Indian Traits--Dog Team.
Chief John Buffalo was a superior Indian, always pleasant,
companionable, and willing to do a full day's work. He seemed to prefer
the society of the white men, and therefore spent much of his time with
them. The Indian grows to manhood schooled in superstition. I recall
that during the first long trip from the mouth of Montreal River to the
Flambeau Reservation, and thence to the mouth of the Flambeau River, on
one evening the party camped near by a natural meadow where the grass
had ripened and was dry. Our three Indians went out with their knives,
to gather armfuls of the grass to spread in our tents to soften our beds
for the night. While thus engaged, Antoine, one of the Indians,
encountered a blow-snake. This reptile, when defending itself, emits an
odor which is sickening, but among white men is not considered very
dangerous. There was no question but that Antoine was made sick for that
evening by the snake, which had not touched him but had been very near
to him. Ed and Frank, the other two Indians of the party, told us that
evening that it was too bad, for Antoine surely would die within the
year as a result of his having gotten this odor from the blow-snake. Two
years subsequently, I landed at Bayfield from a Lake Superior steamer,
and one of the first persons I met on the dock was Antoine, who looked
as hale and hearty and well as he was before his experience with the
blow-snake. On congratulating him for his victory over the dire calamity
predicted, because of his encounter two years previous with the
blow-snake, he was considerably embarrassed, but made no explanation why
he was yet alive.
During the first half of the seventies, there was no railroad to the
shores of Lake Superior in Bayfield County. In January, 1876, it was
necessary for me to reach Bayfield on important business. A very poor
road had been cut through the woods from Old Superior to Bayfield,
crossing the streams running north into Lake Superior. United States
mail was carried on toboggans drawn by dogs, and conducted by Indian
runners.
[Illustration: "The party subsisted well, until it arrived at Ely".
(Page 150.)]
The snow was deep, and no trail was broken on the morning that I arrived
at Superior hoping to secure some kind of conveyance to take me through
to Bayfield, but I found no one who would volunteer to make the journey.
In this dilemma I sought the owners of dog teams, and succeeded in
purchasing two rather small dogs that were young and full of life, as
well as well trained. These I hitched to a toboggan and started on my
journey of ninety-five miles to Bayfield. The morning was mostly gone
when the start was made, and that night was spent in a small cabin on
the Brule River. The cabin had been erected for the use of the Indian
mail carriers, and was unoccupied. It contained a stove, however, and
wood was handy outside. The next morning an early start was made, and
our train reached Bayfield, as I remember, about one o'clock in the
afternoon.
The return journey was made by the same route. I had become acquainted
with the smart dog team, so that the return journey was rather enjoyable
than otherwise. I took advantage of the down grades to get a little rest
by throwing myself flat upon the toboggan, dismounting as soon as the up
grades were reached. I had become greatly attached to the dogs,
therefore I put them in the express car, on my return from Duluth, and
brought them with me to Minneapolis. The thought to do this was prompted
by thinking of the little daughter at home, then two and one-half years
old, and of her baby brother, yet in arms. A suitable sled was at once
ordered made, with a seat for little sister. To the sled, the dogs were
harnessed abreast, and the dogs and child were never happier than when
out on the streets for exercise.
There were only two miles of street car track in Minneapolis at that
time, and that little track was remote from the family home. The city
was then small. Passing teams on the streets were infrequent, so that it
was perfectly safe for her to be out in her tiny conveyance, accompanied
always either by her father or by her admiring uncle.