The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-10-27
10, THE POOR INDIAN.

A Band Of Winnebagoes at the Armory
"a War Danee---HOw the Indi-
ans Spend Sunday.
On Saturday evening there arrived from
Peoria band of ten Indians. There were
six men, TWO boys and two squaws.
After leaving the train at the Peoria de-
pot they inquired the way to the police
station. Wrapped in their bright red
blankets they attracted general attention
as they passed along the streets. A re-
porter for the ARGUS visited the police
station Saturday evening and found the
Indian band in all its glory. The party
had been given rooms in the police sta
ton and were enjoying Themselves great
ly. Upon inquiry it was learned that the
outfit was a remnant of W. c. Coup's
"Great Wild West" show which "busted"
up at Peoria the other day. The band,
with one exception, were half breeds.
They belong to the Winnebago reserva
ton, near Black River Falls, Wis, and
were on their way to that place when they
arrived here. The band was sent this
far by Mayor Warner. of Peoria. All of
the Indians talked good English with She
exception of the one called Long Tail
He could not speak a word of English,
and looked sullen and sad. A big buck
half breed furnished the reporter with
the names of the party, as follows:
Squaws: Enoca and Cordelia jefferson.
Warriors; Long Tail, King of Thunder,
Little Buffalo, White Thunder, Paul JEFF
ferson, George De Glare, Joseph Speer.
and Stephe Wayne. Paul Jefferson is the
husband of the squaw Cordclia. He is
thirty and she is twtntyseven years old
and they have been married n year
Enoca is Paul's mother; she is sixtythrcc
years old, hut does not look much older
This band Of Indians were engaged to
represent Indian life in the wild west.
They gave all the dances in which the
Winncbagoes indulge and also an exhibi>
ton of riding, shooting, etc. They were
on the road seven weeks and the show did
not make expenses single week.
Saturday evening Manager Collins, of
the skating rink, got the crowd to 90 into
the rink about $50 o'clock and give their
war dance. 1t was novel scene. The
Indians sat down in circle in the center
of the rink and began a dismal wall, in
the meantime one of them added to the
misery by pounding tom-tom Pretty
soon up jumped Little Buffalo, a pap
DOSE about ten years old. He raced
around the rink whoopng like mad, and
soon the whole outfit was in the thrors of
a wild war dance, When they had fin
iShed one of the squaws passed a hat
around and 81 was contributed hy the
spectators.
The police station was crow ded on Sun.
day with visitors who had desire to see
the '1njuns. There were many amusing
| little episodes during the day. Little
Buffalo" the papoose, who by the way
kicked and bawled like a white kid when
he had to leave the roller skating rink
Saturday evening, was on his muscle or
Sunday. When little Aleck Burris, the
colOTed chap, visited the station, one OF
the Indians suggested that he and Little
Buffalo, who are about one size, should
engage in prize fight Little Buffalo
was willing, and be made a dive fol-
Aleck, who lodged him. Officer Feeley
made the untutored pugllist stop anG
Alexis eyes stood ont like saucers. while
enemy.
Two stalwart bucks got into playful
struggle for cigar, which finally resulted
in fight. They were punching each
other in the most approved style of the
art when Officer Rugh collared both Of
them and run them into the tramp room
and told them to fight it out in there
They said they would, but after discus.
sion that sounded like the target practice
of military company, both said "Ughl'
and laid down on the floor together.
The bucks put in most of the afternoon
playing cards, at which they exhibited
considerable skill and a thorough knowl'
edge of the game of euchre. The squaw:
stood around interested spectators Of
the game, and encouraged their favorite!
by gruDts of approval occasionally. The
whole band were miserably dirty and
filthy, both in dress and person
Many of them wore earrings and all were
decked out with more or less bead orna-
ments. The squaws were ugly looking
, ItludleS, DuL INC DuChS NeTG nearly al
strapping big fellows of fine physique
Long TAIL" the pure and nndefiled
; chieftain of the party sat sullenly in one
corner of the room they were given il
the station. He could not speak word
of English and never said anything to his
) comrades unless they first addressed him
He looked as though he would be blood
thirsty william if he was once aroused
The party was sent TO La Crosse from
here on the steamer St. Paul last evening
; They will probably reach their tribe by
tomorrow. They were an ungrateful SCI
and seemed TO take it as matter Of
course that they should he royalty treated