The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-01-03
ESKIMOS EAT MUCH FAT.
Their Appetites Exceed in Length
Both Their Long Words and
Their Whip Lashes.

The impression has gone abroad
that the Midway Eskimos indulge in
daily bill of fare consisting of tallow
candles, fish glue, pink soap, cod liver
Oil, suet, axle grease and icicles. 1t is
true that they esteem some of these
articles as delicacies; but that does
not preclude them from being con-
noisseurs on the subject of more civ
ilized foods, says the Buffalo Express.
The Eskimos at home in their ma
tive frozen wilds do. not believe in
cooking. Their meat, be it seal, fish,
venison, trout, salmon, whale blubber
or Goldfish, they devour in its natural
raw state and with the same gusto
with which the average small boy
tackles a watermelon. As for bread
and vegetables, they have none. They
set their seal-oil lamps going, suspend
soap stone dish filled with snow over
it, and with the water thus obtained
they mix an equal quantity of molasses
procured from the Hudson Bay COM
pany. That they drink and are happy.
That is the sum total of an arctic cui-
sine.
On the Midway it is different mat
ter, as witness the following list which
details the weekly amount of provi-
sions allowed by Mr.. Taber, the com
| cessionaire, to each one of his polar
charges: Flour, two pounds; maca-
roni, one pound; rice, one pound; peas,
one pound; fresh meat, seven pounds;
fresh fish, seven pounds; oatmeal, two
| nnnp1c. nnnnHS. hnt
one pound; crackers, two pounds;
pickles, one pint; condensed milk, one
tin; prunes, half a pound; dried cod,
| two pounds; eggs, one dozen; pota-
toes, two pounds; cabbage, two
| pounds; turnips, one pound; carrots,
one pound; tea, quarter of pound;
jam, half pound; jelly, half pound;
soap, two pounds; codliver oil, one
pint; cotton oil, one quart; suet
! dipped in the oil and eaten raw, two
pounds; candles, one pound; molasses,
one quart; ice, 10 pounds. The total
is over seven pounds of solid food
day; yet the Midway Eskimos are
longing for seal meat! Of the SO ar
ticles named, but nine are cooked by
the Eskimos; the other "a are eaten
in their natural or raw state.
The Eskimo language is as liberal
as are their appetites. Here is their
word for "nineteen:" "Tad-li-mow-
yok-tut sit a NOW t-tod-dle-lo-
at-tow-sid-dle-loak."
In all things the Eskimos are prod
igal; but in land where the day en-
dures six months perhaps one has
time to enjoy even longer words. Mr..
Taber, when questioned as to the Es-
Kimo's newspapers, said to be pub
lished in Western Greenland, replied:
ooh, yes; it is a daily, with both a
morning and evening edition-appears
twice a year!"
The Eskimos are a rapidly-disap-
pearing race, and it is most. probab BILE
| that those now on the Midway will be
the last pure-bloods that will ever be
exhibited. Numbers of attempts have
been made by the worlds greatest
showmen to procure such an exhibit,
out all have met with failure, owing
to the difficulty of persuading the Es-
kimos to leave their homes. To over
some that one must go and live with
the Eskimos, as have Mr.. Taber and
Lieut.. Peary, each of whom spent over
seven years in the arctics Lieut.. Peary
brought a family of six Eskimos to
New York in 1898. only one of whom
| survived the first winter. This is the
only instance on record, except the
present one, which Mr.. Taber has made
successful. Although the latter has
managed to maintain his interesting
charges in good health thus far, he
declares that he will never again I'M
dertake such a responsibility. Prob
ably Lieut.. Peary, in view of his ex-
perience, will not do so, and probably
no other living man has sufficient ex-
perience and influence with the Es-
kimos to succeed.