The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-28
netrolt 30 Press)

.~aaerVrd FOR us, ike Dldch DettiNH as
smber" In a setting OF brilliant ana
Grille literature. the multitude OF pow
s,fll and picturesque expressions
ybIch originated in the early mining
amps and cattle ranges OF California
ana the western frontier.
The pioneers Of Alaska and the klon-
dixie have likewise vocabulary pecu-
Y8r,v their own. strongly descriptive
nj Inc various phases, both humorous
and dramatic. OF life In the far north.
saws a correspondent OF the Boston
Transcript.
But. While the words and phrases OF
tts western frontier are so well known
that many Of them are even now be-
ginning their existence as respectable
English the Mark Twains ana Bret
H4rtes OF the Klondike yet remain
mite and VICTORIOUS. the writers being
faw who have awaited themselves OF
tbs wide field offered by that region
FOR stories rich in humOr. in romance
in pathos. and even tragedy and the
strange forms Of speech Of the north
sr1 camp stiu remain "A mystery.
The word outside" itself is the eX-
rr-ssiop used 10 denote all that part
cf the world which is not Alaska or
The Kl0ndlke. and is strongly susges-
tive Of the feeling Of Imprisonment eX-
r4rleneed by every one. even the phles-
marir and least impressionable ones
during the long arctic winter, wheh
there Is an oppressive sense OF being
shut on from all the rest of the world
by "a barrier OF ice and snow. which Is
only surmOunted and left behind after
MANY days travel with sled and dog
team. and though this difficulty is rap
idIv being overcome by progress in
railroad building, the expression VIII
doubtless remain.
To use the word outside" as an ad-
iert.ve. descriptive Of anything from
the civilized world, was, OF course, but
step. and It's application sometimes
had a humorous effect Outside
dogs" we're dogs which had been
brought into the country as distin-
eu.shed from the native dogs-"hus-
E.es" or "maamOots." Outside
clothes" are clothes such as are worn
I'm civilization.
Probably the most common OF all the
peculiar KlOndike lOcalisms Is the ex-
pression "muah" or "mush On"-the
word Of command used by the dog
drivers when starting their teams. IL
is undoubtedly a corruption OF the
"marchons" 81 the French Canadians.
In print 10 has not very impressive
appearance, but when applied to the
dogs. and garuished with more or less
artistic profanity. according 10 the al
most universal custom OF the country.
il gains To force. and the malamoot,
who Is a wise beast, soon learns to
disregard the simple command TO
"mush." and waits for the repetition
OF the word with all the adornments,
before settling into the traces and
starting on with his heavy load.
The word "mush" was soon extended
20 mean the act OF taking trip over
The trail with "A dog team, and then 10
apply 20 a journey on foot. Here a
good "musher" Is one who Is a good
walker, or can make a good days
march running behind a dog team
the customary way when one Is trav-
cling with a loaded sled. Hence
hard mush" or a long mush" is a
long or a hard journey.
"Cheechako" pronounced cheechaw-
probably an Indian words, like
the word 'tenderfoot' on the western
frontier the term applied 10 the I'M
sophisticated newcomer. and carries
with IL an equal amount OF scOrn. One
is a cheechawker until he has spent
winter In the country. From being ap-
piled TO new arrival, the word natur-
ally came 70 refer 90 anything recently
brought in from the outside" The
great rush of cheechakOs takes place
in the spring Just after the ice goes
out OF the Yukon, and down the river
with them come RATS ann scows laden
with fresh vegetables and food of va
rious kinds. Therefore cheechako eggs,
cheechako potatoes. cheechako onions,
are expressions applied to the first arti-
Cles 20 distinguish them from the des-
located stun which tOrments the miner
ln the winter with faint reminders Of
The food he used 10 have ION the out
side Cheechako clothes, like out
side clothes, are the apparel Of civili-
cation. as distince from the mackinaws,
moccaslons and mucklucks worn by the
klondikers.
As the cheechako is to be looked upon
with contempt the "sour dough" Is,
on the other hand, an individual 10 be
admired, for has he not spent a winter
In the country? He is an old-timer
now, and viii sit around and lie to
you about how cold Il was last winter
me writer distinctly remembers
having been told by a sour dough ac-
Gualnitner how he had dragged a sled,
WIN e 3oO-pound load. twenty-five
mites on The Stewart river one day,
win The thermometer so degrees be-
low zero, and The narrator Of this lit
Ute ieat mad been secretary OF the Ep-
worth league In large California city
before going to the kiOudike.
exceedingly appropriate is the term
S'-drNH, applied 10 a small bObsled
tSrl by the miners In dragging wood
"'Nh lhr mountain sides As the slopes
near mo beds became cleared of their
coverings of timber. the miners worked
their way higher and higher IN the
mountain sides in search OF wood for
L"r" lhry made trails over the snow
Town ylr deep slopes. and down these |
INC siu WIN their loads OF wood This
WORN OF Wood-getting is very laborious.
"' miners chop down the trees, stand /
4"N walls, deep In the snow. drag or
- mem To- The train and load them
.' 'Hr Eo-devil' the butts resting on
'"' Niru ana the tips dragging on the |
ground. About half a cord makes .
t''t load The goodwill" has a rome
.' ''es TO- and a gee pole" projecting
-.'Iu me mont 90 steer H. \ little null
s.-. u 'ne sled down the steep decline.
""t NHtn the miner graspS the gee
i' TOT urdr life. and slides. his moe
7'"'' Ir'| Offering little resistance 10 I
enc smooth, hard. beaten trail of snow.
away hr goes, flying around curves
''''S lhis way and that. struggling
' 'r'"lh control OF his goodwill. and
. o' accident happens he reaches the
,'"'F below with a rush. Should the
e'' pole break. however, on a steep
iH.l '' the TRAN he is a lucky man who
escapes with whole limbs.
Na9H OF the peculiar expressions in
~. N."ndike veruacular are borrowed
ION The language Of the Indians; for
Example, 'hooch." meaning liquor and
sA5'Num, meaning well. strong or
u'och, originally referred 10 a
N-.l-N heNhraea u.hich ,,.as -