The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-01-01
WHERE NO ONE LIVES,
WEIRD TALE OF THE GREATEST
ESKIMO VILLAGE EVER BUILT

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news travels from one portion Of the
country TO another by what is called
the 'Kaiiir telegraph" more rapidly
thHn ii docs by regular white man
routes. Some such Il service must be
common to the Arctic Eskimo, for
many things seem to come to his
knowledge l.cm far distant sources.
Thus, in tn" fall Of 1871 thirty
three whallEG vessels were caught and
| abandoned III the ice near Wainwright
Inlet. on the Arctic coast of North
America, word seemed to flash along
tn" coast and Tar inland among the
Eskimo villages, and from igloo and
top"k the people hcaacd north and east
ami west to tlc Sn"rc where lay Che
greatest wi2dr;ll il all Eskimo history
ihc Whalemcu had escaped merely with
their lives, their bo&tS and Scant pro-
visions. All ClSo was left behind; and
the value OF the WhalcbOn2. stores and
vessels was not far from Il million and
hali iii American dollars.
10 IRIS place OF great riches travelled
All Tribes that had means of travel.
FROM the hlCnE coaS; far cast Of the
m"uih OF The Mackenzie river. from
TIC sandy peninsula OF Point Hope
from the villages Of the northern shore
OF NGtHCbuC Sound. amt from the far
interior along the NobUk. the Nuatak
&hU S"!aWik rivers the jrib'H saw The
oj"Il% rI, Il up and move. and hilcilcd
Uu ;h"ir dogs and followed, knowing
wei! thu' the prizes fGr such a jour
nry AT %HcI Il time OF year mus: be
great els" none would alirH.pt it, Gar
- III December. about the time that
u" sun C"H%CS to rise IN thp SGil;hlyard
on thai U'cak coast, hul merely lights
TN" southern sky with Il rosy glow at
wh;u should nc nUUn fully 5000 E%ki~
mos hlh aSScmllCd and began to build
the %,C&t"&i k.H!iinu Village vvcr knrwn
in In" history OF the race.
Til" skin topckS were Sc, up. Where
III" vino had blown the nov bare from
the lcd%"S. they fuarri,d rough stone
aEG bullt iHluu% Of these. chinkcd with
reindeer mos! and banked with snow
f0r warmth. iIul many Of them began
to di"rnaiilr the ships frozen all about
IN the "hnr" ice and build cabins from
their wood, FOR the Eskimo knows row
to build rough wooden house when
he has the material. II YOU viii visit
tn" DiOncd" islands. in the fierce cur
rents of Bcring Straits today YOU will
sec similar stone igIooS and other built
of drltwood and rough boards, picked
up heaven Knows whcr2. reinforced by
canvas bought from visiting whalcrs,
anu skins OF seal and walruS.
Such were the nondcscript abodcS of
the now village; and here they settled
down in the darkness and fierce cold OF
the Arctic midnight. content for near
1T hAnd were provisions and loot an
dreamed OF in any Eskimo dream be-
fore.
The looting went on continuously,
anG at first there WAS enough Tor ALL
The lgloUS became crowded with arms
and ammul;ition. implements. canvas.
lines and utensils. The ships stores
were nroNCn oEcn and murh taken. Int
far nor" wasted because the ig1 or
ant men OF the sea beach and tundra
did not "noM the value OF what they
HAT in hand. Ihc whalchonc. OF which
there was; E.urA. they took ashore, and
the hard bread WAS a special prize aud
fought Tor accordingly. but the flour,
or which there wrrA great quantities.
they had not then learned the value OF
and tho barrels and sacks Of that were
wanton Ignorance.
With plenty OF the priced hard talk.
with salt junk in barrels, With oil and
wood galore. it would seem that the
Eskimo millennium was near ut hand.
and that the tribes might live in peace
ana plenty together ior Il long time to
come. anl-wEO kn0wS?-Oul Of their
prosperity found Il permanent city and
higher Scl.cn f Eskimo civilization
than hey aad hitherto known. But
alas! the means Of their undoing had
come with the means of the upbuilding,
and their untutorcd wills might not re-
sist the serpent OF their below zero
Eden. There was liquor left behind on
the ships. Not very much, if divided pro
rata among three thousand people. but
enough to fight to get. and to fight still
harder because of when once gotten.
The fact is. Il very little liquor will
upset great many Eskimos: and no
man can describe the orgies that be.
gan in the new Eskimo city, once this
had begun to get in its work upon the
inhabitants. Tribal animosity. which
had been stillcd by plenty and COM
mon object. broke out afrcsh. and the
men Of one village fought those of
another until sometimes but Il spare re-
preventative Of each was left AS the
wild orgy Increased and the supply of
real liquor gave out, they broke INTO
the ships medicine chests. and tine
lures and solutions of deadly drugs
were uscd with fatal effect
The wild orgy lasted till the spring
sun was we'll above the southern hOri-
zon. and scarcely half the people of
the new city were left to see him rise.
These were half clad and cmaciatcd.
The dogs. unfed had run away and been
lost. or died in the night and tracklcss
snow. The remnant Of people were in
no condition to travel. yet travel they
would.
1t is probable that there were enough
stores LETT in and about the vessels to
have supported these we'll until they
had chance to rCcuperate and still
IKE village unique in size, and pros