Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-10-13

hSOpihS tnC dppOllitu1Cut, duQ
was compelled to spend some time
in this particular room. On the
wall were some fine, large paint.
two or three, in particular,
my attention. Finally, ]
sat down opposite one and studied
it so thoroughly l can see it before
me now. The scene, an immense
East Indian Jungle; tall trees,
vines, and tangled under
brush; in the center of the fore
ground a magnifcentlion, monarch
of all he surveyed. On the ground
in front of him, a recently captured
bit of prey was lying. He was not
paying attention to it, or, in fact,
to anything, seemingly satisfied
with his conditions and surround
Looking more closely,
could see, through the tangled I'M
derbrush, the greedy, longing,
anxious looks of a drove of hungry
jackals, hyenas, wolves, etc., those
of the forest which live on
prey stolen from or left to decay
it's rightful owner. Some were
sneaking forward as if to
steal upon the lion unaware and
and snatch the morsel at his feet
afraid to venture forth from
cover or secure retreat-and cast
ing at each other looks Of anger
and jealous hate; the lion supreme
ly unconscious of it all. While
reading the recent assaults upon
the editor of the REGISTER, this
picture was suddenly recalled to
memory. l could not but liken
you to the lion, proud, erect and
conscious Of your strength and i'm
munity from danger, and fearing
not nor caring for the whining,
hungry horde with the
desire but not the power to injure
you. Their feeble efforts are but
the howlings of envy, spite and
malice, and not worthy your no.
tice. Your friends--and they are
legion-will be with you to the
end, and such enemies you may
we'll feel proud to have. This is
from a friend, but not a Democrat,
as you well know my signature.
A READER
The following, from the pen of
Mrs. Rose Hughes Leech, is repro
duced from a late issue of the
Chicago Inter- Ocean: "While
much has been written of late years
concerning that grim old Alaska
who rears her hoary head ma
jestically against an opal arctic
sky, and whose rugged outlines
are only softened by the falling
from the bending dome above OF
the flmy white veil of the aurora
but little has been told OF
her native sons and daughters, the
these strange, unlettered
people whose store of learning con-
sists of the ability to manufacture
cunning snares to catch the ptar-
migan on the hills, the weaving OF
nets with which to gather in the
fish when the salmon run begins,
tho making of kayaks from willow
boughs and walrus skins, and the
Interpretation OF signs of earth and
sky which herald the approach OF
the storm. OF their habits, home
life, customs, and superstitions
little is known, and-save for the
eighteenth annual report of the
bureau of ethnology at Washing.
ton-little authentic information
about them has been giver
to the people of the States. The
consensus of opinion in Alaska
seems to be that the Eskimo
is a descendant of some Asiatie
race which crossed the Behring
straits ages ago. He certainly re-
the Japanese, not only in
his features, but also in his small
stature, his tiny hands and feet,
and quiet movements. The only
Eskimo is the intoxicated
one, but when he has absorbed q
quantity of the white mans whisky
he turns the great white silence
into, a pandemonium of shrill
and Eskimo calculations,
interspersed with many of the
white mans 'sswear Words
One still night in the winter ]
was awakened by what seemed tc
be q crowd of four or five Eskimos
in alteration, all talking at once
and swearing not a little. The
next morning l found that the dis
turbance had been caused by one
lone squaw who was exceedingly
intoxicated, and who was protest
ing shrilly against being taken te
jail in a wheelbarrow. Her con-
sort was a white man, and she
bore the name of Anna Day. Anna
in court next morning looked de-
cidedly the worse for wear; hel
eyes were red, and her parka, tori
midway of her back, dangled for.
lonly about her heels. She sat or
the floor Of the courtroom during
the trial, and her only'reply to the
charge preferred against her o
being drunk and disorderly wa.
"Me no savvy," and the judge
sent her to the Jail for ten days
When an Eskimo has once lair
in jail it is a difficult matter to keel
him out. AS Happy Jack, a Dio'
mede island native, expressed it tx
me, "Plenty good warm house
much kowkow (food), and no have
to work" The intoxication Of any
Eskimo, either man or woman, cal
generally be traced to the influenc'
of some white man who hope
through such proceeding to enricl
himself by a profitable trade il
furs or ivory. Sober, the Eskim'
is a shrewd trader, and few cal
beat down his price on any article
drunk, he is wholly an imbecilo