Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-01-10

New York Tribune.-The name
Eskimo is derived from the Indian
word "Askimeg," meaning those who
eat raw flesh the term with this
meaning being a correct description of
the domestic habits o. this far north
ern race. Animal flesh, whether fish
or reindeer. is seldom roasted or cook
ed by them in any way, the custom
being to eat it as it is cut from the
carcass. There is apparently no limit
10 the amount of flesh that an Eskimo
can eat, the feasts terminating only
with the disappearance of everything
that can be eaten. The outer layer or
fat which is found on most Arctic ami,
mails is separated from the skin and
is cut into long strips. So prepared,
it is swallowed by the Eskimo without
mastication of any kind. 1t is simply
lowered down the throat, as one would
lower rope down well. The case
is recorded of an Eskimo woman who
was present at a great feast when a
whale had been captured. In her am
bition she is said to have oyerestimat
ed her eating capacity and filled her.
self until she became torpid. The
Eskimos, supposing her to be dead,
carried her out and buried L. in the
snow. A day or so afterwa dis she
kicked off the snow which covered h Il
and reioined her astonished COM
panions.
Like many of the Indian tribes
farther south, the Eskimos have two
residences, one for the winter and one
for the summer moths, the winter resi-
dence being termed an igloo and the
summer house a topiek The topiek is
made of tanned seal or reindeer skins.
neatly sewed together supported by
poles, if poles are to be had, and, if
not by driftwood spliced together The
topek of the Eskimo is very similar
to the tepee of the North American
Indian, but as the Eskimo has no fire
the opening in the top is not re.
quired. In order to keep the topiek
waterproof the skins are dressed in
their natural oil, with the result that
the odor inside is almost intolerable to
one unaccustomed to it, The igloo is
built entirely of snow and ice. In the
spring it is abandoned, as with the
advent of mild weather it begins to
drip and becomes uninhabitable The
approach Of the igloo in which the ma,
tives spend the winter is through
series of domes built similarly of ice
and snow. 1t is circular in form, about
twelve feet in diameter and eight feet
high. The floor is of hardened snow,
with furs spread over it to prevent its
thawing. Light is admitted through
sheet of ice in the roof which gives
soft, luminous glow. Above the win
dow a small opening serves the pur.
pose of ventilation. This hole has a
tendency to enlargement, owing to the
passage of warm air, and has to be
constantly patched on this account.
Occasionally in the spring the snow
becomes soft and me igloo caves in
before the people nave moved out.
The natives show much skill in the
production of such utensils as are used
by them. and even the ingenuity of
the workmen of civilized lands cannot
produce, from the material at hand,
anything superior for the purpose
The heavy seal thong used in captur,
ing the walrus is declared to be en-
tirely unbreakable. In making this
thong the flipper of the seal only is
used. When a seal is captured for this
purpose the skin is drawn off entire
and is not severed from the flesh with
a knife, as is usually the case. The
hide is then placed in water, where it
is allowed to remain for several days,
and then taken out and the flesh and
hair removed. The white inner skin
of the seal is the cut into a long line,
a single skin often producing a line
four hundred feet long. This line
which is only three-eighths of an inch
in diameter. is equal in strength to a
manila rope three inches thick.
The thread used by the Eskimo is
made from the sinews of the reindeer.
The best is that obtained from the
spine, which is always used for this
purpose. as it is by the Indians of the
more civilized northwest The sinew
is first dried and then rubbed until it
becomes soft; it is then frayed into
fbres, in which condition it is used as
thread. An Eskimo woman can pro
duce from rs to 100 yards of thread
day. Large quantities of this thread
are required in making Eskimo canoes
or kayaks. These kayaks consist of a
framework of driftwood, neatly lasheo
dashed together with the fibre; the
seams, being made with double thick
ness, are perfectly watertight When
the skin of kayak dries it becomes
exceedingly hard and as tight as a
drum. The full size kayak is about
twenty feet long, two feet wide ana
eighteen inches deep. The top is
covered over except where the pad
der sits, so that even in the toughest
weather it can be used with perfect
safety by an expert cauoeist. In this