The daily sentinel., 1907-05-03

SEATTLE. May Especial -
The story of the slave who saved
Athens, of the slave who saved the
cathedral of st. Michaels and the city
of Charleston, and all similar stories
that adorn the pages of history coin
eide, insomuch as in each case the
slave asks as an only reward, his
freedom And since slavery has pas
sed forever over the horizon of civ
ilization, it may be assumed that the
last of these stories also has been
acted. and no matter how humble
may the portion of the hero OF the
future. he at least will have his free
dom, and will thus be able to ask
grateful government for a more sub
stantlal recognition of heroism.
And yet. It viii surprise many to
hear that in the last half decade a
story exactly of the kind above men
toned, has been played on this con-
tinent with the conventional ending.
The hero is Skookum Jim, the
Indian who accompanied George Car
mack, the discoverer of the Klondike
gold fields on that fateful sixteenth
of August, when accident led him to
uncover the richest placer deposits
since the days that Solomon and Hi
ram. King of Tyre exhausted the
Africa. Some accounts indeed give
Skookum Jim the credit for the actu-
al discovery of the first handful OF
nuggets that revealed the rivers
richness to the little party of isloated
prospectors.
Geo. Carmack, the discoverer, of
the Klondike is now resident of the
city of Seattle. He is taking an ac-
tive interest in the Alska-Y Yukon ex-
position which will be held in Seat
tie in 1909. and August 10th Will be
set aside as Discovery day at the
great exposition, and there will be
a special effort to have present on
that day the old sour-doughs of the
vintage of go and 81. An interest
ing exhibit on that day will be the
first handful OF nuggets that Car
mack obtained from the original dis
coyery on Bonanza creek, that hand
full of gold that was the forerunner OF
two hundred millions. Claim No. l
below discovery was that of Skookum
Jim, and Claim No l above discovery
was that of Pisgah Charlie brother of
Jim.
Now, all of those who were instru-
mental in the disvovery of Klondilie
were remembered gratefully by the
government of the Dominion of Can
ada. Bob Henderson who was in the
neighborhood at the time of the dis
covery, who had, in fact told Car
mack that he thought there was gold
in the neigh borhood of the Klondike,
and for whom many claim the honor
of the discovery, was made an Of
/ iicial of the government Mt a sub
lstantial salary. Carmack obtained a
, big pot of money, and SO did not need
| any assistance. There remained but
Skookum Jim and Pisgah Charlie to
reward. Jim had not been fortunate
In retaining much of the gold from
his claim for reasons that viii be OBJ
yious later. The dominion govern
ment has strict laws concerning the
care of the Indian. An Indian cannot
obtain whiskey in Canada under any
pretense. 1t is true that the differ.
ent tribes each make a whiskey OF
their own out of molasses, flour and
kindred substances but even this vile
concoction is difficult to obtain. The
mounted police of the Yukon has kept
on harrying the poor redmen til
nearly all the stills in possession o.
the tribes are coniiscated.
The thirst of Skookum Jim was o
the right, royal, douhle-distilled branC
Every eXpedient that his fertile mint
could suggest was tested. and still
the whiskey could not be obtained
One whole winters wages was ex