The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-04-29
CAPT. PRICE A LINGUIST.

|
| ileges that other privates did not enjoy.
| There were half a dozen tribes of In
dams in Alaska in those days. The best
! known tribe was the Aleuts. There was
| a stockade about the city of Sitka, and
the Indians In that vicinity lived in small
American took possession the boys did
everything in their power to be on friend
| ly terms with the Indians.
| 1.-The Hudson Bay company had printed
| for the use of its agents and employees a
! book of the Indian jargon. I got hold of
| a copy of the book and soon learned its
! contents. With what 1 picked up besides
I could make known my wants to the In
dams. This pleased them immensely, and
| anything they had that wanted I would
get. The boys didn't get much fresh meat
in those days from the States. Game was
| plentiful in Alaska, and I was corking
| good shot with a rifle. I would be DEL
egated to replete' the camps larder. I
| would get three or four Indians with
whom I was on friendly terms and I
would start away. might be gone three
| or four days at time. but I never failed
| after.
During. The time Iswas in Alaska only
| twice did the Indians cause trouble. The
| first time practical joker in our own
camp caused the rumpus. 1t was the
Fourth of July, 1868. 1 remember it we'll
| day. The general had his headquarters
/ in Baronoff castle, and in honor Of the
| day he had a little spread in his Office.
| There were several bottles Of whisky.
some fancy cakes and fruit that had been
sent to him by his friends at home. The
practical joker I have mentioned saw in
the generals spread a chance to have
some fun. Three Indian chiefs, one of
whom was called Hole-in- the-M Mouth and
another Sitka Jack (the third bucks name
I have forgotten), were informed by the
practical joker that there was heap
plenty rum up at the generals quarters.
The joker told the three Indians to pay
the general a visit and they would get all
the f1rewater they could drink. The three
chiefs sailed forth to make the call. I
announced them to Gen. Davis.
"'What do they want asked the gen.
eral.
Want to pay you visit in honor Of
the day. I answered.
"'Show them in.' said the general.
1.-THE three chiefs lined up in front of
the generals desk, and in their name I
wished the general many compliments of
the day. Davis ordered me to invite the
Indians to partake of some refreshment.
I pointed to the table on which the
whisky bottles stood. The bucks Jumped
forward and each grabbed a bottle and
placed it under his blanket. Gen. Davis
nearly hat a spasm when he saw his Wis
itors' idea of his hospitality. =
Tell them, orderly he yelled, that
they mustn't take all the whisky. I only
invited them to have a drink
II did as i was told. The Indians
grunted In disgust and reluctantly put
the bottles back on the table,. We didn't
have any whisky glasses in camp those
days. Ordinary tu1nblers were in the gen.
erals quarters to treat the visiting guests.
- gave each Indian a. tumbferIuf2 OF
whisky, and they gulped it. down in one
drink. gave them some fruit and got
rid Of them as soon as I could.
1T was the custom to drive the Indians
outside of the stockade every day when
it began to get dark. This day a corporal
named McClintock and a squad of men
had driven all the Indians outside the
stockade about the time the three chiefs
had taken their departure from Gen.
Davis quarters. The bucks had started
off arm in arm. The whisky they had
drank had begun to make itself felt
watched the three departing guests max
ing for the gate: They were within a
hundred yards of it when McClintOck and
his men spied them. McClintock's men
brusquely ordered the Indians to hurry
on. The Indians didn't move fast enough,
and the corporal's men unfortunately
prodded them with their bayonets. The
whisky made the Indians courageous. The
Indians turned on the corporars men and
vowed vengeance. They quckened their
steps and made for the gate. There a
sentry was on duty. One of the three
chiefs grabbed his musket, wrenched it
from his hand and felled him with the
butt of it. Then they made for their VIII
lage.
1.-The alarm was given instantly. All
the men we're called to quarters and
twenty volunteers were asked for to go
and bring in those three Indians dead or
alive. I was one of the volunteers 1t
was dark when we started out to find
them. We were out all night searching
morning there was a white rag fyicg
from the top of every Indian hut within
reach of Sitka. Most of the Indians had
taken to flight. We got our men the same
day, though, and they were imprisoned.
The sentry they had run afoul of died
the next morning from the hurt he re-
ceived. The scare we threw into the In
dams about Sitka had lasting effect.
The second time we had trouble with
the Indians I also took part in chasing
them. Word was received that party of
miners on their way north to what is
now tho Klondike had been waylaid and
murdered by Indians. Sixty of us startedI
out to avenge the American miners'
deaths. We carried six months pro-l
visions. We were gone four months and
travelled over a thousand miles. We had
SSVcldi Win the lnO1aQS ana
taught them 1t was bad thing to
monkey with Uncle Sans regulars Our
party visited seven Indian villages and we
put the torch to every one of Them. It
had salutary effect.
THE Fourth of July following the one
on which the three chiefs became unruly
was great day in Sitka. The boys had
notified the Indians Whereabouts that they
We're to be on hand at certain spot to
take part in the festivities. We organized
games for the Indians to take part in.
We got a big pole, made it smooth q nd
creased 1t. We planted it upright. and on
the top of it placed a plug of tobacco.
That was to be the prize for the Indian
who climbed the pole. Now. an Indian
will do almost anything for plug Of
tobacco or a drink Of whisky. 1t was the
first time they had ever tried to climb q
eral hours trying to get that plug Of
tobacco. We had sack races, and then
the grand event of the day took place.
bottle of whisky was anchored 100
yards out in what is known as Sitka bay.
Three war canoes full of Indians were to
compete for the prize. There is war
canoe Just like the ones used that day in
the Metropolitan Museum Of Natural His
tory. and if any of you have ever seen it
you know it will hold forty or fifty per-
sons. These three canoes certainly held
that many Indians apiece. &
I'VE lined them up together on the
beach, and at the word they got an even
start. They fairly flew through the
water, neck and neck, all aiming for he
same goal. The distance was short and
the bows of the three canoes came to-
gether with a crash. YOU talk about rail-
road wrecks. In ar. instant the air was
full of flying bodies. The canoes were
wrecked, and every Indian who was in
the race had to swim to shore. The only
happy Indian in the lot was the one who