Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1923-09-20
BOOZE-HOISTING SQUAW SAYS
SHE Is LEGAL WIFE OF
REX BEACH
How "Sour Doughs" Got Name
(M. J. Brown

(M. J. Brown
"Short and Dirty says she is the
wife of Rex Beach, the vigorous
novelist, who has made Alaska fa-
nous with his virile stories of the
North Lands.
"Short and Dirty" is a drunken
Siwash squaw who hangs out
around the river junction at Tanan-
ma, and | was told when | reached
that town could interview the
dusky chamber and get "a real
story" one the most of the writer's
pass UP on account of the fame OF
the "The Spoilers" author.
wouldn't pass up anything in
Alaska, so I looked forward to the
time when I could meet the Indian
maiden and trade the price OF
pint for story.
But nothing doing. When ] reach
ed Tananna the maid wasn't being
interviewed. She was in jail at
Fairbanks for drunkenness and dis
orderly conduct, and wouldn't be
back until she had sobered out a
20-day sentence. | served IL days
in the junction town, waiting for a
boat that would let me on, and |
have a fellow feeling for the squaW
if she is ''Short and Dirty
But here's the dope as / got it:
1t is common talk that the squaW
lived with Beach as his wife in
Rampant for a long time; in fact |
was assured by many that that is an
established fact and is not denied by
any of the old timers on the Yukon.
However,. there is some doubt as to
whether or not she was his legal
wife or whether the union was just
an Alaskan common law" affair.
All this occurred years agO be
fore Beach broke into prominence.
He lived in a cabin at Rampant and
the Indian girl washed the dishes
and darned his socks. 1t is said at
this time the girl was handsome, ac-
cording to the Indian rules. She
was short as ever then, but not as
dirty. AS the tale is told, after
Beach got to putting his stories
over, and the reviewers began 10
dig up his life, he shook the native
girl, and she followed the white
folks rule of civilization by leading
a personally conducted excursion TO
the dogs.
Now she poses for the river tour
lists twhen she is out Of jail) as the
cast off wife of the noted author,
and panhandles them for the price
of drinks.
| had not access to the marriage
statistics, so simply state the stories
current along the Yukon, and give
you the Short and Dilty'' story as
it was told to me.
What is "sour dough" and
what makes a man eligible? is a
question often asked me.
Down to real tacks a Sour
dough" is one who can make sour
dough bread, but the term is us
ually applied to one who has seen
the Yukon freeze up and thaw out
twice. By that time if he hasn't
been able to learn how to make and
bake the bread, he is supposed to
have been buried for several
months. And these qualifications al
so apply to membership in the Alas
ka Brotherhood, an organization
that at one time had a lot Of social
strength in Alaska. with lodge
buildings in every river town, but
which has now nearly run out.
But / have forgotten my bread.
Sour dough bread is about the
same as mother used to make before
rich American blood called for
yeast, holes and alum, now known
as bakers.
In the southwest mining camps
about the only bread in circulation
is baking powder product like bis
cuit-just a flour, lard, salt and
baking powder scrambled, baked in
a skillet and lid, and called pones.
And down there the boys and girls
fill up on it daily with frijoles as
side dish, and grow fat and healthy.
But in Alaska baking powder
doesn't go, to any extent. The peo-
pie won't eat it. They say it is
harmful. When I made the south
west comparison to an old trapper
the explanation / got was "they do
lots of things on the Rio Grande
that we can't do on the Yukon.
Baking powder gets us here"
Sour dough bread is made from
emptins, rising, sponge, or what
ever you may call it, just old-fash-
ioned Yankee bread. The great
secret, the one accomplishment that
promotes "cheechaker" to a
"sour dough" is that of never losing
his rising" and not letting it get
zoo co,r DooIz IN tho hills uoact