Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-10
Indian Cnriosities.

4 few leisure moments of a representa-
tive of the Day were improved this fore
noon in looking over the array of Indian
articles of warfare, toilet, luxury and gen
eral utility, exhibited for sale in the show
windows of a popular business house OF
| St. Paul. There were war-clubs, tona-
/ hawks, bows and arrows, necklaces OF
/ elks teeth and bears claws, stone pipes
and moccasine OF every description, so ar
ranged as to attract the attention Of the
relic-hunter
Where do you get those thingo?' in
/ quired the Dag representative.
Well" said the merchant, we get
them from Indians, trappers, post traders,
and sometimes from amateur travellers and
adventures who have started out on small
means, and after reaching St. Paul, en-
their way home from the West, fud it
necessary to sell their relics in order, some
times, to obtain meal. 1t is astonishing
how many people 20 West thinking they
VIII make a speculation in procuring In
dian toys and selling them in St. Paul.
These people usually find it hard to sell
their specimens at any price.
Post traders and trappers often come
to st. Pau. with specimens expecting 10
realize handsome profits, but they are gen
! orally disappointed. | remember trap
! per who came TO my store four or FIVE
! years ago trying to sell me rare specimen
/ of Indian workmanship. He stated that
1t was made by one OF an extinct tribe, and
/ the only relic left rs memento of the
race. | learned afterward that he had
/ tried to sell it TO several dealers both in
/ 1t. Paul and Minneapolis, but had failed.
He had started ont asking the eXorbtant
sum of 5000 for the specimen, but had
! knocked of AT each successive store until
! the price asked was only SO. looked at
/ the man 4 moment and listened 20 his
story about the rar!tyof the specimen, etc,
and then said 20 him: Ny friend that's a
very pretty story you're telling, but you
see | shan't he able to make any one swal-
low it, and the fact is I'll have hard work
10 get 10 cents for the trinket'
"'Well, hang it, said he, give me a
drink Of whisky and take the cusSed thing
/ This is the only house in the Nor vest that
/ l haven't tried to sell it TO- and IA broke
and dry as a powderhorn. Take it along,
( stranger, and gimme drink, quick, ard
call the deal sqGar' l gave the man q
! good flask Of whisky and cigar, and he
wandered off apparently happy
Well, how much did You get for the
/ toy ?"
o. Oh. l happened 70 be in luck" said he
with twinkle in his eve: IAN English
Lord came along and told him the story
had learned from the traPper, and
think got about : 100 for the speculation
Do YOU sell many of these goods -
% e, a good many; but nearly Is many
to Americans as do to Europeans. Oi
course, Eastern people buy them; but We
I have to be very moderate in our prices in
order to sell TO this class. We can get
! fancy prices for these goods from Eu-
ropeans, and particularly from English and
Scotch people. During the summer season
our sales upon these goods to European,
mount up TO thousands OF dollars while tC
Americans they scarcely reach into TIE
hundreds
"Are these goods genuine-thati is, mad,
by Indians for their orn use2'
Wen, no; not ali of them. A larg,
portion are made by The Indians expressly
to sell to white people. Such goods woulC
never answer the purposes OF an Indian.
Here the merchant showed the differ
ence between n practical war club and ;
fancy one, practical tomahawk and pc
eticaI one. "The Indians, half-breeds anc
some Of the frontier whites make many o
these toys expressly to sell, said the doc
tor But then, you see, il is not neces
sarv TO mention that fact to foreigners
The cheats bring about as big price a
! the genuine article, '-ISt. Paul Day.