IT IS hardly necessary to write anything to go -with this cartoon,
for every reader probably can draw a Setter opinion than the
; riter can frame in words as to what the young colt is saying
to himself, if animals can think. It would be quite natural for
the colt to wonder what makes this horse hold his head so high and
stand so awkwardly.
With Indians and Whites at Ketchican, Alaska
Eva Emery Dye Pictures Life In Act lye Mining and Fishing Town Where the Stranger and Xatlve . Meet.
BY EVA EMERY DYB.
"S
EH them Jump!" An eater
throng leans over the bridge at
Ketchikan, looking down upon
an enormous haul of fishes below. "Oh!
see them jump!" Screams an excited
school ma'am from Denver.
"Let 'em jump; It's their privilege; it's a
free country," hiccoughs an Alaskan Mr.
Dooley with tongue a bit limbered from
the Jus he Is carrying. " 'T's a fr-ree
country."
"The ohly free country is where nobody
lives. Mickey," retorts the rubber-goods
drummer from Seattle.
"Whoop-e-e!" shrieks "ten little Indian
boya all in a row" on the beach under
the bridge. With all their tiny might
they tug at the net the men are hauling
In. A big salmon flops in their direction
find every terrified urchin runs, elfin
locks en end and dingy shirt-tails flying
out behind. "Oh, that little darling!" a
baby Indian not more than 4 years old
has cut his foot on a sharp rock and all
the air resounds with woe. "I believe,
mamma, you are more interested in the
Indians than you are in the salmon,"
remarks an Oregon City boy.
"I certainly am. How nice it would be
Ito take that dear little fellow home With
lis."
"Tou'd soon tire of him." says the doc
tor's wife who came out as a missionary,
but now has settled down at Ketchikan.
"Wow-wow-wow!" howls a flsher-boy
mocking the crying child. In a - moment
the hurt foot is down, the keen black
eyes scrutinizes the laughing American.
No maternal sympathy could have stilled
the pain quicker, back goes the infant
tugging at the net. Thus early are' young
Indians initiated Into the Industries of
their fathers.
"Thirty thousand fish in that net I
don't believe it. 'Tls not possible."
"Possible, madame, why the net broke
this morning with 43,000 In it."
" "How do yoa know? Did you count
them?"
"No. but others have. The hauls here
are something enormous. Look at the
water yourself alive with fish."
And alive it certainly was, twinkling
with the myriad of fins of schools and
shoals and swarms of purple salmon
seeking the inlets of Ketchikan Creek. All
over the bay as far as eye could see im
patient humpbacks were leaping and fly
ing and splashing back into the
water. Up the creek they were
swarming, crowding and tumbling over
one another In a mad rush to the
falls, an almost impassible barrier where
all day long they bumped and broke their
noses in a vain endeavor to surmount
the sharp and craggy rocks.
Following up the bridge-walk along the
Ketchikan I met a lad of with a sharp
.hook on a rod. "Where are you going,
my little man?".
"To catch a fish for my mother's din
ner, was. the prompt reply as he slid
down under the bridge and in the twink
ling of an eye Impaled a huge salmon on
the cruel hook. "Who would have
thought there was so much blood in
him?" one might exclaim with Lady Mac
beth as the crimson tide gushed out of
the mad and anguished victim. In sharp
contrast with the Indian boys the Ameri
can seized his prey by the gills, laid it
on a rock and with one blow ended its
struggles. Back he goes and in three
minutes three huge fish, all he could
drag, were ready for the pot.
"Let me catch one!" pulling up her
skirts, down goes the Denver ecrool
ma'am, without rod or line and with her
bare hands hauls out a monster of the
deep; beside it the Oregon City boy lays
another and anoiuer and with a camera
snaps the catch of the morning, simply
picked out of the over-crowded creek.
"Now for huckleberry pie," orles the
school ma'am, stripping the neighboring
bushes. In a few minutes the Oregon
landlady of "The Eagle". is preparing
their banquet gathered in the space of
a few minutes on the banks of the shin
ing Ketchikan.
No one need go hungry here, with
streams alive with the finny folk, the
woods full of deer and tsar, the hill
sides red with berries and every Island
Inlet the nesting place of sc --fowl. There
are no hens In Ketchikan, but sea-gulls'
eggs, as large as ducks', answer every
purpose.
Few cows have found their way to this
mountain-shore retreat, built on piles
and hillocks like' Astoria carnation
cream from Forest Grove enriches the
morning coffee. Few horses are here,
not more than two or three, but the
laundry man, the milkman and the gro
cer's boy make their rounds with hand
carts. And the board streets are clean,
clean as a floor, with not a speck of
dust or trace of beast or wagon wheel.
And the breeze blown over the bay comes
In fresh as on an untrod Nebraska prai
rie. In fact, exhilaration pours like wine
out of the sunshine and the clear skies
of the brief bright Summer of the north.
