The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1869-10-21

astonish and pulverize such parties as
might be picnicing below, when sign
I have just mentioned forbade that.
Even thatpoor satisfaction was denied
me (and l a friendIess orphan.) There
was no resource, now, but to seek con-
ISOLATION in the flowing bowl. L drew
my flask from my pocket, but it Yves
all in vain. A sign confronted me
which said:
"No drinking allowed on these
premises"
On that spot L might have perished
of thirst but for an honorable old
maxim that fitted through my mem~
DRY at the critical moment: "All
signs fail in dry time" Common law
takes precedence of the statutes.
was saved.
THE NOBLE RED MAN.
The noble red man has always been
darling of mine. I love to read
about him in tales and legeds and ro-
mances. love to read of his in
spired sagacity and his love of the
wild free life of mountain and forest;
and his grand truthfulness, his hatred
of treachery, and his general nobility
of character; and his metaphorical
manner of speech =; and his chivalrous
love for his dusky maiden; and the
picturesque pomp of his dress and
accoutrement. When 1 found the
shops at Niagara Falls full of dainty
Indian bead work, and stunning moe
asins, and equally stunning toy fig
ures representing human beings, who
carried the weapons in holes bored
through their arms and bodies, and
had feet shaped like pie, was filled
with emotion 1 knew now that at
| last was going to come face to face
with the Noble Red Man. A lady
clerk in shop told me, indeed, that
all her grand array of fcuriosities were
made by the Indians, and that there
were plenty about the Falls, and that
they were friendly, and it would not
be dangerous to speak to them. And
sure enough as I approached the
bridge leading ,s~er to Lena Island, l
came upon a noble son of the Forest,
sitting under tree, diligently at
work ona bead reticule. He wore
slouched hat and brogans, and had
short black pipe in his mouth. Thus
does the baneful contact with our eff
Terminate civilization dilute the pic
turesque pomp which is so natural TO
the Indian when far removed from US
in his native haunts. | addressed the
relic as follows:
-" Is the Wawhoo-Vang- Wang of the
Whack-a-whack happy? Does the
great Spelled Thunder sigh for the
war-path, or is his heart contented
with dreaming of his dusky maiden,
the Prfdc-of the Forest Does the
mighty sachem yearn to. drink fhe
blood of his enemies, or is he satisfied
to make bead reticules for the papoose
of the pale face? Speak! sublime
relic of by-gone grandeur! venerable
ruin. -speak!"
felic said:
" An is it mesclf, Dennis Hooligan,
| that ye'd be takin' for bloody Injun,
ye drawlin', lantern -jawed, spider
legged divil! By the piper that
played before Moses, I'll ate vel"
1 went away from there.
/ By and by, in the ncighborhood of
the Terrapin Tower, I came upon a
gentle daughter of the aborigines, in
fringed and beaded buckskin mocca-
sins and Logging, seated on bench
with her pretty wares about her. She
had just carved out a wooden chief
that had a strong resemblance to a
clothespin, and was now boring hole
through his abdomen to put his bow
through. 1 hesitated moment, and
then addressed her:
"Is the heart of the forest maiden
heavy? Is the Laughing-Tadpole
lonely? Does she mourn over the ex-
tinguished council fires of her race
and the vanquished glory of her an
cestors? Or does her sad spirit wan
der far towards the hunting grounds
, whittier her brave Gobbler-of-the
Lightenings is gone! Why is my
daughter silent? Has she aught
against the pale-faced stranger?"
The maiden said:
i" Faix, an Is it Biddy Malane ye
F dare be calm names! Lave this, OIL
I'll shy your lean carcass over the cat
epact, ye spivelling blaggard.'
I adjourned from there ALSO, "ConI
found these Indians" l said, "they
t told me they wero tame; but if ap'
pearances should go for anything,
should say they were all on the wal
(: path"
1 made one more attempt TO frater
nize with them, and only one. came
upon camp ofthem gathered in the
g shade Of a large tree, making wampun
and moccasins, and addressed then
in the language of friendship;
= "Noble Red Men, Braves, Crane
Sachems, War-Chiefs, Squaus ant
n Observation-Disclosures, the pal,
face from the land of the setting SUI
greets you! Benifcent Poiecat-yol
n Roaring g-Thundergust-you, Bullybo,
with7a-G lass-eye--the pale face from
! beyond the great waters greets yo'
t all! War and pestilence have thinnet
i your ranks and destroyed your one
If proud nation. Poker, se7en-up, ant
vain modern expense for soap, un
y known to your glorious ancestor:
= have depleted your purses. Appro
l. priating in your simplicity the prop
&c erty of others has gotten you in trou
j. BILE. disappearing facts has dam
O. aged your reputation with the soul