. Alaska and the Klondike. whom Father Duncan has civ-ilised were originally the most unpromising of all thenatives of northwest America. The Alaska Indian, as arule—and this applies to all the different families orgroups—is an inoffensive, tractable, lavishly hospitable,honest, simple-minded fellow, who suffers from povertyand often from imposition by the white man, to whomhe is yet ever ready to render kindness when called uponto do so. The prospector and the scientific explorer andthe mail-carrier will testify to his honesty and the gen-erosity with which he receives the cold and suffering
. Alaska and the Klondike. whom Father Duncan has civ-ilised were originally the most unpromising of all thenatives of northwest America. The Alaska Indian, as arule—and this applies to all the different families orgroups—is an inoffensive, tractable, lavishly hospitable,honest, simple-minded fellow, who suffers from povertyand often from imposition by the white man, to whomhe is yet ever ready to render kindness when called uponto do so. The prospector and the scientific explorer andthe mail-carrier will testify to his honesty and the gen-erosity with which he receives the cold and suffering trav-eller into his hut and yields to him the warmth and shelterand food which have saved many lives. Judge McKenzie, who lives up at Coldfoot, on theupper Koyukuk, nearly 100 miles beyond the ArcticCircle, told me at Rampart of an incident which illustratesthe disposition of the Alaska Indian. A poor old Kobuckknown as Peter saw a cartoon of Uncle Sam hanging in astore at Coldfoot, in w^hich Uncle Sam was represented. Eskimo Boy and Young Malamute 298 ALASKA AND THE KLONDIKE as barefooted. He understood that it was a picture of theGreat White Father at Washington, and after looking atit intently for a long time he pointed to the naked feetand said: No moccasins? No, said the merchant, Uncle Sam hasnt got any moccasins. Peter looked verymuch puzzled and distressed, but went away withoutfurther words. A few days later he came in carrying apair of moccasins, and, holding them up, and pointingto the cartoon, said: Moccasins; you send Uncle people of Alaska are not indifferent to the justclaims of the Indians upon the whites. They contributeto their necessities whenever they know of the existenceof want and suffering, but the Indians never complain,and their sufferings sometimes end in death because thewhites are ignorant of their condition. The people of were greatly distressed one winter to find outalmost by accident that the Indians in the village near byw
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidalaskak, booksubjectalaska
