MISCELLANEOUS. 277 



the genus homo. They live principally on pork, beans, corn- 

 beef and coffee, the pork forming the leading article in the 

 bill of fare, by a large majority. This class of food produces 

 so much animal heat in their bodies that they can stand cold 

 equal to an Esquimaux, and even in this semi-arctic winter 

 they wear very light clothing. They seldom wear coats or 

 vests, even when not at work. Their pants and shirts are 

 made of the thick heavy " Mackinaw" flannel, and if, owing 

 to an unusually cold snap or to their not being at work, they 

 feel cold, they simply put on another shirt. This flannel is 

 made up in very flashy colors, the most popular being blue, 

 crimson and scarlet, though some of the men wear grey. A 

 crowd of them together present a most fantastic picture. 

 One man wears a red shirt, blue pants, black cap and mocca- 

 sins ; another wears a blue shirt, red pants and a red cap ; 

 still another wears a suit of all red and his " pard " one of all 

 blue, and large cow-hide boots. Many of them wear red 

 and blue flannel or knit caps, and occasionally some one will 

 heighten the picture by wearing a broad-brim black or drab 

 sombrero and a red scarf or handkerchief tied around his 

 waist. There are also many Indians and half-breeds in this 

 country, with whom this taste for gaudy colors is inherent, and 

 they even out-do their white brethren in their display of colors. 



As we roll up to a station, many of which consist of but a 

 few log-cabins, in the midst of this wilderness, and this gaily 

 attired throng turns out to see the train come in, the traveler 

 need draw but slightly on his imagination to fancy himself 

 passing over the Alps and his train suddenly surrounded and 

 attacked by the Alpine banditti. 



One of these loggers, who had evidently made up his mind 

 to "settle" here, had been away to the settlements, had 

 married and was returning with his bride to his forest home, 

 on the same train on which I was a passenger. 



