Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1880-10-15
INDIAN TRADERS.
Reasons Why w. B. Shaw is Honest
and Likewise Happy.


and Likewise Happy.
There may be some suspicion hanging
over the heads of Indian agents, but ira
ders are generally honest. They are
Obliged to be. The average intelligence
of the Indian IS equal to that Of the third
clerk Of the trader. You can't cheat an
Indian unless he is "hard up" The de-
partment regulates the prices Of staple
goods, but for luxury an Indian pays we'll.
An Indian doesn't know how to regul ate
his profits as we'll as the agent. For in
stance squaw will pay 81 for the beads
with which she ornaments your fifty cent
moccasins. A TRIBUNE reporter recently
visited Berthold and other Indian agen-
cies up the RIVER and finds that the In
dian differs little from the average white,
for he reckons the time OF his wife worth
nothing. An Indian who has much res
pect for himself is necessarially an aris-
tocrat It is tradition with the Indian
that the squaws should do all the work,
because 1t is claimed that at the creation
the morning star became lonesome and
asked his father and mother (the sun and
mOon) to, make some more Indians for
his company, which request was granted.
A beautiful maiden was given to the
morning star and he soon fell IN love and
married her. The result OF the marriage
was two children twins). The mother
did not wish to have any children and
tried to kill them. She left them alone
to starve on the ground, but a she wolf,
Ga sacred animal to all lndians) came
along and suckled the babes and only one
of them died. As soon as the sun and
moon, parents OF the maiden, heard of
this, they inflicted the punishment of
work, upon her and she was forever after
ward Obliged to carry water, and perform
all kinds Of physical labor, while the sun,
and his son. the morning star, spent their
time IN hunting, etc. The Indians are a
very superstitious people. They believe
to a certain extent in dreams. They ad-
nit that the whites are smarter people
than they are, because they claim that
tiley dream more. They believe every in
yen,ion to be the result Of dream. For
Instance they believe that the man who
3s.Greanlpt a steamboat" was the most Won
dSrlul man VINO ever lived, and declare
nlat he must have slept a long time They
do not understand the motive, however,
which propels the boat against the cur
rent and anything an Indian does not un-
dcrstand is considered bad spirit They
never molest steamboats, or telegraph
lines. AS a means of punishment the In
dians invent some very curious devices.
At Berthold is an Indian, a former chief
Of distinction, who, for molesting the
Happiness OF some domestic tepee, is now
Obliged to wear dresses and live and work
with the squaws. However much he
may rebel against the humiliation, it mat
tiers not. To don the robes OF chiettain
is death. This is the penalty of ajury OF
his former associates. The disgraced In.
dian, however, renders valuable assist
ance to Shaw Ill the management OF his
water works. Shaw has the Holly sys-
TEN of works. That is he has two squaws
10 Aaul thewater up from the river on
their shoulder. 1t is amusing to see Shaw
wait on his customers. They hold up
their shawl and he puts twenty-five cents
worth of sugar in one fold, twenty-five
cents worth of pemmican in another,
twenty five cents worth of crackers in an
other and so on until all her money is
exhausted, she paying for each article be-
tore ealliRg for another. Shaw hasn't
enough blown paper in his store to make
a creased pad for the whooping cough.