The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-07-20
A DaY with Abe Indians

"A Day With iIe Indians.
We end in the St. Paul Pioneer, OF TIE a5th
ult., u very interesting account of & late trip
20 the Lover Sioux Agency. Among the
tourists were Governor and Mrs. Ramsey.
number of Minnesota and United States Off.
cisls and party of English traveller. We
extract the following readable passages
Tho indians were scattered in the country
hack, and few had as yet begun to come IN
Yet among These soon appeared the most no.
tahe OF ali present during the day. "Stautiine
Buffalo," chief of the Sissitons and In per-
son. demeanoy ard decorations, a aue speci-
T1en OF an Indian chieftain. A little over ak
,ees III helsht, straight as emo Of his arrows,
every motion WAS fuU of native grace and
unabashed dignity. He was wrapped IN =
shisp blanket, falling to his feet. with culver
hung oy strip OF wolf ekin about his chest,
necElace, closely regeIn bling a rair of small
grace hoops, about his heck, end n fine haad.
dress OF eagle feathers above all ON hin
breast waa pendant small gilt framed mir
fof, SAID 10 be his most cherished ornament,
ano nis lace, which is mild in expression, was
mvioed into four sections, gay with as many
colors. and these banded with others like 81,
ancient ooat-ol arms. He was speedily intro
duced TO his fellow -dgnitary Governor Ram
sey. whose ;raternal welcome he accepted
Nth the dignity OF An equal, Il Eot 9 supe-
FLOR.
The Indians seemed not greatly inclined 10
traoins, though fully alive TO the value of
'hoshpoppy" money. when possarsec "a
they lay in their Giro Les, s1n ohirg and talking
they were speedily assailed by the gentlemen
the only thing they had ready to cell The
are made OF red pipe. stone, material reeer,-
Ding slate in texture, and obtained from 3
quarry In the region, reserved 10 them by
treaty and guarded with jeaious care. MANY
are cut with singular dexterity and some
times boauty-aostly plain, and resembling 2
Tonahewk IN shape, but sisc of other shapes
sometimes quite elaborate, Initiating anita
well Egr4NH and tnr,as
amman form, and often cpnningiy inlaid in
aTabssquc1 of lead. Ono aspiring reniUz had
copied from az advertisement PERI Ia, IL
Pain EillsT,'' to smokers, not an an, inqCrin-
ton. This he held ST the eScrtitaut y,rica of
twenty dollars. For simpler grec irsseils. four
Two, and generally one dollar were paid. The
inner ones we're often a. much as six or eight
inches in length, and finely Polished
About twelve o'clock a grand council was
heId OF the Governor, Superin tendent and
Agent, apd the notable uen of the Sioux The
and the agent. and repned through "Red
owl, a dark sinewy man, OF Intelligent
countenance, in which, Bingularly enough
might be traced no slight rescrn blance IN he.
1nosthenes. His oratory WAS energetic, his
gestures forcih!e, and at the paus.s Tor i,f,e,.
probation, by which process his speech yas
emascuIated of all it's native vigor and elo-
quence, he was greeted BY hearty 4uebsi5 NJ
approval from his bre thrsn. These speeches
eonsistad OF the usual ezc1sas and sair prom.
ases on our side. and tho ordinary con, plaints
from the Indiana, OF injustice and frand pro-
bably. alas. tco we'll founded il !,asl 'rhar.
was, 10 sympatbeUc spectator a touchine
contrast ets9een the plausible derneapor and
language OF the white dignitaries and the
simple. nntu tered earnestness OF the savages
Aiter the breaking up Of the council in
which beef had been promised the poor
creatures by Governor Ramsey, the Indians
dispersed to Kill and dress IL, and to prepare
for dance. which they were to give in honor
OF the OCCASION. Their deliberate motions &C.
castoned m interval of a coupic Of hours
spent by the excursionisLs In lunehinr uar
tsrink and watching the numerous grou ps Of
abOrigtnies.
At nearly Are o'clock large body, loobins
AZ terrible Us an army with banners. syss
seen coming down the PLAN from the direo-
uon OF tne trading houBes, preceded by hor-
riblc looking savage, chareOaled and so uaIia
IN dress, who circied the ground at q quick
pace. bowling terribly. To inform us that The
sLoW would be there ana sool tase place. AS
sne Band grew Near. we found it composed of
the dancers, perhaps fifty in number. fan led
py cavaicade IN escort, on foot and on pony
oacx, and the rear brought up by old men.
children and souaws.
Inc dancers, mostly Young, quickly ranged
themselves around a scuatting sroup of Older
men. who began beating rude drums, with
great energy and in n sort of rhythm adapted
~ tne performance The dance was TO be the |
monkey Dance. new invention 40 said
originating In dream of some Young brave
The monkey was represented by papoos g about
as big as one. gayly dressed aud held by q good
In
various colored shirts, leather lesgins. rnostlv
and strange, helmet shaped caps, of fur aud |
horse hair, with small horns, and gayly paint
ed and decorated. The faces OF the men when |
exposed, and the limbs Were brightly painted
the coiors being apparently earthly pigments. |
oOarseiy laid on.
All being ready, q fellow going vigorously |!
round and round, outside them brandishing a |
large hoop, 10 keep back the crowd, the dance |!
began. 1t consisted Of nothing but tho rudest |
hoppings about the circle, sometimes in single |
line, aid sometimes two or more deep, with |
wild howls and vehement Cesticulations and |
bsandishing Of the little hoops held tr their |
left halae. On the whole, If at ell interest |
Mg, II WAS still more q pitiabie, disgusting
spectacle Finally, Ii there is any sincere in |
teyest felt BY those concerned with Indian AT
fairs, In eiovating the moral and social condi- |
ton OF these poor childish creatures, all such |
relics OF barbarism as these dances should be |
copscientiously discouraged. /
The dance lasted perhaps an hour, and we |
retu ned 70 tho boat. Even 80 short q visit |
gave one an interesting opportunity to OBJ |
serve the character OF the Indians and to dis |!
cover many traits not otherwise TO be appre- |
ciated. One thing in particular we noted as /
much at variance with preconceived ideas.
This was the great good humor and sense of |
iun the Indians displayed, both among them |
In much more Keen than IL the case with |
classes OF peraous similarly degraded among |
whites. But We were told that in these we |
wsrc seeing tina more mild and civilized por. |
tion Of these tribes, OF whom those we met |
II the Upper Agency ars vastly more wild and |
nsrce Certainly these seemed, in general, |
very simple and docile.
WORTH TKyisa.-The following resaiuta |
have been furnished us by most estimable /
Lady, and VIE have the assurance Of their /
having been attended with success whenever |
tried
To Make Feast Take handful of hops. Pat |
them Ia foEr plnts Of water; boil them until |
naii OF tho water IN boiled away, strain II /
through sssve. then add pint and a half OF |
corn meal, one tablespoonful Of table salt,
bali cup Of cold yeast. Let il rise well be |
scre nsing Tor bresd; then u q pint OF 1Our
Add two Mblsspoonsfpl Of tbs Yeast.
Tor 1attng 6rsdd.To quart Of flour mt
Scur tablespoonful OF yeast. q tabissDoonfni |
OF lard. tablespoonful Of salt, one err. wa
ter Sufficient to make IL A afi6 donrh 1900