Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-01-03
INDIAN BEEF DAY,
How Government Beef Exc tes do.
light and Even Calls Forth
the Death Song.
dakota Cor. New York Herald. |


SfANDIra Rock INDIAN AGENCY. D. T.: Ar
fiving at the corral, situated on the plains
some two miles distant from the agents
Office, 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 grocps
around the rail fence of the corral and on
the fence were as many of them as tho fence
could hold waiting to witness the shooting Of
the doomed cattle, some sixty or mole g.
year-old Texan steers, freshly branded, and
that morning selected from the contractors
herd forthe semi monthly issue. The agent
was there himself supervising the work. and
cordially received his visitor
In the centre of each squatting group Of
squaws and bucks was generally one old rel
man, hoary, bent, and wrinkled, with dark
ened skin and bleached locks, putting with
serious earnestness at his long stemmed pipe
ct red sandstone. This the old patriarch
would hand to his nearest companion, and 50
tho pipe was passed around. At u given sig
nal the shooting commenced, and as one
after another of tho brutes fell to the ground
general rush forward was made to see the
final death struggles, while an old buck
chantel the death song with an energy show
bloodshed 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 a lively stampede among the red
men within the corral.
tfn,,. hit no I,,c% nd
squaws, 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 tho boiy.
While the skinning was done carefully and
skillfully, no system or method seemed to he
used in the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the carcass,
the sole idea being to get meat, bones aud
viscera in the smallest possible compass ready
for removal to the Indian tepees, whore the
feasting would commence AMI no portion
excepting the horns Of the animal does the
Indian reject for food. Apportionel by the
agent to the different bands of Indians the
meat is divided up among his banl by the
chief and packed of to his tepee by his sq,aws,
dogs and ponies, while he colnplacently looks
vi Ill
The sight and smell of blood seemed to
have most exhlalaung effect upon them
all, and the work was entered into with an
evident savage delight. One old Indian, TAX
ing advantage of the occasion, hailed his peo-
pie in loud tones, giving them some informa-
ton, as the town crier Of former years have
tid.ngs Of lost child.
Those who had no wagons such as are
issued them by the government, packed their
meat upon the back Of their ponies or upon
travels the old Indian method of transport
alton, consisting Of two plant parallel poles
strapped across the back of the pony like the
shafts of wagon, ,railn, on the ground
some ten or fifteen feet bohini tho animal,
connected in their centre by platform Of
wicker work. upon which the burden Is
fastened Evan thyir dogs are thus loalel
down, often dragging four or five times thcir
own weight Of meat Tho work accom-
plished by the small but tough Iudian ponies
II surprising. Often thop pony carries heavy
burden Of meat AMI an Iudian US well. and
very frequently three grown Indians are
seen riding one pony.