Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-15
new TYPE OF men
Highly Endowed Tribe of Red
Men Discovered by Archeol-
ogist in Alaska.
CRIME is UNKNOWN TO THEM
Strange People who Dress In Feathers
Found by DR.. Gordon of Univer-
''s",t-.A
sity of Pennsylvania.

y new 1flDe OF aD0rlSlneS- ulllieflO
unknown TO science is reported by DIR.
George 3. Gordon. curator of the de-
partment of American archaeology of
the University of Pennsylvania, who
recently returned to Philadelphia after
a dive into the Alaskan wilderness.
says the New York Evening Sun.
The tribe was discovered 500 miles
from the mouth of the Kosllokwim riv
err and Or. Gordon has named them
"Kuskwagamutes' Instead of wear
ing frrs the people dress in the skins
of birds, making clothing. from the
breast feathers of looms The explorer
brought home collection of their
clothing and utensils.
When the collection arrives at Phil
adelphia he and other ethnologists will
try to determine whether the tribe
came from Asia or whether it migrated
from Lower California. Dr. Gordon be-
lieves the race has been gradually driv-
en- by Athabascan Indians and ESki-
mos to its present quarters, which is n
natural fortress. They represent per-
haps the most ancient dwellers of Alas
ka, who made their way there from
Asia. They are monogamists, and no
such thing as vice is known among
them. They are permitted by their
priests 10 have more than one wife, but
never do so. The men are tall and
strong physically and the women grace
full and good looking. DR.. Gordon
says there are only 400 of them left.
The members of the tribe show a
higher mentality and development than
any of the known inhabitants of the
far north. They alone of all the tribes
north of Mexico and southern Califor-
mia possess the art of pottery making
and are believed to be the last of the
undiscovered races on this continent to
be brought to light. DR.. Gordon heard
of them when he was in Alaska in 1905
and determined to find them, although
1t necessitated his penetrating an I'M
known Alaskan wilderness.
Dr. Gordon lived for several pIonths
with these strange people of the Kos
kokwim TO study their language, reli-
gion and habits. He found them re-
markably free from crime and with
no set laws, being governed by priests
who are patriarchs. The exploring
expedition was fitted out by Mrs
| Charles C. Harrison of Philadelphia
| and set out last spring
AS companion for the journey he
engaged guide. They took steamer
as far as Fairbanks, the largest mining
camp in the Alaskan interior. Al
| Fairbanks they built Il canoe and made
| their way in it to the mouth of the
| KantiShua river, hitherto uncharted
and unnamed river emptying into the
Tanana fifty miles below Fairbanks
Although this river is as large as
the Delaware at Philadelphia the
| geography of the northwest is on sc
tremendous scale, says DR.. Gordon
that hitherto 1t has been ignored rs
| an insignificant creek. DR.. Corridor
resolved to go up it as far as possible
| and trust fortune as to his finding ;
portage from it's head to the Koskok
| vim
Draws Il Map.
II He camped one night near the moutl
of this stream in an Indian village
One of the young men declared tina
he had crossed the divide between thu
two streams and volunteered to make
n map of the portage for the Doctor
guidance. Accordingly the youth drew