Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-07-19

HOW THE REAL INDIAN WOMEN OF To- DAY DRESS,
PACK HORSES AND JOURNEY WITH THEIR LORD
AND CHIEF.
Correspondence Of the Greeley fcolJ Tribune.
WHITE RIVER AGENCY, June 17.-While it
is matter OF great interest to learn how
Eastern ladies dress and behave, 1t ought TO
he of some interest also to know how Indian
ladies dress and behave. Commencing at
the top, it will be observed that there is a
decided improvements on Eastern bonnets
because the Indian lady has nothing what
ever on her head, which ends that part of the
description. Her hair hangs naturally, and
is not very long, usually not as long as the
hair of the gentleman Indian. Next comes
the Indian ladys shawl. which is doubled
square, and q square fold falls from her shoul-
der. and the fastening is with pin or darn
ing needle. BY the way. the shawl is not a
shawl, but blanket. Next comes her dress.
This is usually calico, which is short so as to
permit free movements, SO desirable to Mrs.
Swisshelm and others, that is. it comes to
within 10 inches of the ground. What the
figure of the calico is can hardly be stated.
since the garments badly faded, though pos
sibly not from being washed. Next come
the shoes or moccasins, which are OF buck
skin, and they extend upward into leggins
which may be computed, from statements
made by particular observers. to be fully two
feet long This is a combination garment
that ought to come into general use, for with
two pulls in the morning that part of the
dressing is done, no strings to tie. no but
tons to attend TO, nor is backing ever re-
qulred, and thus Is presented pair OF last
ing garments with rawhide soles, well fitting
the foot and every part, and that will last
two OF three years. None of the Eastern
manufacturing establishments of Lawrence,
Lowell or Fall River can turn out goods equal
to them, and the best of 1t III, every lady
makes hers herself and il never indebted to
shoemaker nor hosier, nor even her hus-
band for money In short. she is inaepend-
ent.
The next article of dress is is-the fact
is, that's all, or at least ons may say in the
language OF the poet mo further seek
their merits to disclose
These are packing days" for the whols
Tribe are going to the high mountains to
hunt. Packing means that all the effects of
the family are packed on horses, of which
each has an average OF 80. and generally
three animals are required for this purpose
alone. and beside one is for the gentleman,
one for the lady herself, and one for each of
the children. which. if small, are tied on,
and each OF these has Il little saddle. The
DuDl lH, bl lutO II IOll
its mothers blanket, and its head peeps over
her shoulder
Yesterday WAS Sunday, but shortly after
breakfast our near neighbor, "A chief, began
packing
"A chiettan for the highlands bound"
First sufficient number of horses were
caught by the chief and his son, and pres
emily they were ready for the start, when the
work of the lady commenced. Blankets and
various garments of special value had pre-
viously been tied up In gayly-colored raw
hide hampers. Then there were various
other bundles or hampers, each about equal
in size, three feet long and eight inches in
diameter. pack saddle is little like II
saw-horse, and 1t IL supplied with buckskin
and rawhide thongs. with which two ham,
pers were tied on each side of the saddle
This was the foundation OF the work, aud
Sunday mornings work, too while other
sisters far away were walking demurely to
church, and oh so different. Then came
other bundles over which was thrown II buff
ialo or rawhIde to make platform, and
these were tied on with long rawhide strips
going under the horses belly two or three
times and being tied and looped in various
places on top Then came u final tier of
bundles, and over all was thrown a buffalo
robe. well worn. but SO high that the little
lady had as much as she could do TO get il
up and over (, then came the last tying with
a rawhide 20 feet long thrown over and over.
and each throw she jumped to the other side
under the horses neck, and 80 back and
forth a dozen times at least making first n
half hitch to hold the slack, and you may be
assured that it was no idle effort to bring
down everything 10 that in the day Journey
everything would remain fast and she pulled
and strained, taxing every limb and muscle,
till in the end not only one horse, but three
horses, were packed, while her husband and
son sat on their horses and rode around
Then it was she was ready 10 saddle and
get her own riding horse ready. The tent
poles were tied together, 20 in number and
each % feet long slender and smooth all
her own work in other days, and 10 were
fastened to her saddle on one side and 10 on
the other then she tied in various places
dozen 30 needful articles, when she her
self mounted, resting upon the saddle with
one knee and slipping into the seat AZ easily
and modestly as can be imagined. consider
ing 1T WAS not Il side-saddle The manner OF
mounting was AS follows The chieftain got
down on his hands and knees, she stepped on
his back, when no rose gradually, and the
thing WAS done, way not read of in many
books, but one worthy of being initiated by
line gentlemen in refined society Then the
family all started. the lady bringing up the
rear, the long poles dragging, but 1t seemed
her duty to keep the herd of horses well up,
zone 70 in number, so she had to turn out of
the road across the valley and through the
sage brush to drive the stragglers, while her
family went on ahead rejoicing and all that