Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-24


of, with regret, pity and terror stamped upon
their speaking countenances. After pursuing
q good road for about two milea, along which
many settlers were spoken with who asked
anxious questions about the Indians,
the woods were taken. and here commenced
the tolls and dangers of the undertaking. An
overwhelming plunge into some DOGGY hole OF
hidden quagmire, or the laundering of team in
crossing treacherous creeks or breaking axles
over stumps and logs and fallen trees. Our
nght sprlng wagons were good ones, however,
being made by Justus. Of St. Paul, and were
just as stout and trusty as wagons need be.
Six miles of such travel brought the party out
upon 2 tolerable road which led to farm
house. No trail Of the noble red man had yet
been found, and the party determined to con-
tlnue their search on foot, and leaving their
wagons at the farm entered again the woods.
Not many steps had been taken when low,
dead thum, thum, was heard, which was un-
mistakable, and the party quickened their
steps. The GLOBE man was of course ahead,
and was the first to discry the
DUsKY-sKINNED BRAVES,
engaged in the dreaded and mysterious dance.
The camp was G little knoll overlooking the
lake, but surrounded by a dense thicket of
underground. A better place for the celebra-
ton, whether it were the dance of life in the
good hunting grounds or the dance of death, it
would be difficult to find. The surrounding
scenery was picturesque in the extreme.
The lake was near with it's teeming
supply of food in FISH. The adjacent
shade offered grateful asylum from the too
m"njal admitted of retiring, and beautiful
spring near by supplied the cooling and re-
freshing element for parched lips and wearied
bodies. Summer tents of matted
reeds were scattered around, though but
few Of them had occupants. They were tents,
common with the Sioux, and these too, were
vacant. The whole tribe, some 70 in number,
were assembled in an open space without any
protection from the midday solar heat. In the
centre stood
LARGE DRUM, OR TON-TOM
bedecked with red beaded cloth. Around tn is
were seated in Oriental style some half dozen
young bucks, who, with barkless wands
thrashed in due precision the tuneful instru-
which delightful %
all savage ears. Outside were squaws
and bucks of all ages, who, with the
drummers kept up quaint and curious chant,
the women making peculiar noise by holding
something to their lips, not unlike that pro-
duced by child growing through comb COW
cred with paper.
Another circle of braves bedaubed with
paint, squatted some two yards further back,
and the whole was hedged in with few halle
outer circle was little bower, beneath which
sat an
ANCIENT INDIAN,
with furrowed cheek and wrinkled brow.
Whenever he would rise, the outward circle
would also rise, and then would commence the
dance. There was nothing very boisterous.
nothing frantic, no gesticulations, no panto-
mime of tomahawking or Staying the foe; no
war whoop, and nothing whatever in the whole
proceedings which appeared in any way like a
war dance. Each man standing in his place.
would step to the music with swinging arms,
as much like slow step in an Irish
breakdown, when the old gen.
tleman Of the bower, standing, clanted
in low gutteral sounds, some mysterious words
which would be followed by what appeared to
be the chorus of mixed voices. The old gentle
! man would then lead off around the circle very
like the manner. and by the step used in the
! ladies, chain in O modern quadrille. las soon
the old gentleman returned to his bower, the
dancers would resume their seats and in few
moments the signal again would be given, and
the dance resumed with variations In the walk
round more quiet, orderly. decorous crowd
could not be found in a ball room. More fuss
and more boisterous eagerness can be found at
any crowded ball at the Athenaum. The final
! figure of the set was marked by walk about.
Between these the old man Of the bower would
MAKE SPEECH,
| in a subdued voice and with gently raised
| hand and at each period the assembly would
| respond with a quiet How" At this time
your correspondent approached the ring. The
old gentleman addressed the assembly upon
| the subject of the big scare Hesaid he was
| very sorry that such bad things were spoken of
them;
| THAT THEY WERE ALL LIES;
that the Sioux were not their friends, but the
white man was their friend. He was sorry that
bad men told lies about them. The old man
did not, of course, use these words, but he used
gutteral sounds which were interpreted to mean
the same. For an hour, at least, we watched
! the proceedings, and saw nothing during al
that tine which would scare child. Col. For
/ syth asked him to explain the unusual meeting
| the colonel informing him that his people were
| angry that they should be making much
noise, and he (the coloneD had come to fine
what it was all about. In answer to the col
| vnels questions, the chief stated that
NO SIOUX WERE AMONG THEN,
and they had not been among them. That the,
meant no harm; that nobody was mad, no on
angry, and all were good Indians. He was yer,
sorry bad men told lies about them. The parle,
being over the dance commenced again in tn
same deco,rls quiet WY, the women of thu
tribe at intervals stepping inside the circle ant
presenting gifts to the singing squaWs of piece
Of calico. Your correspond, mt talked with sew
eral Indians, some of whom could speak a lit
tie English, and from these, and with the hel
of an interpreter, he ascertained that the dane
| about which there has been so much wonde
was taught the tribes by an old squaw,
! MOTHER AMONG THEM;
that she had been inspired by the Great npirit
and all good Indians who wished to go to til
happy hunting grounds must learn it an
dance it day and night from the birth to til
waning of the moon. The meaning of th
words Of the songs they did not know, but Ii
medicine man, the old gentleman in the bowe
would teach them. From this it would appea
that all this excitement which has scared hui
dreds Of families from their homes arose simt
~ from the fact that the poor Indians wei
merely holding revival meeting as do
MOODY AND sANKEy.
with exhortation and singing. That in ia,
they have caught the camp meeting fever, on]
in mild form. If they had only INDUCED
the frantic yelling and shouting and scream
ing, the barbarous jumping and leaping an
Ainging abont the arms and neither limbs, IL
marching and counter-marching. the hant
shaking and kissing and hugging practiced at
Christian camp meeting held by civilize
beings, there would not to-day be single ma
or woman or child in the whole of this regio,
They would have died outright of sheer frigh
Leaving Chief Coota Kishhamees and his med
cine man Wauketatekingo, or whatever the
names might be- the party took stroll throug
the encampment, General Bryant and Colon
Forsythe noticing everything in and about tt
tents. After dispensing few nickels among
number of chubby little wretches, to the d.
Light of their smiling mothers, the retreat wa
hastily made to our wagons, and thus ende
the memorable