The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-12-22
''Beer-Issue Day" in Sitting BULBS
Camp.

interesting scenes ViSlUOt from Jne
East can see upon his arrival at the In
dian agency. | allude to "beef-issue
day. at Standing Rock agency.
Arriving at the corral, situated on the
plains some two miles distant from the
agents office, picturesque scene pre-
8ented itself to view Hundreds OF In
dians, of all ages, from the papoose to
the withered old chief hardly able to
totter, and assembled in groups around
the rail fence of the corral, and on the
fence were as many of them AS the fence
could hold, waiting to witness the
shooting of the doomed cattle, some
sixty or more three-year-old Texan
steers, freshly branded, and that morn
ing selected from the contractors herd
for the semi-monthly issue. The agent
himself was there supervising the work,
and cordially received his visitor.
Evidently the day was regarded by
the Indians as gala-day. The squaws
were on hand in full force. The older
ones were prepared to do the largest
portion -Of the work of dressing and
packing the meat. Therefore they were
not rugged up in Indian finery as were
the younger squaws, the young bucks
and the children of both sexes. All eX-
cepting the very old Indians were
gaudily painted. The children, in par
ticular, were fancifully decked for the
occasion. With their heads bare, hair
flying in the wind, faces painted bright
red or yellow, wearing earrings and
necklaces of elk-teeth, shells, beads, or
small mirrors strung together, arrayed
in breech-cloths or calico frocks, deco
ated leggins and moccasins, n stranger
sight can hardly be imagined than that
presented by these children of nature as
they gamboled among the dogs and
ponies, about as numerous as the
Indians themselves. The young bucks,
folding their blankets of blue or red
flannel about their erect forms, cover
ing up all but the eyes and nose, with
faces brilliantly painted, stalked about
in silent dignity. 1t was always observ-
able that when group of these spec
ter-like forms was seen together not far
from them a young squaw was sure to
be found, and all this masquerading was
to attract her attention. This is Indian
courtship, finally eliminating in the en-
robing of two forms in the one blanket.
Approaching the maiden, whose bushes
might be seen were there not such bright
spots of red paint on each cheek, form
ing artificial bushes, he throws his
blanket over her, and to the fortunate
observer all that IS seen is one en-
shrouded form, with only the two pairs
of moccasins atlthe base of the pyramid
to prove the presence of 1.-TWO hearts
that beat as one.
In the center of each squatting group
of squaws and bucks are generally one
old red man, hoary, bent and wrinkled,
with darkened skin and bleached locks,
putting with a serious earnestness at his
long-stemmed pipe of red sandstone.
This the old patriarch would hand to
his nearest companion. and so the pipe
was passed around. At given signal
the. shooting commenced, and as one
after another of the brutes fell to the
ground a general rush forward was
made to see the final death struggles,
while an old buck chanted the death
song with an energy showing he was
evidently recalling past scenes of blood
shed and death, where far richer blood
was shed, and scalps were carried away as
trophies to add to the warriors renown.
Generally the first shot proved fatal, but
far too often the poor creatures were
wounded repeatedly before dropping,
often in their rage and fright charging
their assailants, causing lively stam-
pede among the red men within the
corral.
As the last steer bit the dust bucks
and squaws with knife and hatchet
sprang upon the PROSTATE forms, and
after first cutting out the tongue of the
dying animal-the prize first to be Sc
cured-proceeded to finish the work of
death, beginning to remove the skin ere
the breath had left the body. While
the skinning was done skillfully, no
system or method seemed to be used in
the dismemberment of the carcass, the
sole idea being to get meat, bones and
viscera in the smallest possible compass
ready for removal to the Indian tepees,
where the feasting would commence,
and no portion excepting the horns of
the animal does the Indian reject for
food. Apportioned by the agent to the
different bands of Indians, the meat
is divided up among his band by the
chief and packed off to his tepee by his
squaws, dogs and ponies, while he COM
placently looks on in silent dignity.
In the center of a group of chiefs,
smoking, as they observed their toiling
women, sat Chief Sitting Bull, and as
we approached we were greeted with
the usual Indian salutation: Howl"
uttered in deep gutteral tone.
The sight and smell of blood seemed
to have q most exhilarating effect upon
them all, and the work was entered into
with an evident savage delight One
old Indian, taking advantage of the oc-
casion, hailed his people in loud tones,
giving them some information as the
town crier of former years gave tidings
of lost child.
Those who had no wagons, such as are
issued them by the Government, packed
their meat on the backs of their ponies
or upon trayois, the old Indian method
of transportation, consisting of two
plant parallel poles strapped across the
back of the pony like the shafts of a
wagon, trailing on the ground some
ten or fifteen feet behind the animal,
connected in their center by platform
of wicker-work, upon which the burden
is fastened. Even their dogs are thus
loaded down, often dragging four or
five times their own weight of meat.
The work accomplished by the small
but tough Indian ponies is surprising.
Often the pony carries heavy burden
of meat and an Indian as well, and very
frequently three full-grown Indians are
seen riding one pony.
As these animals are ridden when
mere sucking colts, and required to per-