Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-09-24
An Usage Indian wedding.


WE have just had the rare fortune to at
tend an Indian wedding the interested
party being the oldest daughter of Lancy
Chief and the brother of Ghetopu, chief
counselor of the nation. The description
of the wedding must be promised with a
brief account of the Indian custom.
Girls are watched very closely, and on
no account are allowed to associate with
men until after marriage. The Indians
object strongly to the agency school, on
the ground that it permits the boys and
girls to associate, and, although the latter
are in the majority in the tribe, only about
ten of the 100 in the school are girls.
When the oldest girl reaches a mar
riageable age she is thrown upon the mar
ket and sold to the highest bidder, old Vir-
ginia fashion---with this difference, that
the medium of trade is not tobacco, but
ponies. The entire wealth of the tribe
consists of these animals-30, 900 of them
to 5000 Indians-so that even the beggars
ride horseback
For two weeks past the question of alb
sorbing interest to Lancy Chief has been,
"Who will give the most ponies for
Mother of Eagles p" The girl being
quite pretty by the Indian standard of
beauty, brought the high price of seven
teen ponies. Now the man who marries
the oldest daughter has rightto all the
other daughters, be they few or many,
with the privilege ofkeeping them for his
own wives or of disposing of them when
they reach amarriageable age, titus get
ting his ponies back again if he values
them more than the work done by the
squaws. Not only does the son-in-law
acquire the title to all the girls by mar
riage, but he also becomes the head of the
household, leaves his own lodge for that
of his father-in-law, and comes into pos
session of all the property. Custom per-
mits the father and son-in-law joint use Of
the valuables during the life of the former,
and the property desccnds in the female
line. If you are the father of large
family of girls, reader, don't Jump at the
conclusion that you could invest them ad-
vantageously in the Indian Territory.
The only party who seems TO reap any de
cided advantage from the matrimonial
sale is the one to whom you would be-
grudge it most-the much vilified "poor
relation" For he who sells his daughter
for ponies in the Usage reservation, in
stead of trotting off with his newly-ac-
quired riches, must forthwith pass them
over to his distant relatlves-and the more
remote the better.
Lancy Chief has but two daughters, the
bride proper and her sister, girl of ten
years, who tor the past two years has at
tended the agency school. She refused to
be married, wept bitterly, and consented
only after having been severely whipped
twice by her father. 1t was sad, sad
sight to see this bright little girl sold to a
man more than twice her own age, and it
made one trf1e homesick for the land
where woman is not held something bet
ter than dog but lower than horse. 81
On the occasion of a wedding it is Usage
etiquette to witness the toiletmaking of
the bride and groom. We accordingly
visited the camp OF the young brave and
inspected his array. His head, shaved eX-
cept through the center of the scalp, was
painted bright vermilion, as was also
his face. His ears were adorned by a
large number of silver ear-bobs. His cos
tune consisted of a finely embroidered
pair of leggins, fancy red shirt, and a
bright red blanket trimmed with black
broadcloth. After dressing, the groom
retired into the woods to await the prog
ress of events. The attire of the bride, in
its union of simplicity and beauty, was a
silent protest against the extravagant no
tions of our age. 1t consisted of embroid-
cred moccasins and leggings, a bright cal
leo shirt, and over this United States in.
fantry soldiers coat with its brass buttons
and enormous epaulets. These were of
old-fashioned brass heavily fringed. The
head dress was a stiff, black felt hat, orna-
mented with two very high military cock
ades
Thus adorned, as Solomon in all his
! glory never was, the girls were mounted
upon their ponies-likewise richly capar-
! isoned-and attended by the band of the
! surOoTn rrith tba invita6 onaoto and torp,
ceded by herald bearing the American
flag, the procession moved toward the
camp of the husband-elect. When about
one-third of the way a gun was fired, al
which signal all the women related to the
groom (none of the brides family being
present) started on run for the two girls
the rule being that those reaching them
first should have q right to the ponies
When the procession had gone two-thirds
of the distance the bride was taken off hel
pony by the women and carried in 6
blanket to the lodge of the groom. The
little one was led on her pony to the dool
of the lodge, where both were seated on ;
blanket and were reclothed by the womeI
in garments belonging to the groom
Everything belonging to the brides, ear
rings, clothes, saddles, brides and ponies
was then divided among the distant rela
| llNeS Oh inc groom. nc Iludl lrduSleT D
the girls having been made by thi.
change of garments and their forma
adoption completed into the family of tho
groom, the latter was summoned by the
loud voice of the herald from his hiding
place in the wood. The young brave having
appeared and seated himself between thu
two girls the wedding feast commenced
Chetopu and the agent had each furnished
a whole beef for the occasion, and a!
there is little waste in the economy of thu
Usage, the entrails being considered tn,
choicest part of the animal, there was n'
lack of viands. Unfortunately we haC
seen the food prepared, and it demanded
an enormous effort to accept graciousl!
the hospitality proffered and partake o
the feast But the Usage esteems n,
insult greater than a refusal TO eat viii
him, so wholesome fear of returning
home in the condition of that poor oil
darkey who had no wool on the top of hi
head sustained us through the dreadful
ordeal The gorging continued forhours
and ceased at last only to be resumed thi
next day at the house or tne brides iathel
The bail thus started rolls on from hous
to house, and. the merry making is KEEP
up for days. Such is honeymoon in tn
land of the Osage.-Osdge Agency Con
ChicdgO Times.
The Story Of a ThOusand.DOIlhrB Bank