Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-12-24
LAND OF the NORTH WIND.

Though much is written about West.
ern Canada nowadays, writes p. H.
Godsell, in the January Wide, World
Magazine, n hears very little of the
vast northern wastes of that dOmin.
ion, where the conditions of life vary
but little from what they were a cen.
Uatil very recent years the great
wilderness of swamp and forest
stretching from the head OF Lake
Winnipeg east to. Hudson Bay! ana
1ortherly to the Arctic Circle. was
known as the district of Keewatin.s
With the exception of small fdetach-
ments Of Northwest Mounted Police,
q few scattered missionaries, aad the
Hudson Bay company's traders anG
: employees, this vast district is peopleG
entirely by Indians of the Cree and
Salteaux tribes, and, in the far north
ern portion, a few wandering Eski-
mos and Chippewayans.
This country, in which winter Of al
! most Arctic severity holds sway for
eight months in the year, is q nes.
work of large lakes, rivers and small
er streams draining into Hudson FAY.
Along most OF these n~ayigable waters
situated from a hundred to two hun.
dred and fifty miles apart, stand the
lonely trading posts or forts Of the
Hudson Bay company. These forts
usually consist OF a picketed or stock
AIDED square, %inclosing a number OF
log or frame buildings, usually four
or five, with a tall flag pole rising in
the center, from which, on special &C.
casions, floats the red ensign of the
company.
The staff of the smaller outposts
generally consists Of one white man
as officer in charge, withgtwo or three
haltIbreed or Indian assistants or dog
drivers. AS in most cases these posts
are situated in a virgin wilderness,
far from civilization, the trader may
moi see a fellow white mar for six
months at a stretch, and has only the
society afforded by his halflbreed SER
| wants.
TREE SPIRITS KILL A scoFFER.
In the Straits Settlements and Ma.
lay Peninsula both the Malays and
Chinese believe that many trees have
their tutelary spirits, says C. E. G.
Tisdale, in the January Wide World
Magazine. Such trees are easily re.
cognizable, owing to their having
Joss or incense sticks placed either
close to their roots or in a fork be-
the Chinese-or decoration consist
ing of bits Of various colored cloth.
the Malay token of devotion.
J One such tree is still to be seen. in
Stamford Road, the main thorough
fare of Singapore, and in connection
with! this particular tree a curious &C.
cident happened only a few months
ago. A rich young Bahia, or Straits
born Chinese, named Lee Khia Guam,
who had been educated in England
at Cambridge University, was taking
a stroll in the evening with q friend,
and when passing this tree noticed 70.
lot of jcss.sticks burning at its roots.
With a laugh at the superstitions Of
the7rneducated coolies who had plac-
ed the incense there, he kicked the
joss-sticks owe and trampled on
them. He then rejoined his compsan-
ion and they went for a walk round
the esplanade. AS they walked along
his friend demonstrated with him for
his action, pointing out that, after al,
though he did not believe in it him
self, there might be something In
it," and, for his part, he preferred sto
leave such things severely alone, IS
he had heard of cases where acct
dents had happened to persons who
intsrfered it'll such trees.
Lee Khia Guam ridiculed the idea
of such a thing, and pointed out that
no European or educated person be
lieved in haunted" trees, but only
the ignorant coolies. Three days lat
er, while Lee Khia Guam was on his
way to town in his motor-car, just ias
he passed under this tree a huge
branch fell right across the car, kill
ing him on the spot and smashing MI
the front part of the car. When sx-
amined, the branch showed no trace
Of the 8reyages of white ants, ard
there seemed to be no reason for les
having broken, as there was no wind
! that morning.