The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-11-08
Pen.Picture Of Sitting Bull.

10 the name winch TINS now notorious
savage has. No doubt various mean
ings and explanations ofthis cognomen
have been suggested and given, but all
his biographers who have undertaken
to give his history and character have
gone astray in respect to why it is
Sitting" and why Bull One who
has seen him, and who, for quarter of
a century, has traded with the Chief
and his relatives, explain that the Chief
of the Tetons derives his title 6 Sitting
Bulr' from his habit Of sitting Indian
fashion, legs crossed, blanket drawn
tightly around him, and one hand
thrown across his forehead, as if he
were carrying out the words of the
poet:
Silent and mournful sat an Indian Chief
This sitting position with the Teton
Chief is prominent characteristic with
him, and hence the term Sitting
Now the Indian is apt in names. There
is always something appropriate about
the nicknames which he bestows. The
"Bull'' is in consequence of his stub
born manner, and, though obdurate in
council, it is not the obstinacy of the
mule, but the regular stubborn, physi-
cal, intelligent obstinacy of the bull
which, of all dumb animals, not omit
ting the elephant, understands its own
strength, especially when aroused or
goaded. Joe Gardipee, from the
Plains, a half-breed trader of twenty
seasons, has met this savage scores Of
times lately at Wood Mountain. the self
act meaning Of the Chiefs name is the
Bull that Squat9 for, in council or out
of council, when not in the saddle or
asleep, Sitting Bull squats with terri
BILE amount of keepoffness and tragic
meditation. Joe Gardipee, an old and
early Plains hunter, and Peter Lewis,
who less than six months ago carried
the mail from Fort Benton to Fort Nc
Lean, and who have met Sitting Bull
scores of times, declare that all the sto-
ries about his being born in Winnipeg,
or educated there, or of his ever having
been there, or of his being white man,
are false, ridiculous and sensational
Chief Sitting Bulls full-blooded Teton
Indian, the Teton being branch OF
the great Sioux Nation In stature
he is rather Inclined to be stout than
tall; perhaps in his moccasins he will
measure five feet eight or nine inches;
weight about 40 pounds. His age is
about forty-eight; his hair little gray;
his eyes dark, and his whole appear
ance that of full-blooded Sioux on the
war path. He is brave, ambitious,
clever in the Indian fashion only, ac-
tive, and, in the Indian creed, some
what fanatical. He has long cherished
the conviction that he is ordained as the
Indian who must wrest from the whites
the country of his fathers. He has a
great and almost immeasurable hatred
| toward Americans, as distinguished
from Europeans or Canadians. he Is
even expert in detecting who are from
the United States and who are not, and
instances are not wanting in his bloody
/ and savage career where he has shown
wonderful patience and humanity, often
with his own hand protecting captives
toward whom he took liking orwhom
he regarded with so much contempt as
to let free for the sake of showing the
captive how little he esteemed him. u
course he is polygamist, having three
squaws in his tepee who are his wives
according to the Indian code, but he
-
has more constaney than Bear SPIRIT,
his brother-in-law, Chief Of the Yank-
tons, and other associate Chiefs. His
ssprivate life'' is described by half
breed hunters who have long been ac
quainted with him to be excellent ac
1 cording to the Indian code. His grea
ambition seems to be directed in mill
tary way-to become agreat soldier
and he intends even yet to carry out th'
Indian policy, America for the Sioux.
Mr.. Garpidee informs me that Chic
| Sitting Bull knows all about the sensa
tional stories of his being a half-breed
] educated at st. Johns College, Mani
J toba, and an English lord who had dis
praced himself, etc These stories
} when repeated in his presence, ten
more to exasperate him than to anus
, him. Anything that tends to LESSEE
the ability of a Sioux Indian-espeeial
, ly Teton-or throw doubts upon hi
bravery or his ability to rule will b
, nearly equal to challenge; but no on
) who has seen Sitting Bull, no matte
} under what circumstance, would
> could reasonably place him among u
j list of doubtfuls. Awhile man Nigh
5 mistake him, but an Indian or q hal
breed would classify him at the frs
: glance and be correct. Cor. N Z
: Herald.