Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-11

Great herds of horses and ponies appeared
on the north attended by blanketed and
feathered Indians.
At Gray Cliff, a large encampment of
about three hundred wigwams was found
to the south of the road. Here it was that
the Indian war dance was to take place.
This point is about $50 miles from st.
Paul, and distant some % miles from the
Grow agency.
The Indians who were communicating
about 1,5OO-had been induced by
the promise of big feast
to come to Gray Cliff with their
wives and children, their ponies and dogs,
wigwams, war paint, and all other appur
tenances of savage life, in order that the
visitors might have an opportunity of
seeing the 'snoble red man" in his original
condition of life. The sight was one which
| interested everybody to the greatest pos
sible extent 1t was unique and thrilling
in many respects. Some one hundred
warriors were found seated within the
small Enclosure near the track, painted and
attired in the most demoniac manner.
Many were armed with rifles, pistols, toma
hawks, swords and knives, which they were
to use in their dance. About score of
Indians, including the beaux and bellies of
the tribe, were located under small tent
inside the circle, and to them was reserved
the privilege of making the war music.
The dance began Immediately upon the
arrival of the first section of the trains. A
low tom-tom upon a thick-skinned drum
brought the warriors to their feet. A fan
cifully attired chief, who wore more red
paint, feathers and necklaces than he did
undergarments, made his appearance in
the centre of the ring, and beneath
Haunting United States flag, that spread
forth from its staff, he conducted the cere-
mony. Obeying his signal the warriors
set up low chant and commenced moving
forward. AS they drew closer together the
chant grew louder, until finally the entire
crew of Indians we're one leaping, bowling
mass of painted and feathered savages. No
two were dressed alike, and it would be.
impossible to paint the scene in words as
1t appeared to the spectators. The first
dance was kept up for about quarter of
an hour. The warriors then resumed their
seats and gave way to three chiefs, who
gave a private exhibition on their own
account. This trio was reputed to consist
of the leading medicine Iaen of the tribe.
whose greatest endsavor appeared to be to
out-do one another in horrible contortions
and gestures. After they had subsidized,
some quiet was restored for an hour or so,
during which time the visitors busted
themselves visiting the lodges of the Indi
ans and making personal inspection of
their manner of living, and scrutinizing
with due curiosity our nations ward, as
he appeared to many for the first time.
A hn, Of fro rnpo
gathered in, and the bargains made were
in no way of a character that indicated
Lo to be poor child of innocence. The
war dance was resumed later and kept up
more or less until late hour.
A feature of the day was the arrival on
the scene of Mr.. Two Bellies, chief of
the Mountain Grows. The old man was
seated on his pony, one leg done up in
bandage, and wearing anything but the
uniform of civilization when he made his
appearance. The arrival of such dis
tinguished parsonage was of course imme-
diately noticed, and the first person to
grasp his hand and bid him welcome was
the Hon. Carl Schurz, who was secretary
of the interior and in charge of Indian
affairs when Senior Two Bellies was praneing
around the mountains with his Winchester
and in his war paint, seeking visitors to
his country with desire of giving them
warm reception. He greeted the secretary
with much cordiality, and evidently took
much pleasure in referring to the past, as,
through his interpreter, he stated that he
was compelled to do most of his travelling
on horseback, owing to the unsatis-
factory working of his right leg, where
one of Uncle Sans boys had incidentally
planted a forty. two calibre memento of
his friendship for Lo some few years back!
The ex-secretary and the warrior spent
some moments in pleasant interchange
of ''Hows." Another distinguished chief
was presented to the visitors, and made a
telling speech, which in substance was as
follows: "You are having a good time,
and I am glad of it. If had known you
were coming, I should have had my hair
cut, in honor of the occasion, but as it Is,
I am obliged to be as you see me. Ho!
IF you have any champagne bring it on
and I will drink it for you! If anybody
wants to buy lny moccasins will sell
them for 81. Hop Mr.. Schurz respond
ed in his usual beautiful and touching
manner, and added much to the effect of
the scene.
Lilo trdluS StduUluR Ou Illo 1IdCh ClOoo
to the Indian village attracted the atten-
ton of scores of the Indian women and
children, who swarmed onto the platforms
and gazed into the wheeled palaces with
evidently as much amusement as the Wis
itors from England and Germany inspect
ed their own dirty tepees.
Secretary Teller was observed making an
individual inspection of his wards. The In
dams did everything possible to amuse their
visitors. Races between the white men
and warriors excited close attention, and
there were many daring feats of horse
manship.
The Indians on the ground belonged to
two tribes, the Mountain Crows and the
River Grows.
The ladies in the party were much
amused at the manner in which the squaws
carried their children upon their backs
wrapped up in blankets. Each squaw of
suitable age appeared to be surrounded
by from five to dozen youngsters, pre-
umably her own, whose scanty attire was
sather noticeable. Some of the Indian
men themselves appeared on the ground
without having a full dress cos
tune. All of them seemed to be in
the best of humor and to their
white guess exhibited the utmost willing
ness to show them all the attention in
their power. On this occasion the white
men were the puests of brother Io, and as