Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1911-11-15
SAVED AN INDIAN TRIBE.
White Mans Hygiene Introduced In
Arctic Circle-NOvel Experience OF
Princeton Football Player And
Baltimore cOtilIon Leader.


The following story from the New
York Tribune of November ~. in a
despatch from Seattle. is of local in
terest
The NJ. X. Pope spoken of is we'll
known here, and lived in Annapolis
for number of years with his mother.
He was familiarly known here as
Matt" Pope. His mother was A Sis
er of Mrs. Gearing. wife of Commo-
dore II. c. Gearing, u. S. N, retired,
resident of Annapolis. The story
follows:
The white mans hygiene. intro
duced among the Indians north of the
Arctic Circle by the Alaska boundary
survey party, saved tribe of small
pox stricken Indians at Rampant
House last summer and started them
back on the road to health. Thomas
Riggs, Jr., chief of the American
party, and his assistant, M. X. Pope,
of Baltimore, have just returned
from the northland. They are at the
Hotel Savoy.
The requirements of sanitary sci
ence, which included a bath in the
cool waters of the Porcupine River,
were not accepted with enthusiasm
by the hapless savages, but after
being coaxed with chocolate and tea,
or threatened with the white mans
law. they accepted treatment. Out
of seventy-one cases of smallpox at
Rampant House, there was only one
death.
THE Indians were placed in GUAR
antine on an island in the Porcupine
River, with DR.. Gilbert 7. Smith, one
mounted policeman and trained nurse
in charge. Incidentally every Indian
between the Arctic Circle and the Arc
tic Ocean encountered by the boundary
survey party has been vaccinated.
The Alaska boundary party was
usually large this year There were
fifty Americans and twenty Cana
dians. Their outfit included $50 horses
and 80 dogs to pack supplies and in
struments. The boundary line was run
from Porcupine River to a point seven
miles from the Arctic Ocean.
'The discovery of the stricken tribe
of Indians was made by Mr.. Riggs.
DR.. Smith and M. X. Pope when the
remainder of the party was in the
field. Of the one hundred Indians in
the village more than one half were
down with the scourge. Although the
village was on Canadian soil, the
Americans began their humanitarian
work without hesitation. DIR. Smith
vaccinated the entire population, while
Mr.. Riggs and Mr. Pope enforced the
rules of sanitation. There was gen.
eral cleaning up of the village.
Healthy Indians were put to work
scrubbing, and filthy outfits were burn.
ed.
I'M. K. Pore, Princeton football
player and cotillon leader, of Balti-
more, was installe as the master of
the bath at the riverside, and he went
about his duties with an enthusiasm
which the Indians could not resist.
Within short time the tribe was
cleaner than it had ever been, which
was not painful degree Of cleanli-
ness. However, the Indians were as
clean as. the river water, soap and
brush could get them under the criti-
cal eye of Mr.. Pope.
y. ~. craig, the engineer in charge
of the Canadian party, was notified at
once, and word was sent to Dawson
for vaccine and nurse. Within nine
days mounted trooper, wearing the
uniform of the Northwest police, came
into camp with trained nurse and
plenty of medical supplies.
"As soon as the patients got well
their clothing and outfits were burned
and they were removed to the quaran-
tine station on the island. Under the
vigorous treatment of the white men
the stricken Indians thrived wonder
fully, and out of total of seventy
one only one woman failed to recover.
When the boundary party finished
its seasons work the Canadian gov
ernment engaged DR.. Smith to re-
main with the Indians all winter, and
arranged to have supplies sent to him.
"One of Mr.. Pope's duties was to
provide the surveying party with fresh
meat. Caribou were numerous, and
the former Princeton tackles broad
shoulders were put to use in getting
his game into camp"