Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-04-19
Tanning the Indians.

PELEG PERKINS lived in Denver Colora
1 do. He was philanthropist, of the mosi
positive and enthusiastic type. Unlike 9th.
er modern philanthropists, ne did not use
his wonderful genius in promoting woman
suffrage, anti-cruelty to animals, teetotal-
ism, news-blacl1s and boot-boys homes,
or any such trivial enterprises. His phil
anthropy always bubbled up in behalf OF
the poor, pitiable, painted, peripatetic In
dian. He contended that the Indian was
human being, and hence susceptible of
being civilized, christianized, and worked
over into useful citizen. 1t was only
necessary, he declared, to furnish the
poor, down-trodden copper-skin with
plenty of blankets, trinkets and tracts,
and place him under good influence gen.
orally, and the noble red man would soon
become the pride Of America. And Peleg
longed for an opportunity to unfurl this
fact to the public, in practical way, that
would convince the most skeptical. Para
doxical as it may seem, the object always
uppermost in his mind was $50"
He had not been a resident of Colorado
many months, before resolving to put this
philanthropic theory into practice. He ar
ranged for little missionating expedition
among the Utes, who were numerously
encamped in the mountain passes not far
away from Denver. His wife protested,
but he was determined to- go, and to go
alone, and unarmed. Even his faithful old
jack-knife. which for years had served him
so well in carving plug tobacco into little
"bricks," of the proper size to fit his
chewing machine, was taken from the
owners pocket and laid on shelf. He
would scorn to carry any kind of a weap-
on, when going on mission of love. Fill
ing his carpet-bag with tracts, such as he
thought would suit the literary taste of the
noble Utes, he kissed his weeping wife and
nine children, and started for the noun
tains. Toward nightfall he reached
large encampment Of Utes, who received
him with unmistakable demonstrations
of delight. They shook him by the hand,
they laughed, they shouted, they danced
and sang songs-all In their own peculiar
language, however, which Peleg had not
yet learned. After a hearty supper, of
raw bear meat and boiled roots, the whole
party, including the philanthropist, pre-
pared 70 retire for the night. Peleg now
opened his carpet-bag and dragging forth
half bushel of tracts, scattered them
freely among the dark-eyed subjects;
then, lying down on rock, he fell asleep,
flanked on either side by muscular
young chief. He awoke late in the morn
ing, and found the camp lively enough.
Men and women were rapidly moving to
and fro. and there was evidently some i'm
portant event at hand. A large quantity
of dry wood had been piledup around
the trunk of green tree, and at the base
of the pile lay quantity of the identical
tracts which the philanthropist had. dis
tributed few hours previous. Over
Peleg's PROSTATE form stood the two
young chiefs, brandishing their toma-
hawks and scalping knives. Soon couple
of T" Los" seized the bewildered mission
ary, and with strong pieces Of deer-skin,
bound him hand and foot; at the same
moment another gentle aboriginee, with
flint and steel, touched off the tracts.
Then. and not till then, did the horrid
suspicion flash through the mind Of the
captured philanthropist that the Indians
were preparing to roast man about the
size of Peleg's wife's husband.
Let us draw blanket over the scene
that followed. Peleg Perkins no longer
lives in Colorado. l will not undertake
to say where he docs live. l only know
that his heart-aching widow is consulting
numerous spiritual mediums In the hope
of ascertaining his whereabouts. But
wherever he Is, it is safe to conclude that
Peleg's views concerning the philanthro-
ply business as applied to the gentle
savage are somewhat changed. Ralph Il.
Hoy, in Fweside Friend.