The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-11-15
Sample Indians OF the West.

dian," and, Judging from the sharp bar
gains he tried to strike with those who
sought his autograph or his photograph,
he is as avaricious as he Is ugly.
While he was being lionized by the white
folks at Bismarck, We heard rough
looking frontierman remark, between his
closed teeth, 1.-THE red devil! I'd like to
have crack at HIM with my rifle.
Those western frontiermen have no love
for any of the Indians-nor have those
soldiers of the northwestern military
posts who remember the foully.massa'
cred Custer and his men.
The war-dance of the Grow Indians at
Greycliff, in Montana, for the delecta-
ton of the Northern Pacific railroad ex-
cursionsts, was a novel entertainment.
It was late in the night when our train
made an hours halt there. Fires had
been built on the plain hundred yards
from the railroad. and around these
dozen or two of the "bucks," rugged out
in the gayest fighting apparel-their
faces covered with war paint and their
hoped up and down excitedly, gesticu-
latlng savagely, and uttering hideous
barks and groans that were evidently in
tended for singing Around these per-
formers, inside and outside Of rude tents,
a thousand or two Of the tribe, includ-
ing squews or pappooses, were standing
or sitting on the ground, while others
were mounted on ponies, dashing around
the outskirts las if they had been sent
for" The squaws and the youngsters
on horseback had merry time of it,
chasing each other about the grounds
playfully. and laughing as We had never
dreamed before that an Indian, male or
female, young or old, could laugh. 1t
was great time" for all concerned.
and they enjoyed it with zest that was
not altogether savage. While the white
spectators we're greatly interested in the
performances of the Indians, the latter
especially the squsws-manifested a
very lively curiosity as to the whites.
After the series OF war-dance perform
ances, and just before our train de-
parted, they swarmed to the rail-
road, surveyed the train, wanted to see
the interior OF the elegant coaches, and
tried to make themselves agreeable by
addressing the strangers with Howl
A few of the shawl-encompassed and
hair-disheveled squaws also had an eye
to business, and realized quite sum by
the sale of trinkets and ornaments of
their own making. One Young man of
our party who had evidently left his girl
behind him, purchased a neat little pair
Of bead-wrought clippers. A railroad
man of that region, who was asked to adj
mire the purchase, advised the young
man to "shake and clean them slippers
very thoroughly" before packing them
in his grip sack. There possibly may
be some live things in en-" he ex
The Indian war.dance which Mr.. vii
lard had prearranged for the entertain
ment of his guests out in the wilds of the
Rocky Mountains, was one of the Incl
dents of the great excursion that will be
remembered. The show was at once
unique and exciting, ludicrous and in
structive.
While the speeches were in progress
at the Northern Pacific railroad spike
driving ceremony, the head chief OF the
Crows, stood silent and solemn at one
corner Of the platform, taking it all in.
He did not understand word of what
was being said by the speakers, but he
nevertheless listened inteptly. He was,
apparently. the most interested and at
tentive of all the spectators. When Gen
eral Grant made his little speech. he
literally pricked up his ears. But, by
some oversight of the managers, when
the oct of driving the last spike was be-
ing performed, the old chief was "left
out in the cold" The crowd of eager
spectators had swarmed to the railway
track in front of him, and he was left
standing at his corner of tho platform,
unable to sac the driving Of the spike be.
cause of the throng. When the sledge-
hammer came down. and the crowd
shouted, the chief with clouded face,
suddenly turned on his heels, and, draw
ing his fancy blanket around him. and
uttering deep cultural "Uge" rapidly
strobe away, and was never seen again.
How like an Indian!
Down in New Mexico we saw much Of
the Pueblo tribe of Indians. These are
by general consent regarded as good In
dians'-thst is, they are sufficiently sub
dued not to be dangerous or trouble
some. They are seen in large numbers
at some of the railway stations, the
squaws peddling grapes and mineral
specimens, aud the "bucks
in the Indian country calls the msle In
dian q "buck"-loafng around, and
manifesting about as much interest In
what 10 going on as a grazing COW does
in the science OF botany. The squaws OF
the Pueblos are better looking than
those Of the Grows up north, and they
are also an improvement upon their sis.
ters Of the Digger and other tribes OF the
Sierra Nevadas, but many OF the Pueblo