Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-02-19

ticular spot on it and said bung- bung,
plenty. The Indians all got back out
of the way, and l let drive, and if
you ever saw the snow fly for a min
ute it was there. But after the fourth
shot got him down. The bear was
very poor-not fit to eat, but we skin
ned him and gave the carcass to the
dogs. About ten days after this one
of the Indians came to my camp and
after so long made known to me that
he had found moose track. l got
my gun and went with him and after
following the track about three miles
we came onto the moose, on heavily
wooded island. / took deliberate aim
off of the Indians back and knocked
him down the first shot, but 1t took
more shots to end him. We had
plenty of moose meat for about a
week, which is very fine. The Indians
baited their dead falls with some of
the meat and caught five big timber
wolves.
This aurora -borealis is the finest
sight that I ever laid my eyes on.
1t comes up between eight and nine
O'Clock P. NJ. and disappears about
three A.. M. 1t casts its light across
the heavens like the tail of large
comet and makes everything as light
as day.
About this time the thermometer
dropped to sixty below zero, and it
never went above this mark for four
months. About this time an Indian
came down from the gold camp with
dog team for more grub, saying
plenty sick Beaver City, which meant
scurvey, and which afterwards proved
that five out Of the nine of our own
company had it. There is nothing
that will cure this dreadful disease
except fresh vegetables, which were
not to be had.
In February the Indians were ready
for their annual caribou hunt, and in
vited me to go along. The caribou at
this season of the year is found in the
mountains of the Arctic Ocean. We
kept the river trail for about seventy
five miles, then branched off up a
small stream and made our own trail
thereafter. This was slow and very
laborious. We went out of this stream
and over mountain, and went into
camp. The Indians said that we were
now in the caribou region. They sent
out three men on snow shoes in diff
ferent directions. The third day they
returned and said they had found
signs. We then pulled up and moved
camp about ten miles, and then went
into camp again in small basin in
the mountains. The next day the
Indians took me about mile to q
high place, and showed me bunch
of caribou. We then went back to
camp, and the next day the whole
tribe went over to where the caribou
were. Four of the bucks had sticf
about yard long with piece O.
sharp steel tied on the end. We ther
went up very close to the caribou ant
they began to run and founder in the
deep snow, but soon wearied out
when it was easy for the bucks tt
come up on them and cut their han
strings. They then stick them in thu
jugular vein and they bleed to death
There were seventy one in the bunch
and they got them all. This wa
butchery in the first degree, and n,
sport about it. But they were afte
meat and skins and they got them. /
caribou is of the deer species ant
weighs about one hundred and fift,
pounds. After the killing the mem
work is done, and the women an
children do the rest-skinning tht
animals, dressing the skins, making
the clothes, cutting up the meat
bringing it into camp, and cooking il
There we're twenty nine, Indians an
myself, and one hundred and twent
dogs, so you see it took lot of mea
to feed us.
| My mode of living on this trip th
Indians furnished me with caribo
skin tent which was very eomfortabl
and warm with little fire in 1t.
used my sleeping bag. took one gal
| lon tin bucket and a small coffee po
some German army bread, cracker
, and coffee and salt, and broiled m
meat on a stick before the fire, an
} got back to the steamer weighing to
pounds more than before / started
We stayed in this camp thirty on
days, and then started on our retur
, trip, carrying all the skins and all th
meat that we could carry. In tf
! meantime the women had dressed
good many of the skins, made sever
: garments for clothing, and mucklucl
] for the feet. While on this trip
} spirit thermometer that had regi
tered eighty two degrees below zer
] but | didn't see anyone sufferir
! very much from cold. I dressed
furs like the Indians, caribou parl
and pants and mucklucks of the san
, and mits all with the fur inside, wit
a squirrel skin across the bridge of I'll
, nose. I rode most Of the way on
. sled, but inside Of my sleeping ba
; We made the trip back to the steam
! by easy stages on good trail--tl
, same one we went up on.