For they tell us the Summers are
short, raining late in flprlng and be
ginning again early in the FaJL But In
that short time vegetation leaps in the
hot sunshine and all the quick-grown
garden vegetables have a luscious crlsp
ness seldom found in. slower-growing
gardens.
Ketchikan on the ' Island of Ttevilla
glgedo that doughty old mariner who
came up these shores a century or two
ago Ketohlkan Is new. She shines with
fresh paint and varnish. hotels good
ones, too offices, stores, houses, all
are spick and span with electric light,
steam heat and mountain water piped in
flumes from the falls of Ketchikan. Tour
ists sweep in here In droves when the
great steamers go humming. by and are
amazed at the saw mills, canneries, ex
cellent stores, schools, churches, hospit
als, and even an open public library
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, AUGUST 18, 1907.
X. WHAT HAS
The' horse himself is at a loss to know why he is checked so
high, and why he must endure an enormous strain on his back. He
still switches at flies, but his tail fails to drive them off him. Like
the innocent young colt, the matured horse wonders at the strange
order of things. Perhaps he thinks he is being punished for some
offense he has committed. -
He is compelled to stand very still, owing to the weight of metal
perched on a rock on t-- hillside. Ketch
ikan boasts of its dally paper edited by
ex-Governor Swineford, who for more
than 20 years has made his home In
this northland.
Governor Swineford tells the story .that
In '84 he. stumped the State of Michigan
for Grover Cleveland and in his speeches
told what great things the Democrats had
done for the country, made the Louisiana
Purchase, bought New Mexico and Cali
fornia and brought in Oregon, while all
the Republicans could claim was "that
frosen peninsula of Alaska up under the
Arctlo circle."
"Hold on, my friend, you are making a
fool of yourself," a man called him to
task one night at Bay City. "Let me ask
you one question: What do you know
about Alaska."
"Not one infernal thing," was Swine
ford's -answer. But he took the hint,
began to Inform himself, sent for every
book or report he could find on the
country, and when Cleveland was elected
Don M. Dickinson asked the campaigner
what he wanted for his services to be
collector of customs somewhere or Min
ister to some South American country.
"Neither," was Mr. Swineford's answer,
"All I ask is to be made Governor of
Alaska." He got the appointment and
has lived here ever since.
Not the least interesting of the schools
is that for Indians, conducted by an Epis
copal missionary, who is now adding a
cooking department for he girls and has
enlisted the Indian women in reviving the
almost lost art of basketry.
"Do you go to school T' I asked on 'of
the urchins at the fishing camp.
"Tes, ma'am."
"Can you spell cat?".
"C a t."
"SpelL dog."
"G 1 v, dog."
All these Indian children are remark
ably well dressed, and the Indian men
and women, and comely squaws any day
may be seen trundling their pappooses in
neat little go-carts with as pretty little
dresses and hats as I ever saw among
the well-dressed colored mothers of
Boston or Washington.
Environment is rapidly changing the
wards of our country into self-respecting
and self-supporting citizens. The only
touch of age visible in Ketchikan is now
and then a toletn pole, standing as it
stood before the white man came, save
that instead of a hovel the Indian house
behind it compares very well with those
of the neighboring whites. In fact, all
line the same streets along the water
front of Ketchikan.
Many Oregon people are here and our
landlady at "The Eagle" is a refined
gentlewoman from Eugene, and her
equally cultured sister is clerk in one of
the leading stores. Our table waiter Is
a Newberg boy who works up here Sum
be rs for money to take him through col
lege. "How much do you get?" I inquired.
HAPPENED TO THIS HORSE ?
"Seventy-five dollars a month and
board, almost clear money," was his an
swer. Captain Steers on the gasoline mail
boat was born In Oregon City 26 years
ago. gets $100 a month and expenses, and
is throwing up his Job for J150 a month
farther north. Twice a month the mail
launch makes its rounds into neighbor
ing nooks and fiords where fishermen
have their canneries and miners have
their claims. And here, too, are little
homes kept warm and comfortable by
American mothers through the long
Alaskan Winter. At one of these I saw
a little girl of dazzling beauty, so al
most supernatural appears the radiance
of the white In this land of Indians. So
handsome, Indeed, appeared the women
of Ketchikan some perhaps tourists,
with alabaster countenances, in sharp and
sudden contrast.to the dusky nativo wom
en. And still a wonderful amount of
.white blood reveals Itself among the In
dians, some very fair girls and perfectly
white little children, even with Bunny
brown curls, touring the streets in the
wake of grandmotherly old squaws.
A few of European blood are here,
Scotch. Irish and Scandinavians. "Ah!"
exclaimed a worthy Norseman, "if my
countrymen only knew what a land is
lying here unsettled, Norway would be
depopulated."
