The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-05-07
BY MEME.
The Eskimo Row

Inere were 800 ESkimOS in our
village in Greenland when Peary
first came there. We didn't know
that there were any other people
in the world beside us. We lived
in snow houses, and l have learn
ed In school that we lived the
farthest north of any human be-
ings. The Humboldt glacier was
near our village, and several ex-
plorers thought they were doing
well when they got even as far as
where We lived.
Peary's guns attracted us most.
My father used to have flint knives
with which he killed polar bears
and walruses. He took his life in
his hand whenever he went out to
get food. He was the chief of the
village, and his name was Kee-
shoe. Peary's men went out with
their guns and we saw them hide
behind snowdrifts and kill bears
without going near them. My IA
Their, who loved his tribe, saw
that guns would be fine thing for
us.
SO Peary promised my father to
give him guns If he would come to
America and bring four other Es-
kimos with him. My father agreed
and chose me and two Eskimo
girls and another man from the
Village. And so we took ship.
oh, II we had only known what
terrible things awaited us!
New York was wonderful to see.
But New York seemed to think we
were as wonderful. We were kept
down in the hold of his ship and
exhibited us for long time.
Thousands of folks came to see us.
We didn't get any money for it.
We didn't need money.
Pretty soon they moved US to
the National Museum of History
Lots of people came to sec us here.
My father used to worry because
we didn't see anything more of
Peary, the man we had known at
our home.
My father began to worry about
how to get back to his people.
Then one of the girls was taken
sick one morning. They took her
away. Then the other girl was
taken sick. They took her away,
too. Then the man was taken
sick. They took him away. Only
my father and l were left. He
kept thinking that Peary would
come to him and In our room at
night he used to talk only of that
and of getting back home with hisl
guns.
Then, all OF a sudden. my ia
ther began coughing. He grew
weaker and weaker. A doctor
came to look at him one day, and
the next day they came and took
him away to hospital, and heI
died.
Pretty soon / began to see that
the folk that came to the museum
were not interested in Eskimosl
any longer. Then the museum peo-I
pie got Mr.. VIM. Wallace, superin-
tendent of the museum, to adopt
me. He took me home.
1t took me many weeks to feel
hat / was myself again. TheyI
told me that my father had been
buried.
Then Mr.. Wallace got into
trouble about me. He thought
the museum people ought toll
send me back. Morris X. Jessup,l
who is now dead, president of the
didn't like Mr.. Wallace'sI
dea. Some feeling arose between
hem. The first thing knew Mr..
Wallace was let out of his place in |
the museum. But he was still asl
kind to me as II ] we're his own
son. He sent me to school and
bought me clothes. Mrs. Wallacel
told me all about the Bible and II
went to Sunday school.
One day heard good news.
Peary was going back to my home. |
danced up and down when III
heard 1t. Home, home, homesv II
almost shouted. over and over tol
myself. thought Of all the folk
back there that knew and howl
ID thfx s5 Meud rs e ns Sc ne
Il. oh. but / was fool. l didn't
know science and civilization then |
40 / do now. Mr.. Peary told me-
there was not room for me on hist
boat.
Then one day 1 went up to thel
museum to see DR.. Herman Bum
pus, the man who had taken My.
WaIlace's place. wanted toI
know about my fathers body. Att
the museum ] found out from al
man I knew that the body had