The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-15
Alaska Indian Financiers.
From Forest and Stream.

The Indians had plenty of money, for
they had earlier in the season sold meat
and dogs at exorbitant prices. In gen
eral way they knew its vaiiie but they
priced silver a good deal above the l6-to-1
ratio. When they wanted to drive a good
bargain they always specified that the
price was to be paid n SILVER money"
and similarly they hated 20 part Nith
their piunkers. They seemed relieved
Nnen We accepted their j,d pieces at
par, and when they gJt silver money in
change they tried hard 10 conceal their
satisfaction for fear we would lind Que
me mistake We were .maA.ng in parting
with il.
There are very few pennies in circulation
IN the Yu~~a, The bit being the unit Of
a-ue, and the indians nave not yet learn
q how 10 pace them.
one of the Indians uamed Bailey tried
20 purchase a rife with six cents he had
in some way accumu ated.
The Indians are suspicious in their bar
gains, aud al aid OF being cheated, and
III our desire 10 do the square hing by
them we suffered ngpcia ~. Inst ad Of
getting many times me value ofthe ar
tcles sod, the price received for the bet
ter class of thiugs as rule, was below
the real value. ..
The Indians are honest in their way, but
not mora. Early in our stay al Selkirk
l traded new pair Of trousers for a
caribou skin, THAI We m (. IL s oep.th more
comfortably at night. 1t took the Indian
nearly two hours to complete the bar
gain, ard he had thumbed over The trou-
sers in the mean while till th.y looked
as if they had had a ~ eks wear, ana dis
cussed something Ike a hundred perm A.
lions and comnml'ioes with all IN. otaer
articles Of oar prop rty he could gee or
imagine. lie go nothing 10 boot tha way
however.
IT, next day an entirely d fferent mo m
came 10 the cabin with the trousers on
his arm and q very serious expression
on his face lie turned them over aud
over, and finally poiuted out Some very
minute flaws Ia he 10th and 80 emmy
shaking his head sa d. No g1oi!
Then he laid doN the trousers and
walked over 10 whore the caribou skin
hung, and al. a motion 20 pull Il down.
Mac promptly n.orfsred, and IL ool<ed as
if there was 90 ne t, be a h2ht then and
there, FOR the InGian seemed bsnt on re-
pudating Ihe eXcha g. Thinking, how
ever he had car ioa ais blum far enough
the Indian suggcs Cd THAT Macs hat suit
ed him. very well and intir0ated IL we
would give him that he would overlook
fam game, pure and simple, and We show
ed that Indian The door In a way that
SURPRISED him.
The Indians have one uniform business
rule IN their dcalrgs with white men.
They raise their prices when opportunity
offers, but they me- er come down Snow
shoes at The Pelly are now $40 pair. be-
cause white, man with morz money than
brains tried 10 buy from an Indian woman
a pair which did NOT bHlong to her.
He offered her $40 first. and when she
said: mo, sell um," ras the price by
fives to $40. and then the woman tod the
other Indians that white men give so for
snowshoes aud the price has been that
ever since. sos
We had previously bought two pairs Of
snowshoes for $25 and the Indians came
around and tried to collect the difference.
When we rfused to pay and turned them
ont they seemed TO think they had been
cheated, nya