American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-05-20
THE Tribe of Piutes.

The San Francisco Chronicle Says
A reporter who happened to be in tn
town of Winnemucca, Nevada, recent.
encountered Natchez, Chief of the Pi
utes, and engaged in a conversation
with him about his tribe. Natchez il
but Sc years of age, and exhibits (
pleasant, smiling face, which impresse'
one with the conviction that "Natchy, ,
as he is familiar called, is rather jolly
good-natured fellow. He is not chic
proper of the tribe, occupying the po
sition as a sort of regent. Old Winnie
mucca, the real chief, is now so old and
decrepit as to be unable to administer
the affairs of his nation. His son Lee,
who has not attained his majority, will
not assume the chieftancy for many
years, and during the interim Natchez
exercises supreme control over the
struggling subjects of the Piute nation.
The tribe numbers about 5000 in all,
and is distributed over large extent OF
territory, from the Walker River Reser-
walton to the Malhear Reservation in
Oregon. The various stations on the
route of the railroad are haunted by
small bands of the Indians, and ON the
arrival of each train they are invaria-
bly, present to surround the cars and
exhibit their unprecedented faces for
the edification of travellers. They are
without exception most ungainly
and filthy specimens of the human
family, and a single glance at a group
or the red-faced creatures is sufficient
to dispel the fancy illusions created In
the youthful mind by the perusal of ten
cent novels. There is nothing of the
heroic or romantic in their appearance,
and the wonderful elasticity attributed
to them by yellow-covered literature is
not at all apparent. On the contrary,
they are as lazy as it is possible for men
to be, and pass entire days in lolling
about the town, encased in heavy blank
cts in tine warmest weather. Most of
them wear the cast-off clothing of white
men, which is ornamented with large
and variegated patches. They are par
tial to light-colored hats, with broad,
stiff brims, of which quite a large num-
Der are sold to them by the storekeep-
ers in the towns, and which they perch
upon the top of their heads, slightly
tilted over their foreheads. They are
all supplied with guns and many with
horses, and by shooting game, which
they sell in town, and doing little jobs
for town people, they make sufficient
to subsist very comfortably in their
plain way of living. They sleep in camps
in the suburbs of the towns, and pass
most of their day sitting in groups
on the street corners chatting. They
are permitted by the railroad
to ride on the platforms from
station to station without interruption,
the kindness not being excited by any
feeling of compassion, but by the fear
that the Indians would tear up the
tracks and commit other depredations
They are proverbially hon
est, however, and, no matter how ia
vorable the opportunity, they will not
steal. The storekeepers are unanimous
in their confidence in their honesty,
and would unhesitatingly leave their
places for days in charge of them with
out fear of having any thing stolen.
is more comfortably attired
than most of his fellows, being the for
5unate owner of an immense blue over
coat of the army pattern. His badge
Of Office consists of a long silver orna-
nent on each side of his face attached
% his long, coarse hair. He was asked
how the Indians were getting along on
he reservation. 81 got no do with In
un on leservatchun. He Piute, but he
10 belong me. We live heap better
han Injun on leservatchun. He treat
I'd very bad. We have gun. We shoot
heap ducks; sell him, savee?" The
morals of the Indians in some par
,iculars seem to be of an exalted char
acter. About a year ago a squaw
vas discovered to be too intimate with
l white man, and was burned to death
n the camp by the Indians. Natchez
'cowled darby when asked about that
Incident, but protested to know nothing
lbout it. Natchez interrupted the re-
porter suddenly at one time by asking:
8 You know Palace Hotelp know him.
Ia, ha; l know him. Long time ago
70 Palace Hotel. Gen'l-Gen'l-what
-ou callemP Never mind. He tink
make Injun fight here in Win'mucca.
lin very wrong. People write letter
ay me one good man, and come home.
les, know Palace Hotel.''
1t appeared that Natchez had been
of melting the Indians to re-
'olt and was arrested by order of Gen.
who interviewed him in the |
Palace Hotel. The people of Winnie
nucca, however, indited a letter to that
'fficer, saying that the charges were
Without foundation, and that Natchez |
vas good man. He was at once re-
eased and returned to Winnemueca.
Jatchez presented the reporter with his
of which he had num-
'er, and cordially invited him to call
nd see him again. He concluded the
by saying: "You write him
leap good. Send me paper on car; I
ret him.
A Real NOhIeman