The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1871-12-28

4f4 .
yOUWTY. IOWA, THU8l I
; : : : :. = = : =! = :
soul aud inbred snperstition as to be
totally terrible 70 timid visitors.
Four yeafs ago ono Of the men war
returning 70 camp T. the night He
had imbibed too freely OF the fata'
"6re water, which jn this country
has brought calamity upon the In
dian people and-the torch and toma
haNk y 50 many pioneer cabins. -
Drowsiness overlook him, ,and be icy
down. His body wag found horribly
mangled from having been rnn
over by . passlng train. During
the day the Indiana game down 10
soleuh procession flpm the camp
colIeetsd every hA6ment OF the
body aud clothing, scraped up even
the soil that had heeo dampened
with his blood, carried ~ away and
buried them with the utmost care
Then his pony--a dismai-looktng liz.
tie animal which gavc abundant
proof Of having had : hard NE q it..-
WAS led upon the grayeAnd shot, ita
blood mingling with tne iresn ses. esrtn,
60 tnat its SPIRIT might accOm mpsDy
thAs OF lts master 20 the happy hunt
ing grounds which are the Mns.
qoawkees neaven: a..
Except that few Of them have
learned 70 WEAR hatss their constant
contacs Win men OF c'yiliSed dress
mas not had the eneCt 70 change
thsir sevAge prefsrencs 70 this par
ticaiaE LcgglnA moccaslns, multifa-
r.oes tr1nketss snellA nose ana oar
ring3 red wamPum, req feathep ana
paint, ciose-shaven heads, ugly pig
tahls ana Gor9ecus s0p-nots, make up
the glory ana o0euty OF their toilets.
A the metter q dross, however,
the women are not nearly so extrav-
agent as the mon. Their hair re-
ceives less attention, and thsir faces
are mostly exempt rom paint. They
tr1m their skirts with cnriously
wrought trimmings, wear shell BRACE
lets, bead neckiaces, and large ear-
rings. But IN these trappings they
constantly advertise the inferior po-
sition they are expected TO occupy.
The Musquawkeee, save in : single
particular, sre strictiy honest and,
though they have put the slightest
knowieoge OF numbers they remem
oor tnelr eo0oonts with surprising
accuracy, Mnen tney Duy anything
iof Wnlcn tney cannot pay down,
tney must nave the amount written
on . piece Of paper TOR them. They
canooe read u, OF course, but they
never iil 70 bring It with them
when they come 70 settle, and to
know just now much IT represents.
Inslr idea OF business is just this !:
II Maw-nook.e-maw owes me SlO, |
write out his note for the amount,
Sign his name to II, and he makes
'shis mark BY touching the top of
the penholder while ! mako the mark
#X) myself Then he keeps it to
remind him that he owes me-
Without pocket, pocket book, draw
er or shelf in all the world, 1t is an
utter mystery how he does keep it !;
but as certainly as the day Of pay.
ment comes, 90 certainly does ne
i1sh ont from some recess or fold OF
blanket, 0reeohciout or leggln, the
identical promise TO pay, and hands
over both II ana the specified amount.
Interest is . prodnct OF civiliSation.
NOW that No has PAID It, must keep
the note 70 remind me that no does
not owe me. Should l afterward
present it for payment, the fact Of
it's being in my possession would be
TO him conclusive evidence that he
had paid it. w
Some may suppose that ! ought to
subtract still farther from the state.
ment regarding their honesty, when
| say that they are remarkably ex-
pert at games OF chance snd play
them for money ct every opport1ni.
tys; but they are totally ignorant OF
of tho morality involved in the act
OF obtaining money through the op-
erations Of chance. They regard 1t
as 9 purely business transaction, in
which, what they win they have
fairly earned and vice versa. Th0V