The Placer herald., 1865-04-29
An Indian Chiefs Opinion of Americans.

Many of our readers will remember see
ing, or hearing Of The famous Indian Chief
irataba-head man Of the great Mohave
tr'be-whlle on late visit to the principal
cities and nolahilities of the Atlantic States
The Mohaves are considered the most war.
like tribe of red.men in Arizona. For sew
eral years they gave our troops under Gen.
lleln'zelman great deal of hard fighting.
Finally treaty was made, under the terms
OF which they have since preserved amicable
relations with the whites.
Iraaba has returned to his hunting
grounds. Following the example of Dickens,
Mrs. Trolope, and Basil Hall, he now ven-
lures his own opinion upon our manners and
customs, AS they appeared to his un,utored
mind. A correspondent at Arizona writes
in relation to lrataba's return as follows:
Seeing the chief short time since, | talk
ed with him of his travels, and being anxious
to know how our ways of civilization i'm.
pressed his uncuIlivated nature, | said: "Ira,
taba, what do you think Of Americana" lie
put his hand on my shoulder. gave Whit at
his pipe and said, slowly: "You. TO night
um, (the name lie calls me by,) Ira,aba heap
see 'em 'Mericanos; 'Mercanos too much
talk, too much eat. too much drink; no work
no raise pumpkins, corn, walermelons-all
time walk, talk, drnk-no good" The old
chap had seen the big restaurants always
full OF hungry people, coming and going. and
heard the incessant clatter Of dishes from
morn Till midnight, and thought it was the
same people all the time, and with even an
lndan's appetite, it got him"
Then again, at the large hotels in New
York, Philadelphia, Washington, and other
places which he visited he saw men buzzins
each other and but,onholing by the hour,
and he was shrewd enough to observe llla,
half the time the ,alker was boring the other
to death-lhat he neither Listened nor cared
for what was told him. Aud this, too, rah-
er contlicled with the Indians native idea OF
polileness. And then he saw the same men
standing at tho bar drinking round after
round by the hour, still calling for more, un'
I'll they were unable to stagger home; and
these he put down as fools, for when | asked
him what he meant Iy saying "'Melicanos
too much talk, too much eat, too much
drink!' the old chief shrugged his shoulders,
and looked very wise, said: "To'nighlum,
Ira,aba see 'em; heap talk, heap lie, heap cal,
heap sick, heap drink, heap damn fool-no
good"
All our philosophy, from Lord Bacon
down, does not embody any more than this
old chief had discovered on his first glimpse
at civilized (?) life. lie has resumed his
place at the head of his tribe, and laying
aside the gray uniform and brialier's chopeau
which were presented him. has donned the
primitive fiy'leaf of his tribe, and seems as
happy and conteu,ed as Diogeues in bis
tub.
lie returned, safe and sound, to his own
people at home and his reception was that
of father by his household. The warriors
gathered about him night after night in en-.
ger groups to listen to the wonders lie had
seen, and the perls he had encountered, in
his long journey. Much he told them which
they could not comprehend, and being told
by any one else they would openly have
doubted, but it was enough that Irataba had
seen it, and Iraaba told it. You should
have seen them when he told them of the
ride he took on the cars from New York to
Washington; tho big wagon that went with
out horses or mules-ony little fre-and
never stopped all night. 1t was, to them,
what "Sindbad the Sailor" and Aladdin's
Lamp" were TO us, in our first readings.
Gdzlay's Pacific Monthly.