Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-03-20

| However let it be hoped that the
| wave of agitation raised again by this
licensed murder question will subsidc
| before it reaches outer Alaska, lest il
there but confirm anew the mighty nn-
| certainty OF the white MAN.
ont there among the uncivilized ma
| tive Indians one of the very first Gus
toms attacked by the missionaries is
The time honored one of killing OH
The hopeiessly i'll and helpless &'sed
among the tribes.
In the Grim, White North.
Living conditions are SD hard up in
that grim sub Arctic region that eV-
cry useless member OF a household is
ruthlessly prdned away, either by gen.
tie strangulation or 10y being politely
but firmly cluhbed To death. Hereto
fore out there chronic invalidism has
been harshiy tiseourag ed, and Il men
could no longer spear seals or hunt
game. or Women ne longer bui,i ieloos,
dress fish, or gather iirewoodi then
neither could they eat nor take up
house room. and they resgnedly met
an expected death at the hands of their
severely just relatives.
Nor has this system OF iudieious race
pruning yet been Abandoned. though il
IS slowly giving way tn comparatively
m ere humane or at least less strong
armed practices. For among most
tribes, instead of killing helpless old
men or women at once, they nov tut
them off i'm a fireless ssack and let
them freeze or starVe. II, however,
they live aleng the coast, they are
marooned uT.on 4 cake of ice ana n
cheerful gool-by is waved to them as
they feat cut tc sea and a Watery
doom. The deeply rooted superstition
of the native Indians debars The sick
and aged from DYING i'll The horse. 10
which they would Dv So doing bring
bad luck, henre they are hastic1 out
of doors rs dis.s button approaches.
One winter some mining iIoslectars
from the :rnitni States, &hiie les. in
The Alaska mo mtains. found in i ruGe
shelter an Did lndian man and wo-
man who had been left behind to die
when their tribe went down to The
coast for he winter. The lost miners
gave the old people all the food they
could possibly spare. and gathering
them a large supply o. frewood left
them to thcir fate. Later it was learn
ed that when the tribe Went back to
the mountains for the summer hunting
they found the old people still alive.
They we're fed through the summer
white game was plentiful and then
abandoned anew the next winter,
which, being unusually severe, finished
them. Their bones were found and
buried the following summer.
Waiting apd Watching.
f,,r 1Hn
came upon helpless old man, left
behind in a wretched shack by his
migrating tribe, bat with him was a
young man for company. The watcher
was impa tient to be off and he walled
the indecent tenacity of life displayed
by Tile old man. whom he would neltl-
or feed nor tend, YET whom he would
not desert while life remained nor
help out Of the world with cub, since
he had teen taught by a missionary
that such things were not done III real
~ good society.
A lwell-knawn Government official
establishing schools in the outlying
Alaskan islands had always been met
ut tile boat on his yearly visits TO one
place. by two Indian men, Upon ms
last visit only one OF the men was on
band. when the other, his friend, was
Il sked for. the Indian said quietly:
Il shot him He had been very SICK
for a long time. and often begged me
10 kill him. but you had told me 1t was
nof rsohf aud + did not want 10 d"<it.
Finally. / told him | would bring my
oi,u the next time ] came to see him,
md If he was not any better | Would
do as ne wished [ shot him about
three months ago, and / VIII shoW
ymi where | hurled MIN.
rrhe same Government official mad
also narrowly missed being present a.
and therefore interfering With--the
going off party of an anelent uanle at
\ remote fishing village w near the
Arctic Circle All her descendants anu
friends had gathered at a Ieast. at iiie
close of which the pleased ana prouo
old lady, dressed in her best cioties'
had been brought out ana SET up IL :,
tneir midst. and, after bidaine THEM an
an affectionate farewell, mao peen ue,'
lv strangled with a stout oolu III .,ie
hands of her sons-in-law. il'us 'iie
exclusive Arctic Circle would seem "
have AT times solutions OF IT'S o"''
for fhe mother-in-law question: Pr
,.idad the mother-in law IS oio anu W.
erepit enough. ,non
10 these heather Americans, upon a,,
| whom the missionaries fell Win .o ,.,,
and nail and Bible. because they can.'-
~ practiced the elimination Oh the ui' j,
fittest, it will be difficult TO eSplaai'
WV = custom so apparently benenc-
ent SHOULD have been interdicteo 9. az =,
since so-called Christian people es.,l - :,
times talk serenely OF reVertihs 70 :
now. ..aeor,,, nroed
incidentally, another reform N.Y. s,,o
| upon the. sub-polar citizen ~ ,sav;n s /.
faithful missionary WAS 'he nsas ' ne
of but one wife. At little vil,as 60 ~
| under the midnight sun q marc. ~
ing minister congratulated ' ,,a'a =,
when, after long argument ne nav -