The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-30
Indians at ElkO, Nevada.

We take the following description OF q
scene at Elko, Nevada, upon the arrival
of Union Pacif1cl train. from "Across
the Continent - A crowd of Indians
have come down from the dirty, smoke
blackened teepees on the bluff, and are
pressing around the steps Of the cars
women and children all Of them, and all
as dirty as their lodges. It is not for
their picturesqueness certainly that we
study them there is none of the tradi-
tional feather and quill and beadwork,
no plated locks and braceleted and moe
casined limbs, and no pretty, or even
comely, faces. There is one old, dried
up, withered, hideous squaw, who looks
at least a hundred years old, an ami
mated bundle of filthy calico, with few
matted gray locks blowing out from the
ragged handkerchief around her head,
and with torn blanket wrapped about
her shoulders. There are five or six
stout, heavy women, anywhere from
twenty to thirty, also covered with calico
gowns, from which all vestige of color
or pattern hasl departed, with faded,
dirty blankets and handkerchief f-hooded
heads -hard.faced, repulsive-looking
creatures, each with thick, shaggy
name of jet-black hair hanging on her
shoulders, and her papoose. basket and
it's mute, mummifed little burden
strapped on her back !; and there are
children of all sizes scampering after
them-girls, gowned and blanketed and
hooded like their mothers, and boys in
calico leggings and blankets, some bare
headed and some with nondescript caps
and hats. All of them, parents and
children, unite in a cultural cry of
Muc.ca-muc.c ca, and Hungry !" and
hold up their grimy hands for dona-
tions, as the train stops and the passen-
gers descend. Crackers, stale cake,
cheese, broken meats from ravaged
luncheon -baskets-anything that can be
eaten-is grabbed in ungrateful haste,
and bundled up in the filthy blankets !;
and then the cry changes to "Money !!
money |" and all the grimy hands go up
again, and on the grimy faces there is
not a shadow Of eagerness In the asking,
or of disappointment at q refusal-noth-
ing but sullen, fierce stolidity. Only
the old squaw stands mutely in the
background, hustled aside by the
younger and more vigorous, and we
single her out for an aims of cake and
silver money, over which she closes her
skeleton of q hand, with positive smile
puckering her face into wrinkles more
multitudinous than ever.
In the meantime brisk traffic is going
on over the unconscious forms OF the
papooses, their parents refusing to lift
the swathings of calico from their faces
for any inducement short of two bits ~;
and, as every woman on the train is
crowding and crying out for sight of
them, the small coin circulated with
amazing rapidity. The little unfortu-
mates in question are Of all ages, from q
few weeks to eighteen months fat
and dreadfully thriving, dirty as young
pigs, and absolutely silent. Their So
called "baskets" consist of an oval
board covered with stretched skins, In
some cases ornamented with beadwork,
upon which the child is bound by two
flaps of skin laced across with raw hide |;
arms and legs alike imprisoned, and
nothing but q round black head and
stolid face visible over the dirty bundle.
Nor is this visible for more than minute
at a time, for-at least in the presence
of the pale-faces-the poor little wretches
are made yet more miserable by calico
rag twisted round their heads, and. care
fully secured lest glimpse should be
caugh of the prize beneath.