The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-03
'sBeef.Issue Day" in Sitting Bulls
Camp.

arriving at Ine corral, Slluateu ON Inc
plains some two miles distant from the
agents office. picturesque scene pre-
scented itself to view. Hundreds of In
dams, 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 a 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 inery 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
rated leggins and moecasins, 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
folding their blankets of blue OF 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 faI
from them 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 blankte
Approaching the maiden, whose blushe>
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-.
shroudcd form, with only the two pairs
| of mOccasins at the 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 darkcned skin and bleached locks
| putting with q serious earneStness at hi,
long-stemmed pipe of red sandstone
This the old patriarch would hand t.
his nearest companion. and so the pipt
was passed around. At a given sigma
| the shooting commenced, and as one
after another of the brutcs fell to the
| ground general rush forward was
male to see the final death struggles
while an old buck chanted the deatl
song with an energy showing he wa
evidently recalling past scenes of blood
shed and death, where far richer blooC
was shed, and scalps were carried away a
trophies TO add to the warriors renown
Generally the first shot proved fatal, bu
far too often the poor creatures wer,
wounded repeatedly before dropping
often in their rage and fright charging
their assailants, causing lively STAN
| pede among the red men within til,
| corral.
AS the last steer bit the dust buck.
and SquawS with KNIFE and l.A4ehe
sprang upon the PROSTATE forms, an
after first cutting out the tongue of tn
dying animal-the prize first to be sc
d-proceeded to finish the work G
death, beginning to remove the skin er,
the breath had left the body Will
the SHINING was done skillfully, NJ
system CT method seemed to be used il
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the carcass, tn
sole idea being to get meat, bones an
viscera in the smallest possible compass
ready for removal to the Indian tepees
where the feasting would commence
and no portion excepting the horns {
the animal does the Indian reject 70
food. ApportDned by the agent to th
different bands of Indians, the nres
Il is divided up among his band by tn
chief and packed of to his tepee by HI
squaws. dogs and ponies, while he con
placently looks on in silent dignity.
In the center of a group of chief:
smoking, as they observed their toilin
women, sat Chief Sitting Bull, and 3
we approached we were greeted wit
the usual Indian salutation: How,
uttered in a deep gutteral tone.
The sight and smell of blood SCENE
to have most exhilarating effect upo
them all, and the work was entered int
with an evident savage delight On
old Indian, taking advantage of the o,
casion, hailed his people in loud tone
giving them some information as Il
town crier of former years gave tidine
| of a lost child.
Those who had no wagons, such as al
issued them by the Government, packe
their meat on the backs of their ponit
or upon travois, the old Indian metho
of transportation, consisting of tw
plant parallel poles strapped across tt
back of the pony like the shafts of
wagon, trailing on the ground SON
. ten or fifteen feet behind the ANNA
I. connected in their center by a platforl
of wicker-work, upon which the burde
is fastened. Even their dogs are thu
loaded down, often dragging four {
five times their own weight of mea
The work accomplished by the sma
but tough Indian ponies is surprising
. Often the pony carries heavy burde
of meat and an Indian rs well. and yer
, frequently three full-grown Indians al
:. seen riding one pony.
/ As these animals are ridden whe
{ mere sucking colts, and required to pc
form herculean tasks. it is no wondt
the race has become dwarfed. Aftt
every Indian had departed, but few {
them walking, your correspondent II
turned to camp, musing upon this rem
nant of a savage race. How to civili7
the Indian is indeed a difficult problem
and one requiring years to solve
Standing Rock Cor. n J. Nera'd
Nine million bricks were manufac
ured in Alexandria, ". L, last yea
In Bermuda.
l have said that courtesy is the rule !