Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-06-07
remain in Washington until the neces-
sary papers can be secured and will
bring the negro back here.
STRANGE CHILDREN.
The A'euts of Alaska, q Queer Part Of
Uncle Sans Family.

L
The tribe Of "Aleuts" occupies the
peninsula of Alaska and number
about 1000. Some 300 are well cared
for at the seal islands; the balance
have nothing left but fish. few fox.
and the basket industry. These peo-
pie occupy the most western portion
I, of our country, being 172 degrees west
Longitude and from thence eastward to
Unimak Pass, a distance Of about 500
miles, making less than one person to
the mile. says the Christian Herald
in describing Uncle Sans strange
northern children. The time was when
they were employed to kill seal; also
their tribe supplied the men that
that most valuable of fur animals.
The otter is practically a thing Of
the past and the government has pro-
hibited both the whites and the ma
tives from killing any Of them. This
is not adding greatly to their troubles,
for these fur animals Of the sea are
now so scarce as to be of little bene-
fit to the Aleuts any more.
The basket industry Is now their
chief support. Their baskets, though
the finest in any market, bring them
less than one-fourth the retail price,
and provisions sell to them at about
three times the cost.
A woman will work two weeks to
make basket and then get 50 for 1t.
She will pay 75 cents for a pound Of
tea, 20 cents for a pound Of sugar,
and cents for pound Of flour.
Clothing Is In proportion. The father
can get few fish to dry and gather
few drift sticks as thrown up by the
sea, as no timber is found on this is
land. In winter he catches a very
few blue fox, perhaps four or FIVE, at
So each.
Curio seekers pay fabulous prices
for an Aleut. basket, which is, in
truth, one of the best that can be had;
the most artistic, the finest weave and
the most beautiful of design.
The word "Aleut" in the Eskimo
language means "other utes," or peo-
pie, and such they are, for their ap-
pearance and modes Of life differ to
such an extent as to warrant their be-
ing called "other people" There were
two found among them whose BIRTH
place was believed to be Kamchatka.
in Asia, and 1t is almost certain that
these people came from northern ASIA
Their appearance is more Of the Mon
golian and in artistic work they have
much the same skill and craftsman
ship as the japanese.
The Alert Is superior to the native
race. He is cleaner Of habit than the
Eskimo and more willing to work.
The tribes ancient dwellings, now
long grown over with grass, repre-
senting the age OF stone implements.
when excavated were found to be
large roomy houses made of sod,
built above the ground, and usually
of more than one room. Whalebone
was often used for parts Of the frame
work.
The cemetery of the community was
not in a common burial ground, but
In room Of the house especially con-
structed for that purpose. The corps
es were buried in a sitting posture.
Certain caves were used also as
place to bury the dead, but owing to
the occurrence Of skulls with frac-
lures in them 1t Is presumably the
warriors who died away from home
who were so buried.
A few had the distinction Of being
stuffed with moss and made into
mummies and placed in caves. These
customs have long since changed,
owing to the efforts Of the Russian
priests, and now few there are that
can offer an explanation for the
strange burial rooms, the cave burials
and the moss-stuffed mummies.