The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-11-28
THEFT PROVED BY CAMERA.
PHoTOCRAPHER ADDS MS MITE
TO TOTEM POLE CONTROVERSY.
.. y. Douglas. Alleges vscsi1 Of
SAipwseek and Tive Years En-
foreeA Reai1snce Among CeDe
FOX Indians, TeIls Strange story.

Fox Indians, Tells Strange story.
The wonders Of science are great and
the ways OF Providence fnserutaois. IL
hss remained for Tacoma camera Gena
to solve the mystery Of the tclem pole and
70 concsussYeIy prove tie Post-irisils-
0eucer business mems excursion guilty OF
The rape OF that interesting monument CT
Aboriginal art, and new the worst "
known. The tetem pole belongs TO Chief
ehsIkss. OF the Caps Fox Indians, and
was carved and erected Ave years. age 10
commemorate the marriage CT tia, petsn-
tate to woman OF the Crow elAfs Of nis
tribe. II does no. belong 10 Chief ksnnt-
mock. or 10 Chief Ke-Sheeas. or 10 Chief
Chesh.aEud. ana /, never stood in al In
dian graveyard. but IL was stolen and the
case against the business men who pre-
eSnted the monument 10 the city Or seat
lie Ii complete
The last authentic story OF the totem
pole appears on the front gage 81 the
Evening Times Of yesterday. and Is based
upon narrative told by tils Tacoma Pho
tosraphsr himself. who has Just returned
20 civilization again after tive years ana
nix months spent In virtual captivity among
the Cape Fox Indians Nes since thai
fearless African hunter. Alien ssaases-
main, returned from The dark continent
and gave out In an interview win Hider
Haggard the true story or the fadiacoyery
OF King Saiomon's mines, has u more
thrilling true story OF adventure been pub
lished than that this totem Pole reporter
OF the Times has written az the result OK
his interview with j. I. Douglas, late Of
fetal photographer Of the Cape Fox indian
tribe shtuwrecks desert Isles, savage III
dian tribes and all the ingredients OF a
flryt.class yeliow-backed novel are TO De
found In Mr.. Dousias story; wniefl. despte
the fact that It's hero and his companions
IN the adventure have for several months
been restored 30 the bosous OF their re-
inactive families. appears for the first time
In print In the Times OF yesterday.
The shtpwreck.
In the first chapter IL told how, in ths
spring Of 1895. the Tacoma amateur pno-
tographer Mr.. Douglas. I'm company WITH
Jack Louth and three companions whoss
names are not mentioned. embarked on ths
good ship Rambler from tho Cry OF Des-
tiny for a summer cruise In Alaskan wa
tefn A month out from that city a storm
Sprans up and the falling barometer pre-
Gagged coming calamity. The five bold
seamen. seeing that the game was Up. pc
gan 10 seek friendly haven. But IN VAIN
Their ship was heachsd upon the :rhos-
p.table shores OF Cape Fox aud became
total wreck.
In tho nerfl of the moment the five ad-
venturers saved but few of their personal
the rsmorseiess waves. But with Douglas
the ruling passion Was strong IN death.
and no saved his camera. To this fact
alone n due the solution OF The totem pois
mystery.
On landing the FIVE castaways were met
by delegation az seven Cape Fox In
dams and escorted to the village OF Ton
gass. eight miles away; II Is 70 be noted
DRY for figures Ii far better than for names.
He does not remember who were Ills COM
baffons In the adventure, but be reuleEn-
bers the number OF the savaks delegation
that welcomed them on shore
At this Indian village. the veracious
chronicler OF the Times goes on TO say,
the Ave castaways were forced to remain
over two years before fortune favored them
with an opportunity TO get away, They
lived with the Indians hunted with them
ana learned 10 Epeak their language. T1ey
were initiated into the tribe and participat-
"a In various tribal ceremonies" says the
Times
During this time Mr.. Douglas and his
camera were not Idle. Pacing w and down
the sands Of the seashore within a rifle shot
Of the track OF steamers plying oaiween
Puget sound ports and Alaska. he Tor two
yeafa watched the busy carriers OF COM
merce pass and repass his desert Isle.
Tho kiondiks Was discovered, and hun
dreds of steamers were added 70 the fleet
Night ard day they were in sight CT Cape
Fox. but needed not the cassawsys. IL Is
not chrouieled whether the latter made
any SSttahk cEpFt 10 EiEIat fIt ssttP w IL
reach any of the passing vessels.
dstting "stIent Testimony"
But IL In OF record that Mr. Douglas. with
CONNIE ndable zeal. took snap shops at cr-
erything that offered itself within range OF
his camera. and thereby obtained, rs tie
Times says silent testimony in the
shape OF several pictures giving unita-
peachahlo record OF tho birth or nlarufac-
ture Of tho now notorious totem psis.
In proof OF this assertion the Times re-
~.Aff t.ff f.F.Sx
porting to be one OF the products of Mr..
Douglas fertile camera, showing tae ite.-
tiual village from which The Pos. -inlTtt-
senoer exearsionisss stole the tetera pole,
and showing that monument as H. stood be-
fore the vaDdai hand of the white man at
tackled IL.
Incidentally the Times quotes MIR Doug
las extensively regarding the totem poles
Of Cape tnx and their manufacture. IL
was the custom or the Indians, he il quot
ed as saying. 60 erect q totem i'o.a IN GENT
metnoration OF every netahle event IN mo
pistory of the tribe The village 3t Port
Tongass. Mr.. Douglas informs the Times
was built about thirty years ago. ami
therefor. no enc OF the totem poles, in
GLIDING thu one stolen oy the seattle bush
ness men. was Older than tnssf.
Chief Shelkes, according 20 Mr.. Douglas.
was something of a eenneisseur on $otam
poles and would 60 the limit t. obtain
novelties for che private gallery 81 them
that occupied his Door sari- Indeed Mr.
Douglas says, the cAief heggared himself
60 erect a splendid totem in honor 81 bis
dead father, Chief Shucklyar. spending all
hts substance la supporting the tribe Of
Hydah Indians frum BFitisa Casgahia who
esd the carving, and giving them A pct
latch" when shc weFk was done.
He cTea teak the shoea From tAe feet Of
bis wife and himself. AIR. Douglas Informs
Us. 10 obtain more money. Surely touch
Ing proof Of filial devoSiag. and also af gha
vatue OF indian n4accAStgs Mr. noustAs.
aceoraing 10 bis own story as printed ia
the Times. was At Cape Eek wAsn this
totem pole was erected. eHd participated in
the ecre mouies, which. OF course were duly
photographed,
Aftss ssaelnH thSt tails taseFya pese COST
suliy s.5N. Mr.. Douglas hastens 10 assure
the readers O. tRe Times that this - net
the same pes~ that uow adorna PtaneeT
place. That pVle. he s&ys. WAS carved
about Eve yeara aso ia aeaur - cater
Seeikes' maFriaKe, sg& T. What Is called a
Grew tetssn GA account II tl4ss sna!afs ~
that clan carved AZ tie se. This pe.e.
MIR. Douglas says was ere - The finest
I'm the village. asi be caa eae{.Y see way
the indians semsnf se1gsa damages on 49,
count of "a conversion ~ she Post ntsla-