The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1884-01-05
INDIAN BEEF DAY.
How Government Beef BxcItes De-
light and Even Calls Forth
tho Death Song.


STANDING Rock INDIAN AGENCY, DIT: Ar
irving at the corral, situated on the plains
some two miles distant from the agents
Office, n picturesque scene presented itself TO
view. Hundreds Of Indians, Of all ages, from
the pappoose to the withered old chief hardly
able to totter, had 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 3
year-old Texan steers, freshly branded, and
that morning selected from the contractors
herd for the semi.monthly issue. The agent
was there himself supervising tho work, and
cordially received his visitor.
In the centre Of each squatting group OF
squaws and bucks was generally one old red
man, hoary, bent, and wrinkled, with dark
ened skin and bleached locks, pulling with
serious earnestness Mt his lo~ng-stemmed pipe
Of red sandstone. This the old patriarch
would hand to his nearest companion, and 50
the pipe was passed around. At u given sig
nal 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 show
ing he was evidently recalling past scenes Of
bloodshed and death, where far richer blood
was shed, and scalps were carried away as
20 ~ ~ W hH' N " y NAAJN IL
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 a lively stampede among the rcd
men within the corral.
As the last steer bit the dust, bucks and
squnws, armed with knife and Ratchet, sprang
upon their PROSTATE forms, and after first
cutting out the tongue of the dying animal
the prize first TO be secured-proceeded to
finish the work OF death, beginning TO remove
the skin ere the breath had left the body.
While the skinning was done carefully and
shllfully. no system or method seemed to be
used in the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of tho carcass,
the sole idea being to get meat, bones and
viscera In the smallest possible compass ready
for removal 10 the Indian tepees, where tho
feasting would commence, and no portion
excepting the horns OF tho 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 thu
chief and packed of to his tepee by his squaws,
dogs and ponies, while he complacently looks
on In silent dignity.
The sight and smell of blood seemed to
have n most exhilarating effect upon them
all, and tho work was entered into with an
evident savage delight. One old Indian, tax.
ing advantage Of the occasion, hailed his peo,
pie in loud zones, giving them some infOrma.
ton, MS the town crier of former years gave
tidings Of a lost child.
Those who bad no wagons, such as are
issued them by the government, packed their
meat upon the back OF their ponies or upon
t~ravois, the old Indian method OF transport,
alton, consisting of two plant parallel pole.
strapped across tho back OF the pony like the
shafts of a wagon, trailing on the ground
some tan or afteen feet hehinl fha animal
connected in their centre by a platform oil
wicker work, upon which the burden 4
fastened. Even their dogs arc thus loaded
down, often dragging four or five times thsii
own weight Of meat. The work accom-
plished by the small but tough Indian poniei
is surprising. Often the pony carries a heavy
burden OF meat and an indian as well, ant
very frequently three grown Indians ar,
seon riding one pony.