Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-07

mammoth ivory. IheSe come from the
tusks of the prehistoric animals which
roamed Siberia and Alaska thousands Of
years ago. have seen many such tusks
since | came to this part OF the world. They
have been unearthed along the Klondke
river, and are to be seen in Dawson and
Fairbanks, either preserved indoors. or
standing against the sides Of buildings out
in the open. found one at mining camp
On the north fork of the Klondike. 1t was
on the ground outside cabin. The thick
ness of the tusk was that OF my leg.
All Of the Eskimo carving TODAY is done
with steel tools, but there is work in exist
ence that dates back to the stone age. The
older Eskimos say that their ancestors used
tools OF flint and it is known that they have
been carving ivory for many generations
Some OF the very poorest of them and those
that live IN the most out of the way places
are noted for their work OF this kind. They
seem to do it for pastinle, and make MANY
toys and dolls for their children. They have
way Of softening the bone, horn or ivory
before they work it, and to make the cary
lngs more distinct they etch lines on the sur
tace with black paint made of mixture OF
gunpowder and blood. This, when put on
the freshly cut bone, makes permanent
stain. Nearly every traveller who comes to
Alaska carries away some Of their carvings
Considering the work upon them, they are
remarkably cheap. One can get a cribbage
board of whole ivory tusk, beautiful !
carved, for SIS or $40 The same article
when sold by the curio dealers may bring a
much higher price.
The Eskimos OF today are rapidly chang
ing. They live differently from those de-
scribed in the books of arctic travel. On
the Seward peninsula they have houses of
wood and skin, and the snow house is COM
paratively unknown, except in the heart Of
midwinter. Most Of their winter houses
are cellars dug out OF the ground This
cellar is usually four or five feet deep and
20 or Is feet square. Poles OF driftwood
are laid about it to heighten the walls and
tlmbers are placed across the top. Then
dirt and sod are piled around the hole, until
they have what looks like great mound of
earth. In the center Of the top is an OPEN
ing, about as large as a page Of a newspaper,
across which is stretched sheet Of seal :,r
walrus bladder. This is transparent and it
gives light to the house below. The house
is entered by tunnel which is connected
with shaft or we'll six or seven feet deep.
In the we'll is rude ladder, up which the
people climb after crawling through the
tunnel when they wish to 60 out of doors.
Around the walls of the living room is a
platform, which is the sleeping place Of the
family. Such houses are SO warm that the
Eskimos often go almost naked while in
doors. The dwellings are dark and badly
ventilated. They are often infested with un-
mentonable vermin.
Some of the Eskimos near the white set
Elements are changing the style OF their ar
chitecture. They are building homes above
the ground. buying window sash and win
dow glass and doors like ours. Many Of
them are now using cook stoves in place Of
the old seal-oil lamps, and the white traders
tell ME that the Eskimo women are learning
to cook They bake an excellent bread with
the aid of yeast made from hops, which they
buy at the store. These traders laugh at
the story SO often published, of tallow
candle being the stick candy Of the Eskimo
boy. They say the natives are fond Of fat,
but that their chief use of it is in connection
with other foods
| asked one of these traders to tell me
what goods he sold to the Eskmos. He re-
Piled
Everything under the sun. The staples
are sugar and flour, and especially sugar.