But more and more the best blood of
America is coming Alaskaward, and
nothing helps this more than the tourists,
ever in increasing numbers, carrying
home "great tales of the pleasant land of
the new Northwest. Ketchikan, the home
port of thousands of miners, is . said to
be lively in Winter, when the hermits
come in from the hills to taste the com
forts of civilized life. And In Bummer,
of course, the passing steamers bring
never-ending throngs, alighting, like birds
of passage, for an hour or two, and then
away.
At night-time, perhaps, a resounding
blast - echoes and re-echoes among the
hills and all the town is out to greet a
floating palace, gay with lights, gliding in
over the dark water. No scene can be
more impressive than this coming of a
great steamer, bearing a breath of the
outer world to a lone Alaskan hamlet.
Or. perhaps, it is a trade steamer from
Seattle, laden, heaped and weighted to the
gunwales with all the merchandise
$30,000,000 a year that has made this
North a marvel of beauty and of devel
opment. Great is the waste, too, in this
merchandise. Land freighting Is so dif
ficult that often the mining camp is left
undisturbed in the hills, tent, stove, fur
niture and all, to rot and decay in the
Winter rain. But life, movement, prog
ress, rushes on, undeterred by the aban
donment of here and there a camp. Life
is too short and water-freighting too easy
to burden one's self with what has served
its purpose in the hills.
Musio is here, and dancing, theaters and
Sunday schools, women's clubs and ladies'
aid societies, all the Interests and activi
ties of any American village. Such is life
at Ketchikan, three days from Seattle and
six hours from Port Simpson, the nearest
Canadian point below Alaska.
Ketchikan. Alaska.
The eyelids of the avtrsgre man open and
shut 4,000,000 times a year.
I I f t I1U Ell. itnii IVl IVI V
on-y--r M ... raft . IwjI),. ..... V.
in his mouth resting on his tender lower jaw. If he could, only
for a change, get his head a little higher occasionally, it would rest
him, but the martingale prevents that. With back aching and the
tendons in his leg throbbing as the result of the manner in which
the weight is thrown on them, he endures the torture uncomplain
ingly. If the little colt were endowed with reasoning powers and
knew that this wretched horse was once a happy youngster like
Our Schools Should Teach Highest Idealism
One Jjofty Plan to Set the Feet of Portland Children and Youth In the Right Way.
BY J. C. L.
RECENT investigation In official and
corporate circles has proven the
wholesome wisdom of the present
National Administration, in laying bare
for publio inspection all that affects the
public welfare. When our newspapers are
supplied with clear and accurate state
ments of business 'transacted, as well as
proposed changes in methods and princi
ples of all that pertains to the public,
they will no longer have to fill their
columns with questionable matter in or
der to cater to the general reading pub
lic. This custom would shear grafting
rings of their strength, bosses would be
thrown out of business and the vital sen
timent of the glorious old constitution
would be a sentient principle.
If It Is necessary that municipal affairs,
railroad systems, insurance policies, 'Na
tional protection of public lands should be
laid bare for public inspection, that that
same public may be educated to-an intel
ligent understanding of conditions, keep
pace with progicss and demolish arbi
trary or obstructive policies, then, so far
from eliminating the publlo school sys
tem, it should stand at the head. ' The
results of such a practice would be re
act ory and the educated intelligence ac
quired by the masses from an aroused
personal Interest in matters in which they
have a right to act would at least equal
the improvement in an administration of
general affairs by the poople who must
accept results.
Apropos of the free discussion of the
publlo school system of Portland which
has been permitted through the press It
seems timely to bring out one point that
is at least faulty. Those who have been
at the head of the public schools of Port
land during the last decade have evolved
ft system that is In many ways admtrable.
Vast strides have been made in the last
ten years, probably the hardest ten years
that will ever occur In its history; but,
like all human Institutions, It Is open
to criticism. In this age of free" and
rapid exchange of thought and knowledge
there la no reason why our city should
fall to keep pace with educational prog
ress by an exclusive policy that proceeds
from contentment with prevailing condi
tions. The truest way to Judge and the
one freest from personal bias is found in
comparison with puhjlc school systems In
other cities. One, who has been identi
fied with educational interests for many
years, was visiting In an adjacent city
more than a year ago.' She was particu
larly pleased with the fine, commodi
ous High School building of dark gray
stone. In talking with one of'the teach
ers a conversation something like the fol
lowing occurred:
"Your Board of Education was wise to
erect a building large enough, to accom
modate the growth of the city for many
years."
"Oh! That is crowded now, we are al-;
' himself, how miserable would he become, for he would realize that
in a few more months he, too, would have his head yanked up, not,
to speak of having his tail cut off and of being subjected to other
tortures.
Do "horsemen" realize what torture they are causing when, for
fashion's sake, thev distort horses as they "do?
