St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-12-27

| on the thumb Is very striking. To say tn"
least. though | presume it would look
'.all right" when one got used to it.
Beads are highly priced among the In
dianS. and some OF them seem to have
bought them by the pound instead of
the string. Judging by the quantity
worn.
| AT one side the >4uawS and pappoo>oS
were grouped together. Neither of
these elements of the tribe are allowed
10 take part in the powwow. Among
| these Indians. is among most tribes.
| the women are considered of hut little
account: they are obliged to do the hard
work about the camp. cook, take care
of the pappnoseS and act rs beasts OF
| burden when the camp Is broken up. |
/ have often seen great. healthy Indians
mounted on ponies 50 small that the
riders feet barely escaped the ground,
while in the rear the poor squaw was
/ ploddinT along under Il load of kettles.
mats of woven rli>heS. of which part OF
the wigwam is built. and pappooSe,
| The brave tries to look very dignitied
| in his raudv blanket, with n gun across
| his horse. in front of him, and always a
clay pipe IN his mouth. and as 4 general
/ thing 50 much dirt on his face that no
amount of war paint. provided he used
4 the article. would show through. lie
always seems to be satisfied with his APP
pearance. and the poor. patient splaw
| looks at him with admiration expressed
on her rather inexpensive face. The
old or last years blanket is turned over
to her on the arrival of the new ones,
and she never has the opportunity TO
make such brilliant display as her lord
/ and master does. Her dresses, how
ever-for all the women of these tribes
wear sort of Mother Hubbard gown
are always gorgeous during the early
stage of their existence: but as this stage
tis5isnitedsto Allel tiEss ,tlzRo % &00J.Aa6As.
grease and dirt take possession of them
after that time. the poor squaw enjoys
only brief and ticeting glory. and sub
sides into the general squalor which
makes all of them look alike. The
pappooses wear but one garment from
1 spring to cold weather. a sort of shirt of
/ bright calico. which is never washed.
and never is taken of. so far as could
| Judge. until it wears off.
| As we stood there. we saw the Indians
1 forming into line at one side of the
I circle Of fires Pretty soon we heard a
humping that was kept up in regular
| time and none of us. with the exception
of Brown. knew how it was produced.
4 We found afterward that it was made
! by striking on thin pieces of hemlock
| fastened over boX-like frame. These
pieces were struck with sticks. and the
! vibrations of the wood gave out 4 feeble
4 imitation of the sound of drum; a
sound which can be heard a long way
off. but is utterly lacking in ability TO
! give pleasure to any but an Indians ear.
! Perhaps it is used at these powwows be-
cause it does not give pleasure. If that IS
| the case. it is appropriately selected, for
the monotonouS thumr, thump. thump,
soon became almost mbearable to lis.
! One bv one the Indians left the line they
! had formed and sprang into the space be-
! tween the fires and the mound. utterlng
| low. dismal shrieks and cries. After
| the ring was completed about the
mound a sort of a dance began. which
seemed to be on the ..go-a>-Hou-piease
order. for there was no regularity about
/ i. Each Indian seemed to eNtemporize
! I step of his own. and the variety was
certainly sufficient to relieve this part
.,f the performance of the charge OF
Sameness. Presently the music grew
! faster. and the cries OF the dancers be-
came louder. Such wild. dismal sounds
| / ncvcr heard before. They haunted
me all night At regular intervals the
! dancers would face the mound and give
utterance 10 a howl in chorus-it could
be called nothing else with due regard
to trrth-and the effect was anything
but pleasant; just rs l have imagined
! bloo,lthir>tv warriors TO howl when
Scalpin- victims.
The dance was kept up for perhaps
! half an houT-sS long. [ should judge.
aS the participants could stand it with
+; out becoming tired. something an In
dian always objects to on principle.
.GueSS we'd better 90 down an talk
with EN- little" said Brown. and we
followed him down the ledge and into
! the camp. The SquawS mumbled and
chattered about us to each other rs we
passed them. the pappooses eyed us
kcenlv and curicuSly. and the ''brayes
welcomed uS with eager demands for
'.tohack' and whisky. Whisky is not
allowed an Indian. and any one selling
it to him is fined or imprisoned when
the offence is proved. There is nothing
an Indian will not do to CRAFTY his
taste for liquor He will even work in
a law fashion. if he thinks he will get a
drink of whisky at the end of it. We
had none for them. but Brown turned
over to them all the "toback' he had.
! and the four or five who were fortunate
enough 10 get chew gave grlnts OF
satisfaction. while the Others looked on
with disapproval
We talked with them for perhaps half
an hour. They told us that there Were
several hundred buried in the mound ;
- IL l.