Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-09

OF famine. OF sealskins, foxskins bear
skins. raw eiderdown, feathers, whalebone,
narwhal ivory and reindeer hides he has
enough to keep him in plenty for some
years.
But it is in wives that he Is considered
richest. In his home igloo up on the west
ern shore OF Baffn bay he has ten all par
ticularly strong Of jaw and able to keep
Kor- ko- ya's stock Of clothing ever soft and
pliable. The Importance of this will be
understood when the Eskimo custom of
chewing skins is understood.
His Ten Strong-Jawed wives.
Up in the polar circle, where a mans
blood freezes and parts OF him drop OIL at
the touch of the icy blast, 1t is difficult
matter to keep the untanned skins from
hardening and cracking. There is only one
process known to the Eskimo, that Of chew
ing. 1t is necessary to perform this operas
ton every two or three months and 1t Is
part of the wives duties 1t is for that
reason that an Eskimo selects his future
helpmates, not for beauty, comeliness OF
figure nor for gentleness of disposition, but
for the size of their teeth and the strength
OF their jaws.
Wives are bought sold and exchanged
among the Eskimo. The price fuctuates
like that Of wheat or corn or stocks on
Wall street. father with growing
daughter will be approached by neighbor
and offered one, two or three dogs for her,
according to her maxllary powers. Some
times q blue foxshin OF a dozen strips or
blubber may enter into the bargain, but the
dogs are generally the factor used
From this 1t can be seen that Kor-ko-ya's
plurality of wives is considered proof OF his
| wealth among his friends. There are other
| which will he 6ngcribnd later
| Kor-ko-ya was born in 1S4l, at small
native settlement a short distance north of
| what is now the Danish town OF Julanehaab
| in Greenland. He left his home at an early
age and crossed Baffn bay, making his igloo
| with another tribe famous as hunters of seal
| He was known to some of the early explor
ers. and acted as head guide and chief
| teamsman to them.
| He attracted notice even In his teens as
thrifty youth, and from that time became
prominent among the Eskimo. Saving is an
unknown art to the Indians of the Arctic
regions, and it is seldom they accumulate
enough to last them throughout the long
| winter. Certain rules of the tribes make it
| incumbent upon them to help their needy
| neighbors, and for that reason the individual
members neglect to lay by stores for the
morrow.
Kor-ko-ya became an exception, He was
| skillful hunter and a shrewd trader, and,
before he was 20, his main igloo became
the center of the village, In regard to fittings
and attractiveness. The tribe to which he
had attached himself was one of the largest
and most influential in that part of the
country, and by his 25th year Kor-ko-ya
was recognized as the head of 1t, 1t is said
that men came 200 miles to consult him in
affairs of the chase and trade.
His method of giving advice was char
acteristic OF him. He charged for his serv-
ices, and graded his schedule of fees very
like that of lawyer in a civilized com
munity. In that he was wise several hun
dred years beyond his generation; his neigh
bors and men of other tribes, worked for
nothing, and then stole as a recompense.
Kor- ko-ya asked two foxskins for fore
telling the weather during the long sleep
He demanded pay in advance, and If he
said the ice would break early and It did
not he would meet the question with the
simple truth:
"Kor- va told what was in his knowl-
edge but he could not tell the dOings OF
Kokoia. the great sea woman, who passeth
all understanding. She held the ice after
1t was ready to break"
II persistence was shown he would
silently offer to return the foxskins They
were never taken because TO incur the dis
pleasure OF ko-ya meant trouble and
trouble a-plenty in that region. Which
goes to show that he willy Eskimo waG
only following the practices OF men below
the ice belt. Whalers have been known tC
refer to Kor- ko-ya as that Eskimo boss.
Be that as it may, the fact remains tina
Kor-ko-ya waxed rich as the years passed