(Copyright, 1907, by Katherine N. Birdsall.)
ready constructing two Other buildings in
different parts of the city."
"Why how many students have you?"
"More than 2000." '
"Not in your High School!"
"Yes."
"Why your population is less than ours
and we have scarcely 1000, how do you ac
count for that?"
The teacher was not a home product,
tut a college-bred woman and efficient
teacher from California. After reflec
tive pause she answered:
"Well, I will tell you frankly my
opinion. . You have a system that dis
courages the broadening out that
comes from rp. Interchange of superior
educational material. Instead of of
fering a bonus for the very best edu
cators of our land and there the field
is wide and rleh--you take your
High School girls of immature judg
ment, character and education and
turn them right back Into the gram
mar schools as pupil teachers. As
soon as they learn to fit Into their
part of the factory and to run the ma
chinery they go in as full-pay teachers.
They have nover learned responsibility,
they have no ideals beyond doing as
they are told, and drawing a salary.
They know nothing of the outlook, the
sweep of vision, the heights and depths
revealed by higher education, conse
quently they furnish no Inspiration to
their - pupils. How can they? The
ohlldren find their inspiration in the
business or social world, aonsequently
they drop out of the grammar grades."
Now, this statement needs no ser
mon, with its tenthly, for elucidation.
A machine may be a wonder in sym
metry and accuracy, but it must be
vitalized or we have only a machine
product, and we draw the line when
that product is human beings. It Is
commendable for a city to provide re
munerative employment for Its am
bitious young people, but how much
better for those same 'young people, as
well as for the future of the city. If it
provided ft loan fund for such students
as were not able to pay their own
way, that they may be enabled to go
away and obtain the education that
trains the faculties, widens the hori
zon, gives loftier outlook. teaches
them their Own limitations and how
to ris above them; to accept tru
Ideals, and above all to face respon
sibility squarely, lift it fairly, adjust
it well and carry it buoyantly. Teach
ers are ideals themselves, to their
pupils. Their influence in the shap
ing of the character of those plastic
beings is for all future time.
If anyone doubts this, let him study
history or cast a reflective eye over his
own past. The future of our city is
created In the schoolroom. Shall it
be broad, vitalized individualism, with
every faculty alert, or are we content
with the machine-made article? Ask
the farmer how his wheat, his oats, his
potatoes produce if he perseveres in
Copyright, 1907, by Katherine N. Blrdsall
the rotation seed system. Ask the law
yer, the diplomat, the manufacturer,
the machinist, the journalist, if he is
content with the routine of local in
terests and local knowledge. China
can answer for you. It is only the
educator who can afford to retro
grade, because perhaps higher educa
tion has no immediate commercial
value, no market price. Eternal vig
ilance is the price of progress,. and we
must awake to all possible advance
ment in principles and methods of the
education for the young or the car of
progress will sweep past us and we
will be left to plod along In its
shadow and take its dust.
How Indians Tan Beer Skin.
The skiii dressing of the Indians, both
buffalo and deerskins. Is generally very
beautiful and soft. They stretch the
skin either on a. frame or on the
ground, and after it has remained there
for three or four days, with the brains
Bpread over the fleshy side, they grain
it with a sort of adze or chisel.
After the process of graining', though
the skin Is apparently beautifully fin
ished, it passes through another pro
cess that of smoking. For this they
hang the skin on a frame in a smoke
proof house or tent. The fire is mad
at the bottom out of rotten wood, which
produces a strong and peculiar smell.
The lire must be smothered to make the
smoke. -
The grained skins have to be kept
In the smoke for three or four days,
and after this the skins will always re
main the same, even after wet, which
does not belong to the dressed skins in
civilized countries.
TtW Inez.
Oh, have you taw sweat Inez?
She'ii went Into the east
To splash around In aalty waves
And break lx hearta at leant.
She took her beat clo'a with her
Our troubles are Increased.
And we Hint hit th quick-lunch Joints
While she can blithely feaat.
Gee, bow we ml fair Inas
While she In far away!
The chief cleric baa a aolemn look
Ha uaed to be so say; '
The boas U grouchy, and I heard '
Him awearln' yenterday
Because there wasn't no one here '
Knew how to spell sasshay.
Come back, come back, aweet Inez.
To hammer on the keya;
It seemed like musio when' you made
Your O'a and I and E's.
IT.?.back -nd brln y"T bathin' suit,
Which Teaches to your kneea:
Come back, we'll let you wear it in
The office if you please.
. THE NEW OFFICE BOY.
-B. KT. Kiaer In the Chicago Record-Herald.
Measuring ten feet six Inches, an
while beins- kniM -. -r
nrtnnn.
victoria.
entwined a tentacle so firmly areund
the
....... vnr ot ils captors that the
brane had to be cut- to free the man.
mem-
s.