The Red Cloud chief., 1877-08-23
INDIAN CASTS.
Curiosities for the smith.onIan Institute.
We had the pleasure on Saturday of

Curiosities for the Smithsonian Institute.
We had the pleasure on Saturday OF
meeting Clark Mills, the celebrated
American sculptor, who arrived from
st. Augustine, Fla, where he has been
the past month in the interests of the
Smithsonian Institute. The object OF
his mission TO St Augustine Vas to OBJ
tain casts of the Indian chiefs confined
as prisoners of the Government in the
fort at that place. This work has been
completed by him. and he brought with
him perfect casts of the 81 Indian chiefs
at present confined there. We learn
that these casts are taken by an entirely
new process of his own invention, and
which he has patented. The Indians
were remarkably superstitious. and
showed reluctance TO submit TO the
| operation until Long Wolf" a noted
| chief, who had been several times to
| Washington, and had cOnversed with
tue Great White Father" and is. con
| sequently. somewhat more civilized,
| was induced to have his classic features
| cast.
The operation is thus described. An
| elastic cap is first drawn tightly over the
| head, completely covering the HAIR, but
leaving the forehead entirely exposed.
| On this is poured plaster of Paris,
which quickly hardens, and thus gives
| the exact shape of the skull. The new
| preparation is then laid upon the face
| with a soft brush, the noStrilS being
| left free. In three minutes this prepa-
| ration hardens, and is very easily and
| RAPIDLY removed, and a fac slmlle like
| ness of the person is obtained. This
| cast shows all the wrinkles, pimples,
| eveleshes, and eyebrows clearly and
| distinctly, and no: a hair on the face is
| removed. When the cast of Long
Wolf was taken ten of the other chiefs
were admitted te see the operation, in
order that they might be convinced no
harm was intended them. They were
exceedingly curious. and watched the
process with great interest When the
cast had been secured he exposed il to
them. and their establishment was great.
They looked at the cast, then at the
countenance of Long Wolf" again and
again, and seemed quite excited, and
then laughed as heartily as an Indian
-,- y,,,,I o,| uanp,nI on,,ol ,~n,,a
He inquired OF the interpreter what
amused them so. and was Informed that
they were laughing at the white In
diam" the cast of Long Volts" fea.
lures being perfectly white.
After this there was no difficulty in
taking the casts of all the "a chiefs
representing the four different tribes
These casts are intended for the Ethno
logical Department of the Smithsonian
Institute, it beng the intention of the
managers of that institution to obtain
the casts of representatives of every
race in the world. 4 number have al
ready been obtained. among them cast:
of two Esquimaux.a man and a woman
which We're taken by him sometime
since. The casts of the Indians are al
neatly packed and boxed and wers
brought along by him, together with 8
number of other curiosities. the princi
pal of which is a large swOrd-fish meas
uring Is feet in length and 2l2 fee
across the middle. This fish was caught
by some persons fishing fer turtles neal
ST. Augustine. and was purchased by
Lieut.. Pratt of the United States Army
in charge of the fort at that place, anG
10y him presented TO the Smithsonian
Institute. This mammoth fish wa:
skinned and prepared for the museum
by An old Frenchman at St Augustine
He has also secured a singular specie.
Of fish known as the wharf rat
monster clam cracker, which resemble.
somewhat devil-iish.a and a large flying
fish, which latter is put up in alcohol
the others being stuffed.
We were also Informed that while b,
was in St Augustine several of the In
dian chiefs received letters from theil
wives, which were for warded by tn,
officers of the posts in the West H,
describes these letters as very peculiar
and succeeded, after much difficulty, il