Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-07

cultivated land. except a few hundred
| acres in the Skagway valley. near the
Flown Four stations-Boulder. Clifton, Gla-
| cfer and White Pass-are passed before the
| boundary is reached. Each of these is a
small settlement of few houses Leaving
| the new boundary at IL am. the train
reaches White Horse the northern termi-
| nus or the railway, at 4:30 pm. after
| passing fifteen stations in British territory.
From White Horse to Dawson in winter
| the trip is made in stages drawn by four
| horses, which leave twice week some-
| times oftener. travel permitting These
| stages are open boxes mounted on hob
| sled runners and about twelve feet in
| length. In the center are two seats back
10 pack. In the rear is another and in tho
| front stlll another. In front of all is the
! drivers seat. accommodating one passen-
ger The seating capacity of each vehicle
Is ten persons including the driver.
The Yukon Stages"
These sleds are upholstered in leather
ana corduroy. and are supplied with large
tur rugs and robes. In the rear of each IS
boot with a capacity of 1.oO0 pounds
Vi baggage and an equal weight Of mail
matter About seventy-fve miles per day
| are covered. three stops being made at
| ROAD houses for meals and a relay of fresh
horses being supplied every twentv-fiva
| miles. About seventeen RELAYS OF eivty
| elght horses are required for each tbroupI,
| trip BY travelling day and night tho io,1r
ney from White Horse to Dawson can be
maze IN three days and ten hours ,rbJcb
| enables letters from Philadelpbia ana Nm,
nofk TO reach Dawson in fifteen DAYS
Passengers who do not desire 10 travel M
| night are provided for a comfortable road
| houses along the way. The daily cost for
| meals and lodging at these inns &C. oha,,t
30 per passenger. In mdwnter the tber-
nometer along this route is in the 4os no
! low zero. but there is an absence of winds
or pllzZards during the greater mart of tho
son averages from 500 to $40 includir.r
twenty-five pounds of baggage In summer
me river boats will carry you the same dis
lance for about so. including board
On the railroad line the fretgbt ~. 4.
one-tenth of what it was in tho d. 81
travel over Chilkoot Pass N''S VI
nus bf1ef account will enable the reader
10 comprehend the Importance of this long
disputed strip of territory which stands 9s
, the Key to the new trade artery leading
, INTO Canada's Yukon territory Besides
! those mentioned above-Skagway Dyea ana
the railway stations-the only settlement
"lthn the belt claimed by Canada but
awarded 10 us are Haines' Mission Chill
h no ohlIkat' Pyramid harbor Kukwan
ana steward The largest of these-Chil-
koot-has a population of only $50 But no
description of southeastern Alaska can well
omit juneau, although that village lies lust
south or the boundary claimed by Canada
Like Skagway. it is a city of wharyes II
lies in the channel. just south of the LYNN
canal, and is stop for steamers from the
mountain
Just above water level, and has a popula-
ton of about 2,0OO.
Queer Natives Fall to Us.
OF the 10000 estimated ponulation Of Tho
disputed belt, nearly a half are probably
Thlingits. Uncle Sam did not begrudge
Canada these copper-skins
The Thlingit is drunkard as a rule and n
natural gambler. Yet he has redeeming
traits, such as willingness to work. handi-
ness withtools, shrewdness in bargains and
a quick observation. His strongest trait is
imitativeness, which will result in his ad-
Nancement wherever he Is thrown into
close contact with good white citizens He
is lighter than the Indian in complexion
averages about five feet five inches in stat
ure; has a broad, fiat face, a long deep
chested body, short, misshapen legs and
turns his toes in when he walks Men,
women and children of his tribe use to-
baccO.
The Thlingits belong to two classes the
Wolves and the Ravens" man must
not marry a woman of his own class The
children take their mothers names. These
people were Shareholders until thirty wears
ago. When one of their chiefs died one or
two of his serfs were killed that he might
have servants in the other world. When
the chief erected new hut one slave suf-
fered the same fate. and his body was
planted as a corner stone. In isolated ma
tive villages. such as those scattered
throughout the disputed boundary region
| the ancient customs of the Thlingits obtain.
especially among the aged. They still prac-
tice witch beating.' in which suspects are
pounded with devils clubs''-sIender.
tough stems, about six to eight feet long
covered with long. sharp spines Flagella-
ton with these is also self-inlicted as a
cure for rheumatism.
The Potlatch.
The "potlatch'' is the most conspicuous
Thlngit ceremony. 1t is a grand. free dis
tribut!on of goods accompanied by drinking
feasting and gambling 1t is held when a
chief or shaman marries. builds a hut or
dies. Since mans standing among these
people depends entirely upon his wealth
and personal influence. he must not stint
himself in his potlatches. During one of
these ceremonals recently held in this re-
giop n Thlingit hurried among his guests
with armful of stockings. handing them
indiscriminately and regardless of size to
men and women. each of whom received but
one. A dozen blankets. for which So had
been paid, were torn into narrow ribbons
and similarly distributed.
The male Thlingits battle in the sea sum-
mer and winter Any crime among these
people, even murder, may be righted by the
payment Of an indemnity. The primitive
people of the tribe burn their dead on fun
cral pyres except their shamans or
sorcerers, whose bodies are put in boxes
elevated upon posts. Funeral guests other
than relatives be invited only from the
clan to which the deceased did not belong
Kinsmen burn their hair in the funeral pyre
and smear their faces with the ashes of the
dead. JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS JR