Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-10-20
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
psf Wheeler's studies of the
Curious Tukudh Nation.


Ew NoRK, Oct. 10.-[ Special. l-One
the most curious pieces of literary
now in process of preparation in
city is being written by Post
eeler the young newspaper man who
rned from a prolonged stay in the
Invest territory few weeks ago.
form Mr.. Wheeler's book will be a
rl, but in effect the work will be
aimed and minute study of the Tu-
p nation, a strange people who dwell
| be region north of Dawson.
| lst Wheeler left New York for the
| Invest territory nearly two years ago,
| Inject in going there being TO search
| flew types and new conditions. He
thad no very definite idea as to how
Forth he should journey or along just
v lines his studies would lead him,
bring to form his ideas and lay out
Hlans in accordance with develop
M. First he went to Dawson as a
mr. of course. There he became in
teed in members of the Tukudh ma
uhnd, perceiving that they were a
I'M people in many senses, deter
~ only, their tribal life, their social
lnitious and their personal peculiari-
uertually unchanged by contact with
thelites, could be studied. This in
Vol n journey of nearly 200 miles
thIh the bleak, inhospitable reaches
of far north, a journey such as few
whpow Wheeler would suppose he
wofare to make.
liver, he undertook it, and alone,
maA his way to a locality, considera-
Oily tn of the arctic circle, which no
othe hite man has ever visited, and
noWat he is again safe and sound
witlthe pale of civilization he would
not PgO the experiences he obtained
for ahey cost him in money, hardship
and bsure.
The Tukudh Nation.
In Wheeler's opinion the origin of
the hdh nation was clearly Asiatic.
The {udh is not a red man in any of
his clcteristics. His complexion is
more that of the japanese than that
of theorth American, aud his charac-
ter hlmany traits that suggest the
Jap s.n person the Tukudh is larger
than tap or than almost any other
Asiatii eXcelling even the average
Amerii Indian in height and weight.
The Ildh women come to maturity
earierbn those of most North Ameri-
can ahginal tribes and retain their
comelin longer. The Tukudh speech
is entir( dissimilar in construction from
the spec of any other native American
tribe, hg exceedingly intricate, very
flexible d obviously of Asiatic origin,
though lembling the Hebrew rather
than thChinese or japanese. The
Tukudhslve no written language, but
make ust certain rude picture records
which mime slight measure appear to
approache hieroglyphic system of the
Egyptiani Mr.. Wheeler was not
able to mp very close study of them.
The Tullh habitation is a hut made
of curvedlot straight, poles, covered
with deersl, tanned with the hair on,
the skins ing fastened over the bent
poles withle hairy side in. The Tu-
kudh arns'ere originally the bow and
arrow, the ear or lance and the knife.
These are II used, but guns obtained
from the Ttes have been introduced
also. In tlr personal habits the Tu-
kudhs are + more clearly than most
savages of Il region on earth. In num-
bers the naq probably exceeds 10000.
They have mparatively large families
and are coIitutionally strong. They
cannot be sven of as healthy, though
Owing to thrigors of the climate they
are subject consumption in marked de
gree. This It y at variance with the
observations many travellers who have
visited regiol farther north than the
land of the Ttudhs, but Mr.. Wheeler is
positive that e lung trouble which fin
ishes so man Tukudhs is consumption
and nothing ,e. He says it seems &c
be superinduc' by the inhalation of the
fine ice crystt with which the air is
almost invaray filled there when the
temperature ifs lower than 30 degrees
below zero, Faenheit.
ReIigin and Morals.
In a sense Il Tukudhs are religious
and they hava code of morals. The
latter is muchbetter defined than the
former. Whilehey believe in beings o.
far higher attrltes and greater power
than those of hhan beings, they do no
appear to havelny clear idea of a su
preme good apiri or god. Their neares
conception OF a lvil, or evil spirit, is o
a class of beingwhose penchant seems
to be the kidnapig of children. Appar
emily these beihs are not immortal
since there is a edition among the Tu
kudhs that one ofhem was captured an'
killed at some tin in the past Whlle II
the very act of kipaping a child.
The Tukudh COO of morals would no
ba puritar fact ht1t III inrlnup
perfect honesty at truthfulness. Indi
viduals who lie ad steal are not III
known, but they ire exceedingly rare
The average Tukllh would starve al
most rather than ike food belonging I
another, and his Hord may be relic
upon implicitly as rule. Generosity t
other members of tie nation is a ruin
characteristic. No person is allowed I
go hungry when anyone has food. The
believe in a future lie, but their idea Q
its nature is hazy. hey have absolutel
no conception of hppy hunting groun
like that of most otter North America
aborigines. They alrays speak well G
the dead. If a deceased member of tn
nation is asked about,the inquiry will il
variably be answeredby the mention c
some good quality tina was his, such al
"He was good to his life," or, He wa
a big moose hunter,"f il nothing bette
can be said Of him.
Look Up to tn, Whites.
The Tukudh people consider the white
vastly superior to THEMSELVES and tres
them well. They acc9t the Christia
religion gladly, but they yield to their b
setting sin of gambling just the san
after Conversion" as before. They gan
Die with cards, and their iavorite game
a modification of seven up. They g
beastly drunk once or twice a year ON
drink made by themselves.
The chief character in Mr.. Wheeler
I'll ,,,;iI ba tho half bred son of a viii