Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-01-12
MONEY IN ALASKA.
The Natives Prefer silver to Gold
Some Queer Trading.

The Natives Prefer silver to Gold.
Some Queer Trading.
The Indians had plenty Of money, for
they had earlier in tho season sold meat
and dogs at exorbitant prices. In a gen
eral way, they knew its value, but they
priced silver "a good deal above the 16 to
ratio. When they wanted to drive good
bargain they always specified that the
price was to be paid in silver money,
and similarly they hated co part with their
plunkors. They seemed relieved when we
accepted their goldpieces at par, and when
they got silver money in change they tried
hard to conceal their satisfaction for fear
we would find out the mistake we were
making in parting with it.
There are very few pennies in circula-
ton on the Yukon, the bit being the unit
of value, and the Indians have not yet
learned how to place them.
One of tho Indians named Bailey tried
TO purchase a rifle with cents he had
in some way accumulated.
Tho Indians are suspicious in their bar
gains and afraid Of being cheated, and in
our desire to do the square thing by them
we suffered financially. Instead OF getting
many times tho value of the articles sold,
the price received for the better class Of
things, as a rule was below the real value
Tho Indians are honest in their way,
but not moral Early in our stay at Sell
kirk I traded new pair of trousers for q
caribou skin that we might sleep the more
comfortably at night. 1t took tho Indian
nearly two hours to complete the bargain
and he had thlmbed over tho trousers in
tho meanwhile till they looked as If they
had had u weeks wear, and discussed
something like 100 permutationsan and oom-
| binations with all the other articles of our
property he could SEQ or imagine. He got
nothing to boot that way, however.
The next day an entirely different In
dian came TO the cabin with the trousers
On his arm and very serious expression
on his face. He turned them over and over,
and finally pointed out some very minute
| flaws in the cloth and, solemnly shaking
his head, said, "No good ~
Then he laid down the trousers and
walked over to where the caribou skin
hung and made motion to pull 1t down.
Mac promptly interfered, and it looked as
| il there was going to be fight then and
there, for the Indian seemed bent on re-
rudiating tho exchange Thinking, how
ever he had carried his bluff far enough,
the Indian suggested that Macs hat suit
|
would give him that he would overlook
the defect in tho trousers. 1t was film
fam game, pure and simple, and we show.
ed the Indian the door In a way that sur
prised him.
The Indians have ono uniform business
rule in their dealings with white men.
They raise their prices when opportunity
offers, but they never come down. Snow
shoes at the Pelly are now $40 pair, be-
cause white man with more money than
brains tried TO buy from an Indian WON
an "a pair which did not belong to her.
He offered her $40 first, and when she
said "No sell UNI" raised the price by
fves to $40, and then the woman told the
other Indians that white men give $40 for
snowshoes, and the price has been that
ever since.
We had previously bought two pairs OF
snowshoes for S25, and the Indians came
around and tried to collect the difference
When we refused to pay and turned them
out, they seemed to think they had been
cheated Forest and Stream