News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-08-28
THIS IN AMERICA
Tribe of Indians who Kill Their Fathers
when Old and Feeble.

Tribe of Indians Who XIII 1heH '"'OA0
When Old and Feeble.
That there are in the United States
men who kill their own fathers is the
report brought back from Cape Nome
by Mrs. John H. McKeever from INC
frozen north.
Mrs. McKeever, an ethnologist OF
repute, is the wife of the contractor
who built the new army post, Fort Da-
Wis, in the Klondike.
Said Mrs. McKeever: There have
been many divisions made of the ma
tives of Alaska, but like to think OF
them as three races-Esquimau, Indian
and Laplander.
1.-THE Esquimaux are small people,
dark complexioned-the name Esqui-
maux means "fish-eaters" or flesh
eaters" Their food is principally fish.
When they cannot secure fresh t1sh
they subsist on dried ones and upon
seal and walrus. In summer they live
in huts and tents, but the winters
drive them into snow-houses and holes
dug in the ground.
"These natives are friendly with
strangers. They never learn to count
above five. Anything more than that
number is simply a great quantity.
They are very superstitious. They be-
lieve in witches and wizards, but the
practice of witchery is kept a secret,
as the Government officials forbid it.
THE Indian or Innuit are larger
than the EsquimauX, dress more like
our Indians, but conform to the eX-
IRENE cold climate. They like to have
their pictures taken. They all live an
indolent life and work only when nee
essity drives them. They will pick up
decayed fish and eat it in preference
to going out in boat for live ones.
Consumption is the prevailing dis
ease, perhaps caused by their unclean
manner of living, breathing foul air
for nine months of the year and eating
unclean food. Another cause of the ia
tai disease is perhaps that these people
nearly always keep their mouths open.
1.-THE Laplanders are more civilized
than either of the other two peoples.
They dress in gaudy manner and are
fond of bright cOlors, red and blue
being their favorites. They dress in
woven garments and use furs only in
winter. They also are very supersti-
tious and fear the camera more than
the rife The Laplander is an expert
with a rife.
"All the natives are fond Of whiskey
and tobacco and would give away their
last possession for small portion of
either.
"a peculiar custom practised by the
natives is that when person be-
comes old, crippled or diseased, his
nearest relative is designated to kill
him. This is done publicly and with
great ceremony. The condemned ls
either shot through the heart or a
thong is placed around the neck and
the executioner places a stick through
this and twists the stick until the per-
son is choked to death.
Every one seems to take great
pleasure in this hideous ceremony.
Even the person who is to die shows
no signs of fear or melancholy, but
stoically approaches the place Of his
execution. Then a great feast and Ju-
| bilee follow.
1.-THE natives will never want for
| fuel as the ground is covered with an
almost inexhaustible supply of wood.
From ten to twenty feet below the sur
face this deposit may be found and al
so skeletons of mastodons, showing
that the climate was once warmer.
Another peculiar custom is their
system of disposing Of the dead. They
build an open sepulchre of logs and
place the remains of their friends in
it, They wrap the corpses in a blan-
ket or fur robe and place all his be-
longings near him. There he is left
exposed to decay or to be devoured by
! wild animals. New York World.