The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1882-07-13
THE INDIANS FUTURE.
Profound and E3rrdite spec1ala-
items Thereon by Bill Nye
r. e. Of Wyoming.

The Question of what is to be the 9lOri
Gus ultimately of the red Inan in America, i
one which demands Of Us, as people, seri
I OILS consideration. Will a few neetin!
years extirpate and axterrninate from tn
! face of the earth a race which has so Ion.
filled our fourth readers and our scho0
declamations with crude oratory, exist on
| ~ as a smoked tanned. bead trimmed
memory? VIII the beautiful picture O
the brunette Indian maiden st last become
nothing but the frontesTiece VI a time hon
ored legend and the trade mark of fne-cu
factory? Let us hope that it will not,
/ We have crossed the wide ocean anC
wrestled from these people their lands anC
then to add insult toinjury. we have taught
them the mysteries Of our civilization.
With the white man came the doctrine
OF VicariOus atonement and the open back
shirt. He brought with him the dictionary
and the garden hose, salvation and salera-
tus. The tale was soon told, and now. on
the vertebre ofthe continent, the telephone
and the morning papers are crowding the
red Widower and the pigeot-toed scion OF
P0Whattan into the moaning sea. The
restless waves Of civilization and soan have
crowded old Rise Up-William Riley and
his whole tribe into the black night Of for
getfnlness and death. Gradually he has
picked up his household goods and his
wife and upright piano and stolen toward
the c0uch Of dying day, Now he stands
upon the rocky hattlements that hordert the
new states, and bathed III red sunlight and
nothing olse in particular, he shakes hands
with his approaching doom.
Had he taken more kindly to the bath
tub Of the pale face and fraternized more
adequately with the clasn towel of the
European, his oblivion would have been
less speedy, and the black, ton-cat night
Of eternal sleep less formerly.
Silent and unrelenting, unmoved above
the broad cemetery Of his people, stolidly
awaiting forgetfulness and death, we can
not help admiring the braWny brave with
the undaunted eye and the buckskin pants
with the seat cut out. Nature gave to
thee, thou duskv warrior, strength like
the eagle and sYEIIEnaSs II fine chase. brit in
her wisdom denia1 thee sh# eanner lining
that is requires a meet a.a@ coueae1 fire
vintage of a proeras2t VI a The n.sar-
tain lion may nee5 ttse ~ 9Iald MS
life at thy issAHs, a,7t*lle lbs ss.qff-
pede thac II l1I=1iEsets 1g ghe i1s.es.. aid
sold to thee, EansIas u1 tFs. Hs,9tienaEn a4td
cracks thu cg.owss~s1aeaSo. issea5aT,
Brave orator Of the scnoo. 9ooS. Hrias
relic Of the days Of Fooahontas, we watch
with tear dimnlpd eyes thy closing hours.
Adieu, thou Indian mother standing on the
steep; precipitous shores OF eternity. Be-
hind thee rests the dead heroes OF thy race,
and at thy side the brindle relic OF a mighty
tribe OF Indian dogs, fatigued and listless,
pets his favorite flea. No one can look
upon this sad and smoky groupe unmoved
the fading remnants of a glorious petty
larceny mob. Had he adopted the Prince
Albert coat and doctrine Of a protective
tariff, instead Of the plug hat and the
whisky sour, his future might have been
a resplendent one, and his life less clouded
with failure and remorse.
We should learn from this to shun the
errors which have busted the glorious fll-
ture Of the red man. Let us prptit by his
example and eschew the tlowing bowl.
We should also avoid the exposure Of an
out doorlife. 4 constant com munion with
nature and wet feet shortens life, and clouds
the pathway with gloom and catarrh.