The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-09-05

Edgar Fd,ocet.
'Johnny's sweat Oven.
CT don't want to take bath! hate
to take a bathl" grumbled Johnny,
rubbing his eyes and shivering. 81
wish was an Indian, 80 I shouldn't
ever have to feel drop of water. I'd
rather be Nez Perces prisoner, 1 say,
at Fort Leavenworth, than soap-and-
water white boy-you hear that2"
ga very mistaken wish, my untidy
little man." said Johnny's uncle Jack.
eff you were Nez Perces prisoner
at Fort Leavenworth, you'd have to
take a sweat bath in an oven, and then
leap out through the air and plunge into
the turbid waters of the Missouri river
every morning of your life, rain or
shine, hot or cold, sick or well, 80 long
as you had strength enough to keep
yourself from sinking to the bottom OF
the river"
Johnny exclaimed in amazement. 81
thought Indians went awful unwashed.
Maybe, though, tits a torture ordered
by the government to pay 'em for scalp
ing so many white folksP"
"Not so," answered Uncle Jack.
"'Tis Nez Perces custom, old as the
tribe itself. When Chief Joseph and
his people were brought to Fort Leaven-
worth after their capture by General
Miles, the first thing ordered was a
sweat oven, which the tribal architects
began to build at once."
"Is it real ovenp And do they heat
it up and then roast themselves in it?"
asked Johnny with look of terror.
"Not exactly" answered Uncle Jack.
"This is the way the oven is constructed: !:
a deep hole is dug in the ground within
few feet of the Missouri river, and
over this root of earth is formed maxi
ing mound the shape of an inverted
iron kettle. An opening is left in one
side, and in front of this rousiug fire
is built. Rocks are heated in the fire
and thrown into the hole in which there
is supply of water sufficient to create
steam. The Indians then walk into the
oven and stand above the caldron until
they sweat profusely, after which they
leap into the river where the bath is
finished. Even the papooses are carried
in their mothers arms and soused till
they spout water like baby whales, and
it agrees with them immensely, for the
Nez Perces Indians are hardy race
and live to an astonishing old age. You
see that even the untutored savage sets
you cleanly example which you will do
we'll to initiate; so run and take your
bath, my man, without anothe word of
grumbling, and next Saturday we'll
jump aboard the train, ride over to
Fort Leavenworth, and see the sweat
oven and obtain curiosities about Camp
Joseph"
Stimulated by Uncle Jacks promise,
Johnny spent the following hour hold
ing his bath in dark closet to produce
violent perspiration and foundering in
the bath-tub, playing that he was little
Nez Perces Indian boy taking sweat
bath.
Saturday he went to Fort Leaven-
worth, and found Chief Joseph and his
people looking remarkably contenIed,
and seemingly enjoying the interest
which they excited as "Big Injuns" in
captivity.
To his surprise Johnny learned that
Chief Joseph was an industrious and
rather skillful artist. Upon a large
blazed tree in front of his tent the chief
had painted historical panorama of the
Nez Perces war upon the whites which
had led to his captivity and transporta-
tion to the banks of the Missouri. In
dian lodges, wolves, dogs, ponies, birds
and men mingled in the curious repre-
sentation which the interpreter "Charly
proudly pointed out as "Big Chiefs Big
Story of Big Campaign"
After looking at the pictures Johnny
went to visit Yellow Bull, a famous
warrior of the tribe, who looked so jovial
Johnny could not believe he had taken
so many scalps upon the war path as had
been reported.
He answered Johnny's "How" with O
friendly ned, permitting him to examine
the many objects of interest which the
tent contained, and even to strut about
in the wolf skin cap once owned by
White Bird, who is now with Sitting
Bull in company with the remainder Of
the Nez Pences who escaped captivity.
One of the rarest curiosities was pipe
taken from the famous Pipestone quarry
described in Longfellows "Hiawatha. >
This pipe was smoked by Chief Joseph's
grandfather, Wah-la-mut-ki, nearly Q
century ago.
Walking through the village Johnny
saw a group of Indian boys and girls
playing ball, using clubs cut from
crooked timber made to resemble nam
mouth spoons. The dusky little sports,
men were shooting at nickles with bowt
and arrows, laughing uproariously, al
Jolly set of diminutive war prisoner
as one could wish to see.
But Johnny was most interested il
the "sweat oven," and it is safe to say
twill not soon forget the lesson which
he learned from the Nez Perces Indians
Upon his removal few weeks since t.
Uncle Jacks farm, where he spends hi
summers, he selected spot close by
creek and induced the hired man t.
build thereon a "sweat oven" like tina
at Fort Leavenworth, only upon small
er scale. Hither Johnny daily repair
in Indian costume, kindles his fire ant
stands up in his oven. taking care t.
place above the hole screen whicl
Uncle Jack has cautiously provided les
Johnny fall into the caldron and com
ont a hoilad Nez perces -THRODORA II