Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1879-12-16
TUESDAY, DECEMBER, 10, 1879.
INDIAN ELOQUENCE.
San Francisco Chronicle.

last evening, in the shape OF the address
by Sarah, daughter Of Chief Winnemuc-
ca, delivered in Platt's Hall. The Prin-
cess wore n short buck-skin dress, the
skirt bordered with fringe and embroid-
ery, short sleeves, disclosing beautifully
rounded brown arms, and scarlet leggins,
with trimmings Of fringe. On her head
she wore proud head-dress of eagles
feathers, set in scarlet crown, contrast
ing well with her flowing black locks
The lecture was unlike anything ever be-
fore heard in the civilized world-elo-
,quent, pathetic, tragical at times; at 9TH
ers her quaint anecdotes, sarcasms and
wonderful mimicry surprised the audi
ence again and again into bursts of
laughter and rounds of applause. There
was no set lecture from written applause
manuscript, but spontaneous flow of
eloquencc. Natures child spoke in nat
ural, unconstrained language, accompa-
MED by gestures that were scarcely ever
surpassed by any actress on the stage
The constraint which was naturally ex-
pected by the audience in one unused to
facing the public, was nowhere visible as
the Indian girl walked upon the stage in
an easy, unembarrasscd manner, and en-
tered at once upon the story Of her race.
The story of her childhood, the strange
childhood of an Indian maiden, was
charmingly told, the story of the first
white man who ever appeared in the ma
tive haunts of her race being promi-
nent remembrance. The Plnutes were
living peaceably and happily on the
grounds of their forefathers. Her grand
father, who accompanied Gen. (hen cap
tain) Fremont through the Mexican war
being christened by the latter Capt.
Truckee"-was their chief at the time.
When the news spread that
WHITE MAN.
was approaching the excitement became
intense. They were ready to hail with
affection and hearty cordiallty the "white
brother" whose approach had long been
,forctold to them. Her grandfather went
10 meet the white man--threw down his
weapons and reached out to him his
hand. The white man would not take
it. Sadly the aged chief returned to his
people. lie said, "our white brother
has come, but will not accept our well
come" But nevertheless he cautioned
the Indians to do him no harm. The
next whites who came were train of
cmigrants. Capt. Truckce was away
and Winncmucca was acting as chief in
his absence. The emigrants fired upon
the Indians and killed one and wounded
two. She remembered how they fed to
the hills to escape the emlgrants. The
children could not run fast enough, so
her mother stopped and dug holes in the
sand, into which she put her Sarah and
her little cousins, screening them with
sage brush. While white children were
being taught to dread and fear the In
dians, the little Indian children were
having instilled into their minds by all
they saw and heard the greatest horror
Of the whites. They were taught that
the whites would kill and eat them II
they canght them. SO In mutual misap-
prchanson they went on. The white
men who sought the frontiers were, as a
rule, the very scum Of civillzatlon-men
who could not be tolerated among their
own people. Constant outrages on In
dian mothers, daughters and sisters oc-
CURED, and thcuntaught race felt daily
q stronger sense Of wrong and indigna-
ton towards the whites growing In their
breasts. "Oh, my friends" said the
speaker with a passionate earnestness,
the tears streaming down her checks,
"you little know what we have TO live
through. People come to the frontier
who can live with you no longer. Do
you think those Indians have no feelings
when cruel hands are laid on thcr moth
ora, sisters and their little glrlsp judge
my pcople by myself"--closplng hei
hands to herbrcnst. "I'hen the ldion'
40 and harm some innocent white peo-
pie IN their vengeance. ! do not screen
my people. But say YOU cannot hold
them from Il unless you change youl
treatment of them" The cause of the
OF 1851 was related.
TWO LITTLE INDIAN Girls,
ten and twelve years of age, were stoler
and secrctcd by base white men, aud the
Indians uprosc In their kdlgnntlon and
wrath and slaughtered the whites, until
the old cry arose, "exterminate the In
dians." Just as reasonably would be
the cry;" ''Extcrmlnate the white rac'
for the wrongs they inflicted upon the
Indians"
A large and interesting portion Of The
address was devoted to description o
Indian Agent Reinhardt, who occordinl
to the speakers story, had He'd on the In
dIans about their reservation being GOV
eminent property, duped thom Into do
Ing work fer which he promlseda q recon-
pcnse which he never gave them, beatei
them, driven them with pistols wheI
working inoHcnscly, deprived them o
the blankets furnished them by the Gov
eminent, and committed numerous othoi
injuries, the effect Of which had beet
to drive them away, until since 1873 no
an Indian has been on the rcacrvation'--
lcthe sends on glowing accounts t
Washington and has obtained large store