Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-03-10

aroes" situated some eight or ter
miles apart, and in their Ignorance
and laziness, seem to be happy; they
have no ambition beyond the pres
| ent-they know no future, and new
er provide for one. At this season
of the year, they are very destitute
/ as foraging for SO large q band
among cold and uncharitable whites
with no 'splata" (silver), in then
pockets, is extremely difficult. Al
the present time, TO the ocean and
woods they owe thier living. Dur.
ing the winter, our heavy rains SC
wash and gully our roads as to make
them almost impossible. At spring
time we depend upon the Indians 70
repair them. And their destitution
during winter is strong incentive
for them to labor and provide for
an empty stomach and bare back.
They are not miserly, bnt spend
their money with lavIshness which
! is very pleasing to the merchant
They are slow in their manner of
buying, paying for each article as
they receive it, and when once in the
store. Won can calculate that poor
ssLo" will soon be bankrupt, as he
never lets up until his pockets are
empty. The Indian is not very talk
alive. He will sit on the front steps,
gaze into your door, or stand by the
show case and .oOk at its wonders,
with Sullen, longing look, that is
truly pitiful. These Indians do not
array themselves as enthusiastically as
our Imagination has pictured for
the tribe. Though they like gay col
ors, aud their squaws never dress in
dark colors, they are very partial to
bright red, and are the first to make
selections from our new good, and
many a white woman deprives her
self of her choice because some
sauaw has selected before her. Ev-
cry now and then, their sober life
crops out into a ''fandango;n this is
an Indian dance, and st snch times
they congregate from far and near,
and spend week--the time they
usually last--in feasting and dancing.
Their frolicking is done at night
time, he-day being spent in idleness
or in fofaging, torepIenish the COM
missary department. They have just
been holding one of these here, and
it has relieved, wonderfully, the mo-
notony of our seaside town; your
correspondent has dropped ground
of an evening, to see how it was
done: A large Ere is built, around
which, at convenient distance, so
as not to interfere with the dancers,
gather the spectators. On this oc-
casion, we were a motely set, repre-
senting the various nations of the
earth. Previous to the commence
ment, we we're entertained by some
half-dozen Diggers, who acted as or
ehestra, keeping time to a gutteral
sort of singing by beating together
fat sticks; presently, from a side en-.
trance, appeared the dancers, all
males, aud Eve in number, who came
dancing end twisting themselves in
to the ring; in one hand was a toy
whistle, in. the other club;i on their
heads and hanging down their backs
was a profusion Of feathers, arrangs
ed in Indian style. Their bodies and
legs were naked, which, together
with their faces were well tattoed.
The s'Hi yah! hi yahl" of the sing
ers as they beat on their sticks, and
the yells and whistlings of the dan
GERS, as they swing their clubs, and
comfort their bodies into all imagina-
bic shapes, translates one for the
moment into the scenes Of wild life,
and a shuddera runs through the
frame which IS relieved by placing
the hand on the top of the head and
finding the, scalp still there. The
kickings and wrigghngs of the
dancers are kept up, until becoming
exhausted, with huge grunt, they
retire, and again 60 through the
same programme when relieved. This
lasts until about midnight, when
they gorge themselves with food,
and lie lazily around until the next,
nights scenes.
In these dances the old men and
women take no active part, but gaze
with admiration on the participants,
who are urged to renewed efforts by
the applause of the spectators. The
middle aged and young sqaaws dec
crate themselves with beads and tin
sells, and form themselves into a half
circle, standing in close proximity to
the dancers, at the same time joining
with the singers in their monotonoUs
song, their heads swaying back and
forth, their bodies having an up and
down motion, caused by the bending
of the knees, while the hands are
continually passing across their
fqower stomachs." To them, these
motions and dances all haYe their
significance, but to the outsider they
are the height Of foolishness; vet
"John" and sLo', form two impor-
tant links in our. social chain, and
give ne the variety which is our
Hspice of life" 81 { i
The winter isnearly passed, and
the Oldest residents say it has been q
long and wet one-a little ahead of
any previous. There has been an IN
usnal quantity Of rain fell, which has
made bad Toads, aud interfered
with outside labor, and in some
cases soiraised the streams as to him
der stage travel, and many times our
mail has come In on horseback, with
bag and contents soaking wet-the
stage being left at some way station,
unEble to get farther.
In some parts Of our county snow
has fallen to a few inches in depth,
but here, at the coast, net enough to
cover the ground aud on few morn.
ings, ! have seen ice to the thickness
of window pane; still, as our citi'
gems say--spch q cold winter never
was known here before-you can
Judge how agreeable our regular
winters must be. A wet winter
brings much southeast wind, and
this makes rough weather at sea-
which has interfered with our ship
ping. Several vessels have been lost
| along the coast, and some ehptel
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