The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-10-13
Spotted Tail.

OpOCCeu 18ll was STcdO WIZ, "nes "a
ways enjoyed joke. His witticisms, il
they could be collected, would I'LL a small
volume. He perpetrated good joke on
Commissioner Hayt and bald headed
men in general at the council in 1878.
Commissioner Hayt had said something
about the appropriation that had been
made by Congress. -.
ct understand all about that, said
Spotted Tail; Il have been at Washing
ton and looked down upon the council.
noticed that most of your great men
were bald headed. It reminded me OF
standing on hill and looking down
upon the rocks, around which there was
no grass growing. While was looking
at the bald-heads, some white man,
standing near me, told me that great
many of the bald-headed men down there
were thieves, and liars, and bad per-
sons"
The Commissioner looked up at him,
and Spotted Tail laughed, and said:
"My friend, see you are bali-headed;;"
and then pausing for moment or two.
he added, "but I don't mean you"
During one OF his Eastern trips he was
shown through the jails OF Washington
and New York and he was told that some
of the prisoners were in for murder,
others for forgery. some for arson, others
for robbery, etc. Finally. at one OF these
institutions, he turned around to his in
formant and asked:
my friend, have you anybody in here
for stealing from Indians?"
One day Captain Lee was talking with
Spotted Tail and others about honest
kko 1yoo,&suO Af Vvnrd
''There's no such thing as an honest
man." said the Captain jokingly, "there
used to be, however. In former times
honest men always used to have bunch
of hair growing in the palm of the right
hand. ] don't see but few sprouts in
my hand"
Spotted Tail stepped up to him. and
shaking hands with him, said: "How :?
How? 1 used to have great bunch of
hair in the palm of my hand, but it has
all been worn off by shaking hands with
the whites"
At another time preacher was telling
Spotted Tail how the Great Father had
sent His Son upon the earth to preach
and to save mankind. Spotted Tail lis
tened attentively to the story of the
Savior until the preacher reached the
crucifxion, and til en- he interrupted him
by saying:
"The white people killed the Savior,
did they?"
eyes" replied the preacher, who then
started to explain the whole affair, but
Spotted Tail kept right on, and said:
80 the whites killed the Son of the
Great Father. The Indians never would
have done that. Had He come among
us I would have taken Him into my
tepee and fed Him and given Him good
place to sleep. would have listened to
Him, and !! my people would have listened
The preacher had nothing more to say
at that particular time.
In 1875, at the council held at Red
Cloud Agency, a reporter of prominent
Eastern journal wanted to interview
Spotted Tail, who looked at him for
moment or two, and then said:
"You are paid for this work, are you
not ?"
EYES," replied the reporter.
81 have nothing to say" replied
Spotted Tail.
"What do you mean?" inquired the
reporter.
Il nave uOtuIuS W sd IciteiaeSu olu
Spot.
Some one, who seems to have been
posted, said to the reporter: "Give him
SIS and he II talk"
The correspondent did so, and Spotted
Tail then began talking and answering
all questions for little while, until,
when right in the middle of an interest
ing subject, he suddenly stopped.
"Whats the matter?" asked the puz-
zled newspaper man.
Il have talked IS WORTH" answered
Spot.
So the reporter handed over another
S. bill, and Spotted Tail went on and
finished the interview.
A Government official from Washing
ton some years ago had talk with Spot.
ted Tail about the benefits of education
and religion. The old Chief heard him
patiently all the way through, and then
said,
'My friend, when you go back you
may tell the Great Father to hurry up
and send school teachers out here to
teach my people and my children to read
and write. SO they can commit forgery
and make living like the whites"
SAVE THE PEACHsTONEs.-Now is the
time to he putting these away under
ground, so as to have them in good con-