The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1919-09-12


slightly smoky, cedary, and piney
smell upon the air; windows of kelp
and other weedy drift upon the slith-
ering slope of bank; squirt Of CLANS,
in every fairly fiat place, and ripping
scuttle of founders upon the bottom
drifting moons of stray medusae lumi-
nous in the water-there is a typical
woodland setting in northern British
Columbia, says a writer in the Chris
fian Science Monitor. The crow is
ubiquitous, not unlike raven beloved
he is of tOtemic designers and carvers,
from Tillamook up to Nome, calling
his hoarse "caw" from the shadows Of
some disheveled cedar.
On the high water mark of spring
tides, ragged cedar and pessimistic-
looking hemlock in silhouette against
the sunny blue, purple-courses with
raven-like shadow the distant noun
tain side. At the base of the irregu-
larry standing timber, spared of log
gers, an impenetrable thicket of sallal,
salmon and button berry, blackberry
bramble and whortle berry, under a
taller growth of alder, willow and pop
lar, together mask tangle of fallen
trunks and upturned roots, amid which
the epilobium, the fireweed of the Pa
cific coast, overtops mans head, a
spire of vibrant pinkly purple flame.
At the forks of the creek, a wide
eaved bunk house, its foundation posts
lifting its floor we'll above the damp
ness ofSthe marsh, stands upon bit
of ground where solid soil, washed
down from the heights, supports rank
grass. Rapidly built throughout of
cedar, walls and roofs of split cedar
shakes, in weathered redness it has a
fitness to it's place. Smaller shacks
near, in color and size, match piles of
cordwood near the water; awaiting a
scow, favoring high tide, and trans
portation across the water to the city.
The Ever-WeIcome "Chow."
A scrap of straw mating and a mo-
mentary glimpse of short and sturdy
figure, round and black of head, the
bronze skin in quiet contrast with blue
overalls, showed it to be Japanese
and the shadows short by the time the
sketch was finished. An eruption from
the woods and cordwood piles toward
the bunk-house suggested possible re-
freshmen, even if the calling of the
dish-pan, banged with stick of fire
wood at the door, did not. There was
too much good sketching about for
30 fIn
harbor for such an inconsequential
thing as lunch, which, however, would
quite likely suggest it's lack some time
between then and the shutdown he
knew he would linger for. So, port
folio under arm, he strolled to the
bunk house.
Within, on either side, were two
TERED hunks against the walls, stop
ping short of the further end, which,
stove beneath the end window-a rear
door letting in breeze and sunshine
was combined kitchen, dining room,
and place of assembly. About six per-
sons, on either side of a three-plank
curiously and courteously at the
stranger as he stepped within. The
cook poising loaded dishes on either
hand, nodded and smiled the inscruta-
BILE japanese smile. The mention of
"chow" brought cheerful grin to
three or four faces at once, and q well
coming indication of seat at the end
OF the table, as the three on that side
hunched along to make place-deftly
shifting food with them. In 10 sec
onds more-with grave courtesy
was placed before the guest the usual
food, each portion in blue-and-white