The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-01-28

sayages can be attributed to remote pro-
vacations BY the whites. There is moth
ing in the Indians creed to which he
adheres 80 tenaciously as the tenet blood
( for blood IF an Indian is killed By
foe of mighty strength, weak party Of
friends may suddenly be surrounded land
butchered This the savage believes to
be- justice.
Gambling has to the Indian an uncon-
trollable fascination which at times
arises to such pitch Of excitement as to
canse him to gamble away every horse
he possesses. Various arr the games
they play, including many introduced by
white men, but the most popular is called
the blanket game, which J am sure,
none could play but a dexterous Indian
Before closing this sketch it is my wish
70 speak Of the physique and habits of
the Indians on ths Pacific coast to give
the reader an idea of the physical differ
ences still existing between the two
nations
Always on horseback, chasing buffalo
and other wild game, the Crows and
other Indians who roam the pralries
and plains east Of the Rocky mountains,
become fierce in spirit and tough in
flesh. For adornment his hand deity
paints crude figures on robes and his
tepee hides are profusely decorated. His
teeth are solid his body erect and his
legs and arms gracefully tapering and
handsomely wrought by nature and the
assistance Of exercise Nothing is he il
he does not possess Il horse, and to be
privileged to stride a live horse when
buried is a distinction only bestowed up
on the greatest of great Indians. ,,0n the
contrary the Pacific coast Indian wor-
ships at the shrine of the King OF fish,
the salmon, instead Of painting or draw
ing, he carves figures for his personal
and domicilary purposes, he idolized
rudely carved figures, with the zeal that
suggests Chinese origin. From excessive
sitting ne becomesinactiye his shoulders
are round, his figure small, his ankles
large, and satisfied to eat fish solely, to
expertly guide his ingeniously carved
canoe, he passes through life in an easy
manner, aided by warm and delightful
climate. An undeversified diet of fish,
or the absence Of lime in the water, has
the effect Of decaying his uneven dirty
teeth, the inhabitant Indian Of the
present, shows as he parts his thick lips,
the worn out set of molars. worn down
to the gums The white inhabitant also
suffers the extration Of his teeth in early
life from the same causes unless particu-
larry clearly in this regard. 1t was also
a former custom for these people to flat
ten the head, an inhuman caprice quite
incomprehensible, but not more danger
GUS than the crippling of the feet or the
pressing of the body with corsets This
hideous deformity was once a distin-
gushing mark between master and slave.
it was produced, without great discom-
fort when the child was Of a tender age,
by binding board over its heal. The
early settlement of the Pacific coast by
thrifty agriculturists, from New England
who, unlike the pioneers Of the more
eastern territories, were unfamiliar with
the gun and soon induced the Indians To
adopt manner of living. While to-day
we see the Sioux, the Crows, the Chey
ennes, etc, in a state almost as wild as in
the beginning of the 10Th century. we
find the Chinooeks, etc, wearing the
garb Of civilization, living in comfortable
houses and engaging in farming pursuits
In matters of religious nature many
have been converted to the christian
faith. They are Jealous adherents, and
to see party of them reversntly listen
ing to native preacher, Or suddenly
kneeling in the street to pray is often
strikingly instanced.
BrD BAKER