The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-03-19
THE SNAKE INDIAN.
BH Nye's Opinions of ShOshones, their
Manners and Customs.


There are about 500 Snake or
ShOshOne Indians now extant, the
greater part being in Utah and Nevada,
though there is - reservation in Idaho
and another in Wyoming
The ShOshOne Indian is reluctant to
accept of civilization on the European
plan. He prefers the ruder customs
which have been hSnded down from
father TO son along with other hair
looms. use the word hairlooms in its
brOadest sense.
There are the Shoshones proper and
the Utes and Utahs, to which have
been added by some authorities the
Comanches, and Moquis of New
Mexico and Arizona, the Netelas and
other tribes of California. The Sho-
shone, wherever found, is clothed in
buckskin and blanket in winter, but
dressed more lightly in summer. wear
ing nothing but an air of intense gloom
in August. To this he adds on holi-
days necklace made from the store
teeth OF the hardy pioneer.
The Snake or Shoshone Indian is
passionately fond of the game known
IS poker among US. and which, learn,
is played with cards. 1t is a game of
chance, though skill and a thorough
knowledge of firearms are of great use.
The Indians enter into this game with
great zeal and lend to it the wonderful
energy which they have preserved
from year to year by abstaining from
the delibitating effects of manual labor.
All day long the red warrior sits in his
skin boudOir. nursing the sicklY and
reluctant flush" patient, silent and
hopeful. Through the cold of winter,
In the desolate mountains, he continues
to
Hope on, hope ever"
That he viii draw to FILL" Far awav
up the. canyon he hears the sturdy
blows OF his wife's tomahawk as she
slaughters the grease wood and the
sage brush for the fire in his gilded!
hell where he sits and woos the law
Goddess of Fortune.
With the ShOshone, poker is not
alone relaxation, the game wherewith
to wear out long and listless evening,
but 1t is q passion, duty and a devo--
ton. He has face designed especial
ly for poker. 1t never shows a sign of
good or evil fortune. You might as
well try to win smile from a railroad
right of way. The full hand, the fours,
threes, pairs and bobtail flushes are all
the same to him, if you judge by his
face.
When he gets hungry he cinches
little tighter and continues to
''rastle" with fate. You look at his
smoky, old copper cent of face and ,
you see no change. You watch him as
he coins the last buckshot of his tribe
and later on when he goes forth a pau
per, and the corners of his famine
breeding mouth have never moved.
His little black, smoke-infiamed eyes
have never lighted with triumph or
JOY. He is the great aboriginal stole
and sylvan dude. He does not smile.
de does not weep. 1t certainly must
be intensely pleasant to be wild, free,
!awless, irresponsible, natural born
TOOL.
The Shoshones proper include the
bannocks, which are again subdivided
INTO the Koolsitakara, or Buffalo Eaters.
On Wind River, the Tookarika or
Mountain Sheep Eaters, on Salmon
md Suabe Rivers, the Shoshocas or
White Knives, sometimes called Dig
yer<, of the Humboldt River and the
treat Salt Lake basin. Probably the
Yahooskins and the
Nahlpapes are subdivisions of the Dig
yer tribe. 1 am not sure of this, but I
hall not suspend my business till I
'an find out about it. If l cannot get
It great truth right off wait patient
y and go right on drawing my salary.
The ShOshones live on the govern
nent and other small game. They will
at anything when hungry, from q
'ufialo down TO a woodtick. The
'hoshone does not despise small things.
te loves insects in any form. He loves
o make pets of them and to study
heir habits in his home life.
Formerly, when a great Shoshone.
Warrior died, they killed his favoritel
wife over his grave so that she could
o to the happy hunting grounds with
Inn, but it is not so customary now. I
ried to impress On an old Shoshone
rave once that they ought not to do :
hat tried to show him that it would
ncourage celibacy and destroy domes-,
lc ties in his tribe. Since that there.
as been quite stride toward REFORM
mong them. Instead of killing the;
idow on the death of her husband,
le husband takes such good care of
IS health and avoids all kinds of in.
'llectual strain or physical fatigue,
lat late years there are no widows,
lt Widowers just seem 10 swarm in
lie ShOshone tribe. The woods are full
them.
Now, if they would only kill the
idower over the grave of the wife, the
ldlanS future would assume a more