The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-03
Sitting Bull and His Family.

Sitting Bull don't know where he was
born, or when. He is about forty seven
years old, and, being Teeton, was prob.
ably born in central or southern Dakota.
Four Bears, his uncle, says the Place was
near old Fort George on Willow Creek,
near the mouth of the Cheyenne, on the
west side of the Missouri river. His father
was rich chief, Jumping Bull. At ten
years of age the Indian lad was famous
as hunter, his favorite game being buff
falo calves. His father had hundreds of
pretty white, gray and roam ponies, and
the boy never wanted for horse. He
killed more young buffaloes than any of
his mates, and won popularity by laying
his game at the lodges of poor Indians
who were unlucky in the chase. At
fourteen he killed an enemy his name
before had been Sacred (or wonderfully
Standshot. When he had killed his man,
and could boast scalp, his name was
changed to Sitting Bull, though why the
old man doesn't know. He has two wives,
Was Seen.by.theN Nation and the One-that-
had Four. Robes. A third wife is dead.
His children are all bright, handsome
boys and girls, nine in number ; one, a
young man about eighteen, is in Cath
Ole school near Chicago. Sitting Bull
himself is not Catholic, as reported, nor
is it likely that man of his strength of
mind will ever renounce the mysteries of
his own savage religion, in which for SO
many years he has been powerful high
priest. One little boy, six years old, bright
as dollar and with eyes that fairly snap
like whips, was with him at Buford when
hesurrendered. At the formal pow.wow
the chief put his heavy rife in the little fell
lows hands and ordered him to give it to
Major Brotherton, saying: 81 surrender
this rifle to you through my son, whom
| l now desire to teach in this way that
he has beco me friend of the whites.
wish him to live as the whites do and be
taught in their schools. l wish to be re-
membered as the last man of my tribe
who gave up his rifle. This boy has now
given it to you, and he wants to know
how he is going to make living" Hap
PLY, Sitting Bulls anxiety for his children
is being grandly met in the work of the
Carlisle and Hampton schools and the
gradually charging schools and acade
mics planted by the missionaries through
out Dakota and the West. Sitting Bull
is typical Indian. He is wide between
the cheek bones, which are more than
ordinarily prominent. His chin is sharp
and long, and his mouth and dark eyes be-
token great frmness of character. His
dress is like that of any other hslf.civil-
lied red man. He affects little silly orna.
ment that makes his grim dignity very
laughable. His voice is deep, grufi
base. He shu files along as he walks, step
Iing on the outer edge of the left foot
which was badly wounded years ago.
The old man will live good many years,
if smoking does not use him up. He
got his first glimpse of civilization last
winter, coming to st. Paul with Agen,
Mclaughlin. The thing that struck him
most forcibly in his travels was the ballet
which he saw at one of the theaters. This
is not remarkable, as Indian women are
never known to display their bodily
charms as do the females of a superior
race. This indecency, however, Sitting
Bull looks upon as one of the supreme
evidences of our greater civilization
Major Mclaughlin says he would talk o.
nothing else on the way home. Hii
great ambition in life now is to get {
white wife. He says he would give two
ponies for ballet girl.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.