Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-24
INDIAN LIFE.

INDIAN LIFE.
the Nez Perces-Incident of Hayes
Visit.
San Francisco CAL.
In their domestic life the Nez Perez In
dians live in tents made OF poles and COW
cred with cloth OF Buffalo robes. The
tents are leitI Open at the top, and as the
IRE is built IN the centre the smoke natu-
rally goes out at the top. At night each
individual wraps his blanket around him
and lies down on the bare ground, with
out any other covering. All their wealth
consists of horses, and they take rank,
socially and financially from the number
and grade OF their horses. These pOnies,a as
they are usually dubbed, are cross be-
tween the Mexican mustang and the
Canadian pony, having the endurance of
one and the docile disposition of the other
While in size they resemble BOTH There
are still large bands of them
running wild IN some portions of Idaho
and Washington Territories. All these
Indians are fine riders and men, women
and children spend a great portion of their
time on horseback. The men have sad
dies made of wood and covered with buck
skin, with straight narrow seat of uni
form size, ard two high pOmmels, one in
front and the other behind. From the top
Of each of these pOmmelS is suspended
piece of buckskin covered sOlidlY with
beads. THESE are ornaments, and are
shaped like a letter Y inverted. In traV-
cling the women and children carry all
Che household effects. The men having
supreme contempt for hoe handle and
ats uses, are also too dignified to carry
bundles. The women. with Characters
tic meekness. accept all the luggage, and
may be seen sitting sublmely astride of
an innumerable collection of household
goods and miscellaneous possessions.
their dirty bandanna handkerchiefs tied
closely over their heads, and the
extreme point, as il is folded three-cOrn-
cred, going Hip, flip, tlip,as they ride in the
inevitable dog trOt. The children are all
mounted except infants. who are tied on
board and carried by their mothers nigh
above the chatter and cOmmOtiOn of the
pots and cans and other paraphernalid,
as they come in sudden and uneXDectcu
contact. l have seen little children not
more than eighteen months old, tied on
horse astride, with sacks of -four or rolls
OF blankets on each side of them. their
little bare heads bObbing up and down in
the hot sun, and their noses invariably
needing to be wiped! All the loose horses,
and those with small children on them.
are driven by the women. Several yards be-
mind this caravan OF women and children
come the men, without any bundles, the
ornaments of their saddles dangling in
the air. Their faces are painted a bright
red. and the chicken-hawk feathers in
their mats, and the whips made OF the first
Joint of deer's leg. with several holes
bored in it,, and wide buckskin strings
tied IN them. make up a picture to be
seen frequently in the summer months, as
they pass through the country between
different reservations.
INVETERATE BEGGARs.
These Indians are the most consummate
beggars have ever seen. Those living on
reservations 90 out in small companies
and work during the summer months.
The men dig potatoes and saw wood and
the women wash. These people are very
indiT rent workers, and one must possess
their souls in patience i'll order to make
bargain with them. In hiring a woman to
wash heard tn following pitiful story and
give it as a sample of many others: One
morning. Just AT sunrise, | was preparing
to light a fire, and having occasion to 90
10 the wOOdshed, l opened tue kitchen
door and found an Indian woman stand
ing outside As early rising is habitUal
with them, was not surprised at seeing
her. She looked at me and gTlnned
Can Indian never smiles), and said:
"Cdn | wash for yOu:' l replied in the
affirmative. While | was showing her the
clothes she said: Il haven't any thing to
eat; my husband is dead; my children are
sick; suppose you give me something"
Bv this time had carefully laid out the
wash, and asked her how much she would
charge To wash them for me. ''Sitcum
dOlla'' (half dOllar) said she. l told her
| would give her - cents, knowing now ii
would be before the washing was done.
She said, NO. ind gnantly, and turned
the clothes all over and said she didn't
want TO wash. told her to 80, and went
into the house and began preparing break
u. aF.r sin mad hA
door, and eng the boiler on the stove
filled it with water.
A TRIAL OF PATIENCE.
When this was done she went and leaned
against the door casing with her back to-
ward me. saving nothing, but giving an
occasional sniff that meant volumes.
After she had breaktasted she took the
clothes and began washing. The work
progressed until the clothes were all wet,
when size came 10 my room and said she
would not finish the washing unless
would give her one of my dresses. l
offered ber one, but she discovered that
one Of the seams was ripped, and threw it
upon the floor and said she would not
have it. Then she told her pitiful story
again. l finally succeeded in persuading
her to take the dress. and the Washing
was resumed. By 10 O'Clock She appeared
again, and said she was hungry. While
I was giving her some food she repeated
her story. At > o'clock the washing
was finished. and when I came to pay
her she had the handkerchief she
wore on her head filed with apples, and
the skirt OF the dress l had given her
nearly filled with potatoes she had found
in the wash room. She asked me to give
her these" showing some decaying ones
at the top, and saying they were all
s'pO0r." / gave them to her and then she
wanted some flour. This l refused her,
and as / went into the house the last
words heard We're, mica wake mucka-
muc6;" Il haven't anything to eat"
Although the Ne Perces are great beg
gars. they seldom, if ever, steal anything.
I nave seen them lift up, on a sack OF -four
being weighed out 10 them, TO make it
weigh Hight. and afterit was weighed press
1t down at the top. and ask for more; but
do not think they are generally dishonest.
DRESS.
The first interchange between strange
nations, OF between the different races is
almost invariably articles OF wearing ap-
pareI, generally ornaments to begin with
but as the two peoples become more fa-
miliar with each other there follows
more general exchange of commodities.
This is true Of civilized as well as barba-
rOus people. The first step taken by abO-
rhymes toward civilization Is casting off
all or part Of their peculiar dress and
substituting it with modern dress. As
rule the greater the change in dress the
nearer the tastes and habits approach the
civilized; hence the dress is usually an
index To individual development. The
Indians of this coast have nearly all dis
carded their peculiar dress and wear old
and new-styled civilized dress in decId-
edly Indian fashion. Among the NeZ
Perces is seldom seen an entire Indian
costume. Sometimes, however, one is
forcibly reminded of the parody:
"Lo the poor Indian, whose untutored mind
hind
Bv seeing a brave with the traditional
stripes Of blanket carefully wrapped from
-, 80 g,o r,,pnnoefu q tho aVl- Ia m ho