The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-12-23
AN INDIAN RESERVATION.
RATION DAY AT TEE ROSS FORK
AGENCY.
nividing the FOef--An Indanu Family
at Homo Aboriginal Amuse
neufn Indian Names

A Soda Springs Qdaho) letter to the
New York Post describes a day spent at
the Ross Fork Indian agency The
writer says:
1t was Saturday, the weekly holiday.
The Indian interprets the commandment,
'Six days shalt thou labor or do moth
ing, as seemeth good unto thee, and on
the seventh day thou shalt be fed by the
government The lazy Bannock invar-
iably accepts the last alternative, while
the more industrious Shoshone has an
ambition to do something more for him
self. The members Of both tribes, how
ever, are punctually upon the spot when
the rations are served out. This proce-
dure is Of necessity very methodical and
Dr. Cook has reduced it to perfect sys-
tenn. There are separate booths for the
meat -four and groceries, with a broad
counter in front of each, behind which
stands the dispensary of the national
bounty. Each applicant is furnished
with ticket. Upon it is inscribed
the number of his family, for
whom he individually receives all
of the allowance to which they are
entitled. At first the proud Bannock in
sisted that his squaw should carry off
the whole load and he felt insulted when
he was told that If he did not shoulder
the meat himself no meat should there
be. In the conflict between pride and
hunger, hunger prevail ed. Now he
meekly totes the beef, the squaw holds
out her apron for the flour, and tho
pappooses bring cloths or papers. for the
rice. sugar, tea, coffee and other little
ssndries.
followed Bannock family to their
wickynp for the purpose. of observing
their domestic economy. ! Everything
but the meat was slowed away under the
skins and blankets spread upon the
ground. Then fire was kindled in the
centre of the hut, so that the smoke
might escape through the holes where
the poles converged. A large Dutch
oven was placed among the faggots.
every pound of the weeks allowance of
beef was thrown into it to be cooked,
and then the family wrapped in their
red blankets, spread themselves out in
rays, as it were, the focus being the fire,
on which their eyes gazed with keen an
ticipation as they played tattoo with
their toes in the outer circle of the tent
They may not have devoured all the
meat, at this one meal, but it is certain
that whatever economy they studied
was in the cookery, of which no more
would be done until Saturday again
came around. There was very in
genious device at the meat stand to in
sure q fair division OF quality as well as
OF weight II either tribe could have
its way, the other would be obliged to
put up with neck pieces and shiBbones.
Accordingly Shoshonesis detailed to
serve out to the Bannocks, and a Ban.
mock performs the same Office for the
Shoshones. * ,.s ,tf
After these weekly proceedings have
Terminated the afternoon is devoted to
amusements, OF which horse racing is al
ways foremost. There is straight
marked mile over the prairie, and at the
end, near the agents house, about. 900
Indians on horseback were gathered as
participators or spectators. Yelling and
whooping they started off sometimes III
couples, sometimes half-a dozen or more
abreast. for the width ot the track was
several hundred miles For a finale
nearly the whole caEaleade swept over
the plain in cloud Of dust aud wilma
cry that seemed to echo from the eanons
of the mountains. There WAS not
mnch ready money for the stakes.
but rations weTe sufficient TOR the purl
pose These were freely iuterchangedias
substitute. 'sMe BET EN- ten pound
beef, said an old Shoshone. The
wickyup of the Bannock family at whose
repast had assisted was pitched near
by the track, and | observed that thev
managed to see all that was going on
without much personal Inconvenience.
They had only to shift themselves end
for end, and they were spread out with
their feet to the FIRE. while their heads
projected under the foot rope.
Almost every Indian has a double
name. His native name generally i'm
plies some event in his history. Il NAV
tell OF the time when he had q contest
with a bear, when he took vengeance
upon an enemy, or when he developed
some cunning trait of character He
calls himself after all sorts of animals
and birds and natural phenomena.
Some OF the titles he has appropriated
to himself are exceedingly lu
dicrous while others are poetic
and beautiful When. he bap
tlzes himself into the names Of the grand
mountains. lakes, rivers. ana forests that
stand as his sponsors, it is then that his
untutoEed mind bears out the poets de-
scription of his religious nature. But
when we see how some of the sonorous
names Of the Indians are dropped for
others recognized by them as the white
mans substitution, the nobility of the
red man disaDpears Tumetoka hecomas
captain Jim; Toyeroka. Carbuncle Tom
Habbicanditzee, Chunk; Woodaditee,
Whisky Joe; Ptebeami, Monkey. When
they are permitted to leave the reserva-
tion, the agent furnishes them with a
sort of passport. designating them by
what may be styled their scrub names.
as they prefer to he known by them.
Sometimes they fortify themselves in
addition with recommendations from
other government officials and from
traders.
Once only did we ever see that defer
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