Alaska sentinel., 1909-01-21
RED HAIR TELLS TALE


 esting to old timers:
 From the time the frst white man set ] his foot in Alaska-the Great Land-the country has teemed with mysterious dissppearauces. The lone white trail, the swirling waters of its torrential 1 streams, the Indians scalping knife and | l the assassin's bullet have all claimed l their victims. The discovery of white skeleton on 6 mountain side, the finding ! of human bones in a canyon or in de- 1 serted cabin once in awhile, clears up | some old mystery. Many an aged mo- ! ther in the states mourns the loss of | son who is somewhere in Alasks, and l many sweethearts and wives are await l | ing the return of loved one who went 1 to the great northland to carve out | fortune by wrestling from Dame Nature \ the precious hoards that she has stored
 in this country. All classes and condi-
 tions of men look to Alaska as the mecca
 where fortune may be gained or lost
 one retrieved or come to this courtry to
 seek in her vast solitudes forgetfulness
 of some unfortunate affair that happen
 ed in earlier life. The Alaskan frontier draws all these to her bosom and 1t has
 been 50 since America was first settled
 by dissatisfied and progressive Europe
 ans One of the mysterious disappear
 ances that has cost relatives and lawyers
 in the east much labor, time and money apparently is now about cleared up in this country.
 Nearly forty years ago young man, born with all the riches of an old family, had disagreement with his relatives and struck out for the great west. From the day be left home no word was re ceived from him. In course of time he
 became the heir of large estate, and strenuous efforts were made to locate him or have absolute proof of his death. He was traced from the gold fields of California to Alder Gulch in Montana, from there to the Fraser river in British Colum bia, on through the Caribou and then to the Cassiar diggings. Always he was following the rush and stampede of prospectors who were then going fur ther north in quest of gold. After dili gent inquiry among old timers in the Cassiar, it was learned that thirty years ago he left that country with large party for Alaska, still being led on by the lure of gold,
 The young man. his name was Mac Donald; was described as powerfully
 built descendant of the Scotch race, one
 of his striking physical features being
 heavy shock of red hair. This party oi
 prosdectors was traced to Murder Cove in Southeastern Alaska, and, as is well , known, the Indians set upon them and ? murdered the entire party in order to f obtain possession of the outfits of the f white men. The case has been almost . forgotten. The other day resident of , this part of the country was at Hoonan, , and hearing that ths natives had tra-
 dition that one of the most valued relics
 of the tribe was red haired scalp, he
 quietly investigated the matter and
 tried to authenticate the report. After considerable trouble and creation of great deal of suspicion, which he had to overcome, he was taken to native house and was mortified when shown the
 scalp of i white man, sho in life, like old time prospectors, wore the hair long.
 The hair was red.
 The Alaskan, in speaking of the mat ter, says that the scalp was in perfect state of preservation. It had been re- moved from the head with the ears at- tached. For many years the natives
 have been in the habit of using the scalp for face mask in their secret tefemo- nial dances. Being familiar with the story of the search for Mcdonald, and doyetailing into it fscts told him by the
 ratives about how they became possess ed of it, the white man had no hesitancy in coming to the conclusion that the
 scalp war that of the long sought for Scotchman. He was the only redhead-
 ed man in the unfortungte party that
 left Cassiar for this part of Alaska thirty years ago.
 No inducement he could make the natives would cause them to part with the scalp, which is now looked upon az an heirloom. and it's possession by the family regarded as a token of good luck.
 Being connected with the government service the gentleman who discovered the scalp does not want his hame pub
 lished, as it would cause trouble be- tween himself and the Indians if they
 knew he had divulgsd the secret of the scalp of the red-hsaded ID an the Hoonah natives have had go many yesra.