The Penn's Grove record., 1882-03-18
In the Indian Territory.

In an article on life among the civil
lied Indians of the In Ian Territory,
a writer gives the following account
vi the lowest class Of redskins-the
full floods, who neither speak English
nor have education OF any sort: They
are vulgarly termed "Slickshins," or
"Tubbies." Their are COM
monplace and plodding. The toma-
hawk is only traditional with them,
and scalping Is a forgotten art. They
are no longer semi-nude and arraytd
ia trinkets, brilliant feathers, paints
and moccasins, but in curse garments
similar to those worn by ordinary and
homely country people in the States.
1t is true they retain admiration for
trimmings of red and other brilliant
colors, which the men usually evince
by single feathers in their bread
brimmed wool hats and colored hand.
kercbiefs around their necks. No bother
remnants of the savage nature are no
tieeable in their fashions of dress.
The women are extremely plain, and
make little effort to adorn their per-
n They wear dresses made uni
formally after a quaint and u~ngracefdl
pattern. Being short In the waist,
where they are loosely gathered, these
| garments drop like bags TO the feet,
and are of even length all around,
hanging barely above the ground. The
fabrics are generally cheap and of
solid colors. Cut as their dresses are
the appear squatty.
The full bloeds are peaceful when
sober and obedient to law. They are
very hospitable and kind to strangers,
and furnish them with the best they
have. They inhabit homely huts
built of logs roughly hewn. They
avoid the highways and open praries,
andtheir haditations are usually found
in sequestered places among crags and
forests, always either slong the wind
ings of streams or where there are
springs of water, Around each lint
there Is usually q clearing OF a few
acres, which constitutes the farm.
Upon this a modicum of corn and
other vegetables ia raised for food, and
the rost thrifty CULTS ate q little patch
Of cotton. There is a small herd Of
cattle or sheep or a drove of rowing
hogs. These indians hunt IN the for
ests, not for pastime, but for food.
Flint arrow points are preserved az
relics by their a~ntiquarians, but bows
have been replaced br shot-guns, rifles
and revolvefs.
The interiors of their shanties are
furnished in keeping with the exteri-
ors. Rickety beds, plain wooden tables,
common tableware, white crockery
and dingy tin, and old chairs, fire..
quently bottomed with hides, complete
the furniture of the average household.
Their meals have little variety, con.
sisting OF cornbread, made Of meal
which where mills are inaccessible, is
crushed between stones Of fried MEET;
vegetables occasionally, and coffee.
Coffee is a fsvorite beverage, and is
almost universally used. Among the
dishes peculiar TO the Indians is a
species Of their cruel or hominy soup,
MADE of boiled corn well mashed and
seasoned with rye. This Ia called sof-
ga by the Greeks, and by the Chero-
KEGS no-ha ma. 1t is both palstsble and
Wholesome. Another is bean bread,
which is q baked compound Of boiled
beans and corn meal.
The women do most Of the work,
while the men devote their attention
generally to idleness. They use ponies
for transportation, and while the
women do the household drudgery,
chop the wood, tend the crops, ETC.,
they are seldom on hand to contribute
their aid, but are scampering around
the country, hunting or at play. This
l~aziness decreases a. the Indians be
come enlightened. The wild Indians
regard their women az little better
than their ponies. They barter them,
bet them away on races, and hold
them altogether IN abjeet slavery.
"