Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-06-09
Letter from Boston.
Indian Chiefs-TrOyOn's Picture Statues
Bread Winners.
lTRoN OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT

Boston, June I, 1871.
The chiefs have departed. Little Raven Pow
der Face, Little Robe, Stone Calf, Bird Chief
have gone home to tell the Arapahoes, the
Cheyennes and the Witchitas what they have
seen. They yielded in some respects to the
seduetions of a civilized costume, and a longer
stay might have transformed them to fine gen
tlemen; as it was, the transition period was
not becoming. They arrived in Washington,
invited there, as they say, by the great chief
General Washington, in all the glory of paint,
feathers, wampum and buffalo skins that be-
longs to the ideal Indian. First the stately
plumes disappeared from the heads, and the
| six dusky chieftains walked crowned with tall
silk hats; then badly fitting coarse trousers,
and white shirts unbuttoned at the throat and
wrists, supplanted the buffalo robes; the paint
was washed from their faces; but gold rings
and silver stars still CLEANED in the midnight of
| their heavy hair; gay moccasons covered their
feet; great shining ornaments were hung about
their necks; and when they rose from their
chairs, they drew their thick dark blankets
around them, utterly unconscious of the ugli-
ness or singularity of their hybrid costume.
They were treated with great courtesy here,
were taken TO the schools to the factories
to drive and to sail, and were the heroes
Of several private parties. They made
pleasant impression upon those who saw them
most Familiarity, and they showed an ardor of
feeling, and INDUCED in demonstrations of re-
gard that one does not expect in the proyerbial-
ly reserved Indian. fremont Temple was
crowded last evening at the public reception;
there was not square inch of unoccupied
room, and hundreds went away, unable to reach
even the doorways of the hall. The speeches of
the Indians were interesting, but it was curious
to notice the difference between their few and
simple ideas, and their limited range of words,
and the fuency and large views of even ordi-
nary white speakers. The Chiefs knew that they
had been wrOnged and they said so. For many
days the city has been full of Boosting and self
graduation; from churches, vestries and halls
the cry has gone out. Great are the ideas and
the charities of New England how free we are !
how large we arel how noble we arel look at
our conventions! look at our institutions listen
to our talk let the rest of the world sit at our
feet and learn of usl And before the sound of
49, fNN'SA Aes9 NAbA away NC luC ucCp pa
thos Of Indian voices, like chorus, mourning
your talk is indeed good; but you have stolen
from US, you have lied to us, and you have
broken every treaty that you have made with us !"
Ihechiefs made their complaints with simple
directness that was very effective. Buffalo Goad
said The Cherokees and Chickasaws are liy-
ing well, and they ought to, for the government
has taken my land and given il to the Cherokees
and Chickasaws, on which to grow up like white
| people. III they would let me have nv land
my children might grow up and do the same
thing. ! and my people settled in Texas on a
reservation, but the Texans wanted that land
1t was fine country. You know the Texans
what kind of people they are. They took my
land and moved me and my people up on the
Watchita. The government told me they would
make it all right, but they never have done it,
After the Texans drove us out of Texas, the
government located us on the Watchita river
and sent soldiers there to protect u.s. When the
war broke out came to Kansas, and my friends
told me the government would whip the Texans,
and would show the Indians how well 1t appre-
ciated those who stood by it. But they told me
lies. When the war was over we were sent home
| - anu e"'"S vi 10 stai'ed ny Inc way. mat
-. the way we were appreciated" Then Wendell
lnhnpS spoke, as he used to speak years ago;
&c nc never speaks unless stirred by the
"-onSs Vi the negroes or the Indians. Never
mas more picturesque scene on any platform.
lniilps 50 ialr SO fine and so graceful, SO serene
III MS audaclty, so gracious in his arrooa nce
the embodiment Of moral and intellectual no,ye,
and near him that group of beavi,,, I'm,
strangely. dressed, dark-sknned men with stoI,d
faces framed in masses of raven hair. which 81,
over their shoulders; while stretching back Il
the organ, and winding up the stairways was
sea of intent faces, pleased and curious and hot
The chiefs were the guests. not of the city gov
eminent, but of the Massachusetts Indian com
mission, who entertained them generously, bu
[ On lolal-abstinence principlea No form Of Rinf