Baxter Springs news., 1910-02-03

large m0abuTe hb lhO AS
of the work Of q Kansas City
man and his wife, steps are soon
to be taken for the relief OF the
Labrador Eskimos, q race tnaI
for more than $50 years has been
kept in the direct levels, though phys-
ically and mentally equipped for ao'
vancement and prosperity.
Held back by exploitation, with It's
consequent poverty, disease ana aD-
sence Of hope, this people has come
to be little Congo OF the NORTH Win
mission for Leopold.
DR.. William A. Nixon, q Kansas City
physician, who has recently returned
from spending a year IN Labrador
among these Eskimos, brings the story
of this race, struggling almost Tor ex-
istence, in q land that Nature forgot
A year ago last June DR.. Nixon was
called from his place in the Kansas
City General hospital by the Moravian
mission and the Newfoundland gov
ernment to act as q medical mission
ary among the inhabitants OF Labra-
dor. The death rate among the Eskl'
mos had been appallingly large ana
DR.. Nixon was chosen by the govern
ment to investigate conditions be-
cause of his Kansas City hospital ex-
perience. The Moravian mission,
German organization that Is partly
commercial and partly religious, main
tains a hospital at Okak on the west
coast. The doctor and his wife, Mrs.
Catherine Nixon, left Kansas City and
assumed charge Of the institution
Mrs. Nixon acting as matron.
I'VE went up into a land OF Ice
and snow and found a people OF ex-
ceptional intelligence, living on fewer
necessities than believed could pos
sibly sustain life," DR.. Nixon told q
friend. MY wife and caught a
glimpse Of life which he had never
dreamed-no one ever took the trou-
ble to write the story Of the Eskimos
IN Labrador. For $50 years the ma
tives have been under the care OF the
Morayian mission. Along a coast
strip of 700 miles the mission main
i fains six trading posts and a hospital
NJ Okak. Twelve hundred Eskimos
are under their control.
sThe government allows the mis-
I sion company to import supplies free
loe duty and trade with the natives.
IN return. the inhabitants are taught
christianity. BY the established rules
an Eskimo is not allowed to trade
anywhere but at q regular trading
Gost. A bookkeeping system is main
tained whereby the natives are given
credit for the skins and fish they
bring IN. After $50 years Of rule by
the society the Eskimos are still liV'
ing-existing, should say-under the
worst possible conditions.
II have seen them-men, women
and children-hght with their dogs
for the scraps from the trading posts
The women carry wood for 20 cents
day and pay SO 4 barrel for flour that
Ia admitted free of duty. WheE spring
comes they usually have spent their
earnings for food during the nine
months of winter. and are on the
verge Of starvation. reported the
conditions to the government of New
foundland, and Frank Morrison, Judge
Of the circuit court. made q visit tc
OI,aly and told the mission authorities
tthat conditions must be improved i'm
medlately. The trading people agreed
70 make the required changes.
Labrador ls q land without vegeta
t,on. In the three summer months
the natives kill seal and nah. TheJ
turn their catches in at the ports and
are given credit. After q season ol
hard work they have earned enough
perhaps to carry them through the
winter. When spring comes they have
lived up their savings, and the cycle
h repeated year after year. They ar'
Improyident and usually they sunei
rom hunger an through the cold
dreary winter. Many Of their dog
starTe.
zone Of the men sold me bearakiI
for s12 cash, and when be presented
.be money for food at the port ne wa