The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-10-06
TRADING WITH EsKIMos.
Huskies Now Demand Good Prices for
Their Curios.

AT Fort Mcpherson, the most notheIly
fur trading post in Canada, this amusing
incident occurred last summer 4 LADY
tourist, who was making a collection OF
native curios, had provided herself before
leaving civilization with a small outfit OF
beads, needles, etc. in the hone Of barter.
ing them 10 good advantage with the
| aboriginals. Seeing some ivory carvings
| in husky tent that lady intimated that
she wished to acquire them, and offered
| in exchange first a few, packages Of needles,
and then some beads. both Of which were
inspected and decorously handed back to
her with a shake of the head.
After some talking the Eskimo said he
would only sell for a pipe and some tobac-
co This looked easy. as the eur7os were
cheap at Sc to 81, and the lady went to the
| Hudson Bay company's store and bought
Isl worth OF tobacco and a 30 cent pipe.
These were handed TO the husky who
courteously looked them over, and then
handing the pipe back remarked: "Tobac-
co good; pipe no dam good. The. upshot
was that the lady had to invest 50 IN a
pine to obtain the coveted curlos,
The most sought for article Of Eskimo
manufacture Is the ivory cribhage board,
made out of walrus tIsk. These make
both useful articles and handsome orna-
ments. The sides and ends are usually COW
cred with carvings OF wild animals, such
as walruses, whales, foxes, wolves, etc,
and this work is in many cases extremely
well executed.
A few years ago these cribbage boards
could be bought for comparatively trlv.
ial sum, but now, owing to a number OF
tourists having paid absurd figures for
them. the price has mounted to an almost
prohibitive figure, from $50 to 500 being
asked for almost any specimen, while for
an unusually well carved board an Eskimo
will not accept less than Sl25.
Other sought after articles produced by
the "huskies" are bead and shell earrings,
soapstone candlesticks, sealing spears, iyo-
ry fshhooks and sinkers, and patchwork
mats manufactured from mixture OF
spices of wild goat, seal and deerskins,
sewn together in a regular and not I'M
beautiful pattern,
The trade with the Eskimo is conducted
on somewhat different lines to that with
the Indians. For a number of years past
whaling schooners hailing from San Fran
cisco have made their winter quarters at
Herschel Island so as to be ready to com
mence hunting these valuable mammals
DIS sOOll DIS UJtD NuIGI appears. litSC
crews have dealt largely with the Eskimos
in furs and cunos, paying small prices, and
in return selling them flour, bacon, tea,
etc, for considerably less than the mere
cost of transporting such articles into the
country by the Mckenzie river route.
However, the schooner owners, finding
that but little of the profit accruing from
the transactions found its way into their
pockets, have largely put a stop to the
carrying of goods for trading purposes.
As a result considerable number of the |
Eskmos make their way by first open
water from Hersche Island and the coun-
try east of the Mckenzie river delta to the
trading posts on the lower river. On ar
rival they barter their furs for whatever |
pleases them, and then something special |
"a sewing machine, steam tug or what not
a husky's eye. and he at once |
he at once orders one like it to be brought |
n next year. This the trader interested |
agrees to accomplish and the question Of |
price then comes up. Now the price is not |
out to the native in dollars, as that would
lob involve a sufficiently remunerative
Instead the trader says-in
1aking an order for phonograph, for in
stance: "You must bring me> five lynx
kins, 90 white foxes and two minks."
Very good" replies the husky, and the
leal is closed. He arrives at the post the
summer with the pelts called for,
md he is an angry man if his phonograph
has not turned up.
A short time ago an Eskimo purchased
steam tug, which he is now an adept in
operating, and was charged therefor 100 +
White foxes, two No l silver foxes, 80
ynx and 80 mink. As the vessel cost but
i 200 at the point where Sold the trans
elton was by no means Improbable
It. Paul Pioneer Press.