The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-08-01
nrnoRs OF 4 Pon.woW.

Virtues and Wees Of the IndIans-.
Strange squzWS-L8TeIy Com petition
In SLeAIInS-Ihey Resolve 10 go 10
WORK.
The shoshons Indians, to the number
oftbres hundred men, women and chill
dren, held poT-woT at Reese rlysr
last week. II was meeting Of the
com Cniltee Of the whole on ways and
means The pale faces have pitched
their tents q the country with the evil
dent purpose Of prolonged stay. The
Indians perceive this TO Be the dsliOeE-
ale design ofthe white man. and, like
reasOnz bic ssysges, have concluded 20
accept the situAi1n- The look fate
square in the face, and are resigned and
contented with their lot Already they
practice a few Of the virtues and all the
vices Of the white mem they play cards.
drink whisky, swear, cheat, lick their
wives, and hnhEeF after strange sQuaws.
With little further effort they will
attain the full bloom of the civilization
of the superior white man, and InAy
reasonably hope TO enjoy the Donors Of
Carson al no distant day. Just at pres
ent the grub question occupies the at
tention OF their statesmen Before the
advent of the whites, their staple arti-
Gle OF food was the pine nut, which
cushioned their bones with muscle and
fat, and caused them TO laugh and
shout he! ha! Their favorite tree, with
its unc:uous diet, Is fast disappearing,
While their ApPetites are as keen as
ever. The pine mt Is gone, but their
bowels remaini and the bowels have
much more TO do with the conduct OF
men than brains. They must eat,
whether they finally go the devil or
At the convention of the Indians it
was resolved that they must have much
bread and beef, and in order to
procure these essential articles for their
comfort, It was further resolved that
they would work. One Of their chief
orators remarked that they did not like
work much more than most white men,
but the want of grub would compel
them IN do some. They had tried a
little stealing from the white men, but
he was ashamed to own that they bad
Indian was no match for the white man
| in hooking. Besides It led to bad feel
inga, for he knew from experience that
two of a trade never agreed.
The crow Is a big thief; he steals our
pine nuts, and beetles and mice, and
even our rats and rabbits. But the
hawk is q bigger thief; he not only
seizss the sage hen the Indian has shot,
but he darts upon the crow and steals
from him our rats and rabbits. Indian
Is the crow and white man is the hawk.
Fellows, stealing don't pay; IL Is ausge-
spleiti we must Eotks OuE men can
hew wood and draw water; they can
dig in the field, and drop the seed, and
gather the harvest; and our squws can
wash and do everything the same as
white squaWs. II was then resolved
that the Shoshones were good Indians
who didn't steal, and were willing and
anxious to work for their grub.
After some further resolving, and be-
ing in the mood, fell to dancing,
which they kept up for six days and
then separated, each family following
the beat of its inclination. It is to be
hoped that our people generally will
heed the resolutions Of the Indians to
go TO work. We have cut OF their chief
source Of subsistence, and it Is but sim
pie justice TO AFFORD them the means of
earning their living. Bssldes, for ma
ny kinds Of labor the Indian may be
employed at the best advantage and at
a small cost.