The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-02-17
Gbe Gnnes, Mem Bloomfield, llu.


always much shorter than in your latitude
The soil is very fertile, being rich black
loan, with sand intermixed sufficient to
keep it loose and prevent baking, but not
enough to cause 1t to wash. The country
has diversity Of surface-broad prairies,
rolling lands and mountains. Numerous
streams flow through, and frequent rains
supply moisture for vegetation. Every
crop that has been planted here has given
an abundant yield, corn, wheat, oats, rice,
cotton, tobacco, do equally we'll, and con-
sidering the imperfect farming, produce
generous harvests. Few sections Of the
United States are SO favored by Nature.
The Indians we see here, in state of
transition from barbarism to civilization, are
widely different both from the ideal In
dians of Cooper and the romances of the
New York Ledger, and from the blood
thirsty, untamed and untaught MOdocs OF
Comanche. He attempts to initiate the
manners and mode of life of the white man,
but his savage traits and customs are not
yet wholly abandoned, nor will they be in
this generation and one or, it may be, two
succeeding His dress is a striking combi-
nation of the savage taste for gaudy orna-
ment and the more sober attire of the
white man. A photograph of a Seminole
farmer would present to You such a picture
as this. From the rim of a soft hat, pulled
down over his brows and decorated with
one or more feathers, varying from an
ostrich plume, such as ladies wear, of every
bright color, to a "gray goose quill, "
hangs far over the shoulders thick mass
of jet black hair, coarse and straight cling
ing in rough strands of unequal length,
that gives him fierce and uncouth APP
pearance. He wears a coat cut like
woman's sack with very wide collar and
loose sleeves, made of calico of the bright
est hues and most haring pattern that the
stock of the merchant permits. The edges
of the sleeves and collar are ornamented
with fringe. A pair of buckskin panta-
looms with fringe down the outside seams
of the legs and pair of shoes armed with
spurs complete the costume. Some of them
make a nearer approach to the costume of
those in the states, as far as regards panta-
looms, but the calico coat is aim ost in uni
versal use. Many Of the men and all the
women wear earrings, and whatever arti-
cles of jewelry or tinsel they can afford.
Very few of them talk English, though
most of them can understand it. There
seems to be an inability in them to pro-
nounce certain English words They are
very sensitive to ridicule, and as they al
ways laugh at the blunders of q white man
in attempting their language, they expect
to be laughed at in turn so they refrain
from trying to talk it even when they can.
know of one who thought he had master
ed English, and used his accomplishment
with considerable pride, until ON asking
a store-keeper for apples he was handed
marbles, whereupon, in disgust at his fail
urr to make himself understood, he aban-
doned the language forever.
The houses are with few exceptions built
of logs, and like all the log houses in the
South, consist of two apartments connect
ted by an open passage under the same
roof, with broad verandas surrounding or
only in front of the house. The stables are
very small, barn being a building un-
known, and they are generally poorly con-
structed and open, hardly deserving the
name of shelter. The stock wanders at
will over the prairies and in inclement
weather seek the protection of the bush
and bottom lands and as frequent fires
burn off the grass from the "ranges' they
find but a poor sustenance and consequent
ly in the Spring appear half starved. 1t
seems never to occur to the owners that it
is their duty to provide for the comfort of
their stock.
The community of interest THAT is, all
the lands being held in common) and the
natural aversion of the Indian to contin-
uous labor, prevent anything like rivalry in
farming, or an ambition to accumulate
wealth. They only raise enough to live
I upon, and even those who have large herds
of stock derive but a small income from
them. Each house is surrounded by lot
Of starved dogs; and the pigs, ''razor
backed" and wild as deer wander through
the forest and are shot when needed for
food. Bread is made Of corn and as there
are few mills in the country, meal for each
days baking is made by pounding the corn
in big wooden mortar. There seems
now, however, to be disposition among
many to show more enterprise in farming
and adopt customs more conducive to COM
fort than those that have been so long in
use; but 1t will be long before justice will
be done to the fertility Of the land. The
time however must come when the Indians
will not be permitted to retain their reser-
vations 10 the exclusion of whites and per-
nit 80 much valuable land to be unused.
The country will be sectionized and the
immigration Of settlers from the states will
create new method of agriculture and
another condition of social life, though this
may not be for years to come. Well or.
ganized schools, and missionaries aud ma
tive preachers labor TO insure the mental