Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-10

caiue IFoIn ASA or Wnether 1t migrated
from Lower California. DR.. Gordon be-
heves the race has been gradually driy-
en- by Athabascan Indians and Eski-
mos to Its present quarters, which is
natural fortress. They represent per-
maps the most ancient jewellers 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 to have more than one wife, but
never do so. The men are tall and
strong physically and the women grace
ful 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-
MA 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
ana determined 70 hnd them. although
It necessitated hts penetrating an un-
known Alaskan wilderness.
DE-. Gordon lived for several months
with these strange people Of the Kos
kokwim to study their language. reli
gion ana nabiu He found them re-
markably free from crime and with
no set laws. being governed by priests
who are pariarchs. The, exploring
expedition was fitted out BY Mrs.
Charles G. 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. At
Fairbanks they built canoe and made
their way In It to the. mouth of the
Kantishua river, a hitherto nncharted
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 SO
tremendous scale, says DR.. Gordon,
that hitherto 1t has been ignored as
an Insignificant creek. Dr.. Gordon
resolved to go up 1t as far as possible
and trust fortune as to his finding q
portage from its head to the Koskok-
win.
He camped one night near the month
Of this stream In an Indian village
One Of the young men declared chat
he had crossed the divide between the
two streams and volunteered to make
a map of the portage for the doctors
guidance. Accordingly the youth drew
on birch bark a map Of a route up the
kantishua to it's source, the hitherto
unknown lake, Mintuana, within fifty
miles Of Mount Mckinley, the tallest
peak In North America, and across by
an easy portage of ten miles to the
koskokwfm, whose course he outlined
FOR considerable distance both ways.
The canoe was forced I'D the river.
which ran so swiftly that 1t was neces-
sary constantly to resort to the lump
iine-a line attached to the forehead of
one OF the travellers, who walks in the
stream and pulls the canoe while the
other steers. After $50 miles of this
heartbreaking work DR.. Gordon came Z
to Lake Mintuana, nesting at the foot
Of Mount Mckinley, and found the
easy" ten mile portage. It took him
six days to traverse the ten miles. Once
across. for two solid months the party
padded down the Koskokwim. making
and photographic re
searches as they went.
On his return journey from the.
mouth of the Koskokwim river to
' VI WEI AVV muSS.