The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-09-16
Clusters Folk.
WHAT HIS FATHER AND FRIENDS SAY OF
THE DEAD HERO.

maps SIX or seven Thousand lnnaplnntS.
| saw sitting on the ample porch that
extends around the house venerable
looking man. whom | readily took for
the father of the nations fallen hero.
Mr.. f. II. Custer. l found he had
been reading the full and connected ac-
count of the struggle on the Little Big
Horn river. He half shook his head
and said. You already know all that
We know
Il think that you could relate great
many things that people would be glad
to know. Was he fond of military af
fairs, parades. and the like when he
was boy?'
"Oh. yes, very much so. | used to
he out my myself at the militia train
ings we had in those days. and always
took him along. Tie enjoyed it very
much, and seemed always to lac greatly
t,kon with those things"
"iou were. yourself. in some mill
tary mand?'
=" was a Captain. and hut it
wouldn't be worth while to say anything
shout that tie had i'm eye for those
things VIXEN he was boy.
Have You any sons left except Mr..
known railroad conductorl,
:" have one other son. who resides
on a farm near here"
WAS your son here after his recent
visit to Washington" | inquired
L" He stopped here from the morning
train until evening only
How did he appear to fccl?'
. He seemed to he in rs good spirits
as ever
did he seem to anticipate any
trouble i'll the approaching war ON the
plains?"
"Nonc at all. remember he told me
that Bloody Knife had sent him word
that he was going to take his scalp-and
he laughed as he said it."
In the little hall of the little cottage
where have spent tn. morning is col
lection of trophies brought home from
the Indian wars, which, if they could
be placed in case in the Government
pavilion at the Centennial exhibition,
would outrank in interest ut this time
almost everything else in that already
vastly interesting place. There is what
I suppose might he called the full-drcss
outfit and announcements of an Indian
chief. The principal garment, % buck
skin shirt, most deliberately ornamcntcd
with plating Of straw and PUSHES, and
hung about with tinery, such as attracts
the savage; eagle feathers, various col
Ored ribbons, and, more suggestive still
score or more of little locks of long
black hair, too soft to be that of II foe
scalped in battle. There are the highly
wrought and variously ornamentcd
buckskins, which, with the shirt and
moe casins, make suit complete. There
is n famous looking chieftain's head
dress, rich with quilts of the eagle.
buckskin quivers full of cruel-looking
little arrows. Then whip, made of
Il heavy braided leather thong, attached
to u wooden handle, in which are a halt
dozen or more brass nails-a nail driven
for every scalp taken by the owner, SO
it is said. A circular shield of tough
hide of some animal completes this in
teresting collection of trophies. Then
there is collection of fossils from the
Black Hills, small in number but rich
in variety and suggestiveness. a much
larger collection was sent by the Gen
cral to the Michigan University.
On my return to the depot | met in
the person of one of the employees OF
the railroad, agcntlcman who has known
Gen. Custer from boyhood.
Il remember his coming here very
we'll, y" he said, :" for am three or four
years older than he, and have known
him very well ever since
Was he a very dashing boy" in
quire!.
son the contrary, he was unusually
quict-onc of the still sort. | should
think"
But favoritc, thought
"a favorite with everybody. We
lived in the same neighbOrhO0d, and ]
never knew him to do anything to Of
fend the feelings Of anyone. l only
knew him ~ armstrong;, and he knew
me as Frank After he came back
from the war ! sometimes would call
him General, then he would look at me
and say, you know what my name is.
He was II gentleman always"
"Thcn he did not show so much dash
when You first knew him?'
"When he was boy? No, mink
he was the steadiest boy l knew"
"And his wife; when did he frs.
meet her?"
"When he was here ut school. before
he went to West Point. After he came
home from the war they were married
A nice woman she is, too; none Of your
stuck-up affairs, but Il real lady, whom
everybody likes.-Cor. 'i"ci"n"i conn
nteyci0i.