcle the pole.
Not always. however, has the Esqui-
mau a sledge OF this description READY
20 his hand: and something he must
have. But you can't freeze ou' an rs
nuimau. Calling to his aid the very frosts
that threaten his life. ne makes two
long tubes OF seal-skin. fills them Win
moss and earth. or even with SNOW
and vets them down. bending them up
n LILLE AZ che ends. IN few minutes
thew are frozen as rigid az 'ron-and
there are his runners. Meanwhile he mas
cut out q large oolong from thick wal
rus hide, which he also moistens. When
that. too. Is frozen. II becomes as sim as
a deal piank-and there IL the top board
| A few stout thongs do the rest. ana q