Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-23

WUuiu you AA0 W dtC0Hu tu0 u0uC1
tonight at the rancheria OF the Indi.
ansp" said q gentleman to friend and
myself, as we loitered in one Of the small
towns in Northern California. Now.
having been informed of the dance DUR
ing the afternoon by no less a parsonage
than the chief Of the rancheria, we had
stopped over night for the purpose of
witnessing the same; and right happily
were we to be joined by gentleman
who vas thoroughly familiar with every
pointspf interest in the neighborhood.
and who was well known to many of
the Indians themselves.
From the barking of the dogs and the
wailing of a squaw we knew that we
were now in the midst of The rancheria !;
and Indian forms fitting about the
sssweat-heuse'' informed us where the
stfandango" was to be held. This house
had been built Of strong poles and
branches ingeniously fastened together,
and was in the shape OF an inverted
bowl, being about forty feet in diameter
at the bottom, and tapering to the size
of center-pole at the top. The outside
being covered with earth to prevent the
escape of the heat, and there being
neither windows nor doors, the appear
anceof the whole was like that of an old
fashioned bake-oven; and the smile was
not inappropriate, as We afterwards
learned.
Under the escort Of Capt. Jack, to
whom we were each required 10 pay
fifty cents, we crawled rather than
walked through the small aperture on
one side, and, having gained the inte-
rior. wc were assigned bench immedi-
ately in front of the fire. 1t was now
about ten O'Clock, put the dancing was
not YET begun. ABOUT 10Y Inuians-
the males and females mixed lnuiscrlml-
nately-were lOunging around the edge
of the house, and, save the bench upon
which we we're seated, not single arti-
Gle OF furniture was seen. Upon hooks
projecting from the wall were hung
blankets, beadwork, bows and arrows,
canes, slippers, and other convenient
and fancy articles, while the various cos
tunes to be used in the dances gave the
whole the appearance OF q well-stocked
bazaar. The only light of the place
emanated from the huge wood-fire
which burned on the ground near the
center OF the house; and during the en-
tire evening decrepid old Indian, who
had been detailed for the purpose, kept
piling on fuel until the spectators on the
bench, and the Indians themselves, were
well nigh roasted.
rur uusYc
=. a1.an y. - ~ ao;
hon.m rhe $500 To- " was 'n eonnosaS
~ sron+ do-on hrsvas. ond thasa
With their ;rstrnmants ~ tort,ra Ind
dlad +ora+ha,- roar tho ,,olo IN The con.
tar r. .ha hooL {. Ratwaon Tho Co+os ;,
Gh;aasa orohas+ra = dasor;bod %
q y
Y .. VI 1ons' "uu Sn'.Hs, "nu
haY7s nd u froq us and 1ocnst ;nterInde
soa ~ fddlas nth 200 ~
oisas,haro tho r,,,:;o ,f The D;oora,
indians i Il dascr;had "a . daafen;nre IN.
.nar H. 49, nrodroad hv . 'thngSson "a
oIoss-ou. sa"s noa ~ 1891. ..nap o"o,, 49,. ~
nnouo."u:o pls' an ".o'
VI Mul.,'uo VI .".S .Iu,
So.nol . au lug u - aosn'.;,,.;ns,.
Du :,S en NE ~ =. III, 10 's;o ,.,b;oh 1913
WI W y1s.e " LIZ 49,, ..,aS 49,,
apon oui oaas s 90 s :nG I"s ds on
r ~, s :, " aaoordanne 18th the t;~nras
zach memher Of the orchestra con.
tributed his share of the noise by strik-
inp A split piece of wood against his
knee and this was ACcOmnanle0
Inv a nlaintive wall. now low and SUBJ
dued, again loud and forcible, as the oc-
casion demanded.
Simultaneously with the commence
ment of the music the dancing BEGAN. A
dozen or more sauaws plided barefooted
into the center If the r;no. and. after
c;rr,inO the fire ON tintoe two or three
t;mas o,;ded awav as nnceremoniouslv
% thew came. Probably the second and
lat dances were the hest Of the evening.
and short description Of each is here.
with amended. Previous to the com
mencement Of the second dance. which
an indian informed ms in broken Enolish
,yos called .ethe scuaw dance >, the ten
snnaws chanoad their annareI and don.
nad their costumes in fnll view Of the
and;ance assembled. and then formed in
I;na be+.uea, ,,s and tho fro Tho
%.as ae ,,,,st hove heen ownad Inv the
" a, us n ,anoraI for thev wore
o.,aa.i., aI;t - esaru ra.naot an9 ,yho,,