The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-29
The POnca Agency.

| H The POnca Agency. ~.
The location of Ponca Agency is truly
beautiful. 1t is situated in bend of the
Salt Fork, briny stream whose tortu-
GUS windings end in the Arkansas east
of us, protected by the fringe of trees
that spring up by its snake-like path.
To east and south are the hills. View
ing the expanse of blue sky, unobstructed
by our neighbors chimneys, having the
full benefit of the beauties of sunrise and
sunset and surrounded by the children
of Nature, our lives might make a Sell
kirk envious of their solitude. There
are occasional storms, rumors of the
coming and going of Indian Inspectors,
with sarcastic speeches and searching
questions. Happy we if they pass and
our sky remains unclouded. Saturday
morning, bright and early, the road is
lined with wagons filled with many
Mephistoles on his way to rations Four
times a year census is taken of the
tribe, and each family presented with a
ticket on which can be drawn weekly
about ten pounds of beef for each indi-
vidual, flour, coffee, bareback, soda,
beans, bacon and tobacco. The squaws
receive in various dirty little bags or the
corners of their shawls these provisions,
and, having slung them across their
backs, they are driven homeward to one
grand feast and, perhaps, dance the
whole night through. The Indians are
not provident. Their rations are sufli-
cient for them, yet Friday often finds
them dinnerless.
The scene on Saturday around the
Commissary building is quite pictur-
esque. The porch in front is lined with
squaws in bright-colored calico skirts,
without cores and untrimmed save by
an occasional band of red or yellow,
with shirt-like upper garment and a
blanket of bright-colored shawl, with
the inevitable baby upon the back, some
times sleeping peacefully, sometimes
yelling vociferously for hard-tack or
something more palatable to his infant
fancy. The maternal instinct is de-
veloped early. 1t is highly amusing to
see some girl of five or six tottering
along under the weight of child al
most her size. The dress for a boy up
to his fourth year is little shirt only,
the Sits up the side sometimes of alarm
ing length. 1t therefore seems impera-
lively necessary that during the cold
weather he should be wrapped in some
ones blanket. The Indian police in
dark blue suits trimmed with lighter
stripes are ever at hand assisting in the
issue. Leaning against a building or
fence may be seen some young men in
full Indian toggery-perfectly fitting
and bright-beaded moccasins, red leg
gings, 'gee-strings'' Gan end of the
breech-clout which is allowed to float
behind) and so completely enveloped in
their dark blankets that only the eyes
are visible. The blankets are generally
ornamented with belts of beautiful bead
work a foot or so wide and extending
the width of the blanket. So much
variety do they show in design that |
have never seen the same pattern re-
peated Beside us stalks White Eagle,
the head chief of the Poncas, who is the
handsomest red man have seen.
He is the ideal Indian-of immense
stature, straight as an arrow, and, above
all, as dignitied as Lucifer was proud.
The dark, forbidding-looking face, the
keen, black, watchful, almost distrustful
eye, the glossy black hair floating in the
wind, the magnificent form, enveloped
in leggings and dark blanket brightly
ornamented with knots of colored rib
bon, impress you wonderfully. Amid
his undignified surroundings, which
would detract from the grandeur ofmost
men, he is always dignified and self
possessed. l have seen him in council,
attired in full suit of black broadcloth,
his face lighted with intense purpose, his
great form seeming to swell with the
power of his own eloquence, his mag
netic voice holding his hearers in that
spell which even the added powers of
education and culture cannot heighten.
Seated on the ground in groups of three
or four are many of the old men of the
tribe, with one pipe, which is passed from
mouth to mouth. Thus will they sit for
hours and leave each other without
seeming to have interchanged an idea.
As this is gala day, all the prettiest
costumes appear and we see great
many dresses of popular style, red
wooden, ornamented around the bottom
with bell shaped buttons and having a
panel on the front breadth made of
bright-colored ribbons, overlapping each
other and cut to form many and intricate
patterns. saw one of red, green and
blue ribbon so sewed as to form small
squares of different colors, which to-
gether formed larger squares, the whole
beautifully symmetrical One may see
any style of head-dress, cap trimmed
with beads, the old battered hat, relic
of last years annuity goods; bright
colored handkerchief, perched turban-
wise, or a cap made of otter skin, the
tail forming streamer behind. Ii a
dirty, it is a picturesqe group, and some
times complaining one. The voices of
the women may be heard talking in a
harsh, discordant tone and, with an UNI
mistakable whine. Their peevish utter
anceS are continued until they are driven
away. Poor creatures! Civilization in
its slow growth has done but little for
them as yet. They are still hard toilers
to their masters. The Indian women
receive no instruction in fashioning their
garments, yet while their dresses are
new they are very neat, being nicely