The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-11-10

- II TO InlS 0pDeuduOn. WHICH was
i first given her by the miners of
her native country
She is a little, broad-faced, dark
Skinned. straight-haired woman, whose
pieasant smile is made more un-American
by three or four dark blue vertical lines
Isrtooed below her mouth This good
angel, the wife Of one of the most promi
nent American miners in the Golofnin dis
-rict. is d full-blooded Eskimo.
When her husband first met her she was
a lttle bundle Of furs. speaking the Ian
gllage of her native north. Now she
dresses as an American and is regarded
49, e queen among her own people, the
Aiaualuue Eskimo, with whom she has
great influence. Years ago. long before
tae great white world OF Alaska was her
aided 10 an adventurous public as rich
lid for mining bonanzas. John E. Dex-
Ter was Drawing many hardships as one OF
The earliest pioneers in that frozen region
Rb.re but few white men had before
u-eSSed foot
After some years Of work and wander
ngs this white sdventurer made his way
10 the Eskimo village where the little
Eskimo Mollie lived. happy in her furs
nd diet OF raw fish and berries, and
with not the slightest idea Of how much
happier she was going 10 be made. John
Dexter worked in a mine near there
and MOIlie worked there for him. II was
hard 10 deal with the Eskimo and make
hem understand and still harder to get
them 10 stay BY the work in the mines for
any length Of time. So perhaps in curl
ozity Nolhe begas 20 help the man from
g lar and strange customp1 country by
5ctIng a. interpreter for him and infiuenc-
ing her people and At the same time
p Ught him love a. il Is spelt in Eskimo.
There was gossip and Large doings
and much slaughter Of fish when they
later became husband and wife. Perhaps
good share OF the comment was caused by
the fact that the ceremony was performed
by q missionary. which was not regarded
a. entirely necessary in orthodox Eskimo
unions.
From that date began a new and
strange but happy era in Molie Dexters
" life
John Dexter left the work in the mines
and established a fur-trading station a.
Chignik. in the Golofnin Bay district, or
the route from Dawson to Nome Here
they began their married life in a. little
place built Of drlftwood, the rough places
filled by sea moss.
Later they built a hotel for Dexter had
made millions once or twice since his
marriage, and only a few years ago was
known as the gold king" by the Yukon
miners.
bUL II was N the little mouse OF 0TlII-
wood that the big heart of MOllie Dexter
first earned for her the title Of good an
gel" Here they were living. trading
beads Cor furs, when the first news of the
strike at Nome beach reached Dawson
and the stampede of the miners for the
new oiggings commenced. Old and young
expert and inexperienced, Joined IN the
chase for the hidden wealth, with terrible
physical results TO a large proportion o.
the ventUresOme ones.
The Dexter camp was the forced stop
ping place for hundreds who were suffer-
ing the untold privations and terrible
nsrdships entaileo by the winter journey
over the ice and snow from the Klondikc
20 Nome. More than once did this WARM
hearted little Alaska woman omen hsr
door only 10 find a half-frozen miner w.
ing on the threshcld. In no kinder spot
could the cruel elements have thrust him.
and nowhere could he have been more
tenderly nurseJ and cared for than at the
hands OF this little dark-skinned woman
and her husband. Every miner through
out Alaska knows something of John
Dexter, and most OF them have reason to
speak in thankful praise of his womanly
wife.
II was no uncommon thing for the little
house Of driftvood TO have as many as
seventy-five half-frozen, belated miners
place that could possibly be found for
them. Once, when John Dexter was away
Mollie herself rescued two men from tho
grasp of the snow and the unconacfous
sleep that is the forerunner Of holm
frozen to death. Out with her dog team
and sledge, she found them. and one at a
time. wrapped in part of her own furs
she dragged them on the sledge and drove
them to the warmth and good cheer az
the home that never refused shelter and
care TO any one.
Many a miner who stopped at the Dex-
ter camp after a long struggle made
while in no way properly equipped for
the trip. as 30 many of these gold seek
ers failed to be, will remember the home
Of Mollie Dexter as the place where he
was warmed and fed and cared for pa
tIently. and sent on his way with a fresh
stock Of provisions. Lindblum, the man
who ran away from whaling ship and
made HIS way TO Nome TO find one of
the biggest paying claims of the strike,
was a visitor al the home of the Dex-
tiers when fortune had not found him.
IL miner was sick as the result of
his exposures and hardships or too utter
ly exhausted TO continue the journey at
Once. he was tenderly nursed and taken
care OF by this little Eskimo woman, un-
III he was thoroughly recuperated, and
able TO go on his way, And there were
cften quite a number of these unfortu-
mates who left the Dexter home with
and blessings on fits occu-
pants in their hearts.
No wonder that Molly. Dexter should be
regarded by so many Alaskan miners