The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1916-12-15
ESKIMO RETAINS
QUEER CUSTOMS
MARRIAGES. AMONG NATIVES or
ALASKA ARE VERY UNIoUH
AFTAIRs.
NEGLECT THE CHILDREN
Girl Babies We're Formerly Killed
because of Their Inability 10
Provide Nor Selves.

New York, Dec. 9.-The special
correspondent OF the Medical Rec
ord in Alaska has written an inter-
es;ing letter describing some of the
unique customs ~ the native Eski-
mos. He tells OF the early life Of
the children, the methods OF carry
ing on courtship and the subsequent
marriages, and also the homage paid
10 the dead in the form of an annu-
al feast. Few OF the intimate de-
tails of these customs have hereto
fore reached the outside world.
Some Of the Eskimo thoughts
are beautiful" he writes. las for
example, the Feast 70 the Dead.
and some OF their acts are strange
and unnatural. even in comparison
with those of the lower animals. A
good example of the latter Is the
care of their children.
1.-THE newborn babe may or may
not be wanted. Formerly it was the
custom to kill many of the female
babies, as they were considered food
consumers and in return produced
nothing. If it is decided to kill the
female baby it is taken out on the
tundra. or far out on the ice. the
mouth filled with snow. and left
there to freeze TO death. 1t was the
custom to kill these females at any
lime up to the age of 5 vars. II it
vas decided that the child was .
burden. This custom, fortunately.
seems to be passing away. and GER
tainly is not tolerated where there
are civil authorities.
Avoid Offending SPIRITS.
1.-THE baby is named. If born in
village the child is given the name
of the last person who died there.
in doing this they believe that tho
spirit Of the dead person leaves the
grave and enters the child. 1t now
behooves the relatives OF the dead
person to contribute to the. support
of the infant as will be spoken of in
describing the Feast to the Dead
The Eskimo believes that spirits or
shades Ctagununak.' az he calls
them), preside over everything. and
believing this he makes every at
tempt to avoid offending them. as
the shade would bring disease upon
him, make him have bad luck with
the seal, concord. white whales. etc.
For the same reason the native new
or Furnishes a child after it is nam
I'd until the child is large enough to
care for itself At this time the
spirit of the dead ceases to act as
protectorate. so in shaping child
about the age OF twelve they will not
offend the shade. II the baby Is
horn in camp il is named for the
first object the mother sees after its
birth, as, for example, d tree or
mountain.
Apparently the Eskimo care lit
tie for their young. They are trans
norted in the hood of their mothers
parka, and it is common sight to
see the child's nose bleeding from
striking it's head against the neck OF
the mother. The mother usually
nurses the child until it Is about
three or four years of age, and one
will sometimes see u mother nurs-
Ing both a baby and two-year-old
child. They nurse their young un-
iii the young can eat raw tomcod or
dried salmon fish and sop seal oil
with their fingers.
Marriage Customs.
"When tho Eskimo sees girl
that he desires to marry, he tells his
father, who in turn has an interview
with the GIRLS father. IL the. match
IS approved Of. the young man puts
on the finest clothing that he can
get, and goes to call. He also takes
The finest suit OF clothing he can get
for tho girl. and she dresses up in
Il. Then they are man and wife, ac-
cording TO the native belief. II there
are no children in one of either OF
The parents families the newiy-mar-
ried couple goes TO live with that
family.
"Chnd betrothals are common and
take place in one Of two ways. The