The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-10
THE PRESIDENTS TOUR.
Bis Reception and Entertainment by the
Shoshones and ArapahOes.

Fort WASHABLE, Aug. 9.-The Presidents
party spent yesterday at Fort Washakie, pre-
paratary to setting out on its ride to the
Yellowstone this morning. The President,
Secretary Lincoln and General Sheridan re-
turned the call which the officers of the post
had made upon them the previous evening,
In accordance with the expressed wish of the
Shoshone and Arapahoe chiefs, their people
were afforded an opportunity of calling upon
the President at in the afternoon. Shortly
before that hour they gathered on the plains
to the number of about 500 warriors, and,
mounted upon their handsome ponies they
dashed forward in line for about thousand
yards to point near which the President
stood awaiting them. The column then
halted and several chiefs dismounted and
approached him. Among them were
Washakie, the remarkable chief of
the Shoshones. from whom this post takes
its name, and Black Coal chief of the Arapa-
hoes, tribe which, within few years, has
been permitted to share the occupancy of
this reservation.
The President thanked his visitors for call
ing upon him, congratulated them upon
their fine appearance, assured them OF his
interest in their welfare and of the satisfac-
JlOu Will WulCH ne n6dTQ Oh lHSlE 6Xc01-
plary conduct and their growing attention to
the practice of industrious pursuits. His
address, which was admirably suited to the
occasion, was interpreted to the Shoshones
by an Notwithstanding member of their
tribe who bears the name of Norcutt, and to
the Arapahoes by one of their number, who
had been educated at the Carlisle school.
The chiefs then showed to their respective
tribes what had been said to them by their
Great Father, and the announcement was
received with manifestations of applause.
Both Washakie and Black Coal made peril
nent replies. They thanked the President
for honoring them with a visit and avowed
their purpose OF living at peace with the
whites and adopting as rapidly as possible
their customs ana manners of life. Their
addresses. as interpreted, were full of ex-
pressive metaphors and positively eloquent.
The Arapahoe interpreter found no little
difficulty in making himself understood
His efforts were recorded by Captain Clarke
of General Sheridan's staff who has thor
oughly mastered the beautiful and express
sive sign language, which is the entire COM
munication of the two tribes, and in inter-
course with the whites fully supplies the
place of speech.
Sharp Nose then brought forth an Indian
pony, and placing in the hands OF the
President the reins, he presented the hand
some animal for the use of his daughter.
Gifts of moccasins and leggings were present.
ed also to members of the Presidents party
Then followed war dance, in which twenty
young Shoshone braves took part and eight
beat the drum and chanted weird little
song for the exciting efforts of their fellows
Some OF the dancers were nearly naked, their
skin painted in various colors; others were
gayly dressed in fiashy-coored costumes, no
two of which were alike; and some were
ornamented with beads feathers and every
sort of Indian ornaments. The dance af-
forded much entertainment to the party