Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1918-04-25

The following is by n. n. Att
ridge, A. E. commission, Montana
Creek, via Anchorage, Alaska. The
writer is a son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Robert Attridge, 217 Tenth street.
Baraboo, Wis. He was engaged
on the new government railroad
until the war stopped construc-
tion. Mr. Attridge writes:
ALASKAN INDIANS
Once more it becomes necessary for
the American Indian to give away,
and make room for an advancing civ
ilization. Although in the case which
| refer to this is being done without
open protest or resistance, the feel
ing of resentment and contempt OF
white mans methods and work are
understood by all coming in contact
with Nicolai, chief of the Talkeetna
Indians. This band is located at a
small village bearing the name Of the
tribe, on the new Alaskan railroad,
approximately one hundred miles
north of Anchorage, and seventy
miles south of Mt. Mckinley, at the
junction of the Susitna and Talkeetna
rivers
Here, until the spring Of 1915, Mic
OLAF and his band reigned supreme,
surrounded by dense forests OF spruce
and birch, through which abundance
of game wandered undisturbed except
hnY tnr
al prospector.
With the opening Of navigation
early in June, 1916, came the first inn
migration of white men, who were
soon busy destroying forests. rlllng
the earth into rAadbeds, and bridg-
ing streams "What for?" asked Mic
OLAF "White men dam fools, all time
work, no hunt game, no fish, shoot
(dynamiting) scare all moose way, no
good" Such were the thoughts OF
this old Indian, whose passive mind
could not fathom our maddening civ
ilization, or appreciate toll which
would not bring immediate returns.
VISIT VILLAGES
On June 25 my wife and | left An
chorage for Talkeetna, and atter
camping nearly a week in the cold and
rain. on the deck of the fiat bottom
river boat, arrived at our destination
AS we rounded the rivers bend on
Julv / we beheld the whole tribe out
to meet us, not, however, according
To the custom of the white men, Dut
lined up on the roof of their cabin;
bucks, sQuaws, children, and even
dogs. watching the novelty OF the III
coming boat Before we landed, now
ever, they had all assembled on the
rivers bank, and here we had our
first good view of Nicolai. Standing
a little apart from the rest OF the
band, he was smiling, chuckling and
enthusiastically chewing spruce gum
gorgeously arrayed in his priced bright
red flannel shirt A pair OF corduroy
trousers, a pair of moccasins and a
vest completed his costume. In ap'
pearance he somewhat resembled our
Indians Of the states, being rather
above the average man in height, al
though slight in build, and OF extreme
ly erect carriage His coarse, massy
hair parted directly in the center and
hung nearly to the shoulders. AS we
caught sight of his face this resem
blance to the other Indians quickly
passed, and we detected strong like
ness to the Japanese; his skin being
a dark yellowish tint, the eyes mar
row and slanted, the nose fiat and
stubby, with a prominent hole for or
namental decorations, and the mouth
quite thick Tipped.
We found this to be small band
, composed of three bucks, two klCoches
| Cor wives) and six children. NICOLA
is the one lucky, or perhaps uniucky
buck, as the two kloOches belong tc
him. One Of them, Ophelia, is very
old Indian; the other, Christiana, is
| woman Of about 35 years of age, anc
also the daughter of Ophelia by for
mer marriage. Upon being asked the
; age of Ophelia, Nicolai replied tha
she was more than one hundred SHOWS
he didn't know how much, as she was
an old woman when he was a boy
| Nevertheless, when they are on the
trail or on hunting or fishing trips
she is the one who follows behind
carrying the packs, the weight o
which would often stagger a skookun
man in going a few yards, but which
she carries for miles. In handling
canoe she is an artist, being tn