Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-07-16
SITTING BULL.
How the Great Indian Chleftaln Lives,
Works and Amuses HIMSELF

Works and Amuses HIMSELF
Neither One Bull nor Jumping Bull,
Jr., was at home, but found the great
Sitting Bull himself sitting in his lodge
alone and unattended, and as solemn
as an owl. The stolidity of this Indian
is truly awful. He merely glanced up
as l entered his lodge, but paid no
more attention to my presence than if
l were in Egypt or at the North Pole.
] have heard that one might enter the
presence of Sitting Bull with brass
band, throw handsprings before him,
smile, weep, have convulsions or do
some other outrageous thing, and that
he will sit still and look at the unfor-
tunate white man who is attempting to
be agreeable with cold and reserved
glance, but with an utterly uninter-
ested eye. Nothing disturbs him, and
he never smiles, but sits in sombnr si-
lence day after day, as if his mind was
overburdened with the weighty mus
ings of philosopher. Nevertheless,
the same red-skinned warrior Is the
Napoleon of his race. He is the son
of Jumping Bull, great chief IN his
day, and was born in the year 1887 on
Willow Creek, below the mouth of the
Cheyenne river, in Dakota. Accord
Ing to his own statement his father
was very rich man and the owher of
great many ponies in four colors.
When he himself was only ten
years old he was already famous
as hunter of game, his speciality
being buffalo calves. These he
gave to the poor who had no horses.
On the death of his father, thirty odd
years ago, he killed buffalo and fed his
people. When only fourteen years old
nc slew an enemy and began TO make
himself famous in battle and thereupon
became chief. Although an Indian
may be a chief from inheritance, yet he
must to be of any degree or to WELD
any power make himself one by his
deeds. From the age of ten to fourteen
his people called him Sacred Stand"
but after he had slain the enemy re-
ferred to they changed his name to
Totanka-yan-tanka, which, translated
into the vernacular, signifies reclining
or sitting bull. He has two squaws,
and another who has gone to the great
spirit land" He has or had nine
children, among whom Ga most rare
thing with the race) are to be found
set of twins. Observation-Disclosures
the snow" is the best known son, but
boy entirely lacking in filial affection
or duty; for this same Louis with the
long name acted us q scout for the
United States troops during the many
years the blue-coated regulars of Uncle
Sam were hunting his vagabond father
over the plains of Northern Montana
into the Canadian possessions.
Of his wives. the chief has not yet
come to the determination whether he
will discard one of them or not. Bishop
Marty, OF the Catholic Church, has vis-
tied, talked, argued and finally, as he
believes, converted the old fellow to
the doctrine of Christianity. The
stumbling block to confirmation, how
ever, is the two wives. He processes
to be deeply attached to both, and is
undecided which one to give up.
There is no doubt that the renowned
chieftain finds his power gone and his
authority no longer recognized. In
talking with army officers on the SUBJ
Jeet none of them class Sitting Bull as
a great warrior. That he was present
at the Custer fight is admitted by them,
but not as the head chief and ring
leader, but simply as a medicine man
of third or fourth degree. Rain-in-the-
Face was unquestionably the rascal
who led that slaughter, assisted by
such well known warriors as Crow
King, Crow Eagle, Black Horn, Low
Dog and Gaul.
Describing Sitting Bulls attempts at
farming, the agent says that he finally
convinced the old man that his war
record would give him no standing at
the agency, but that the Great Fathel
recognized as the big chief the mos
industrious Indian, and the one that
did the most good and set the best cx-
ample among his people, Sitting Bull,
who is ambitious, decided to go to
work, and last season he took hoe
and commenced to help some of the
Indians plant corn. 81 visited him in
the field" said the agent, "and he
seemed quite pleased that found him
laboring, and in reply to my question
whether he found farming difficult, he
answered MOI" so think he has de
termmed to become a farmer in ea'
est. San Francisco Call.