Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-06-08
LIFE AMONG THE SIOUX.
'SQuaw Men, and Half Breeds-Pfcture
Painters-Family Affection.

SQuaW Men, and Hall Breeds-Pfcture
Enthusiastically Affection.
Among the Sioux may be found many
white men who are married to
squaws, and who are adopted by
the tribe They are known In frotier
parlance as ''squaw men," and before
the Indians were restricted to the limits
of the reservation, accompanied them
from place to place IN their nomadic
wanderings. OF this class q great Dor
ton are French Canadians, and many of
them are rich In cattle and ponies. Their
children are usually bright and intelli-
gent and when old enough are given the
advantage of the mission and agency
schools, and taught to adopt the customs
Of the whites. The government scouts
employed at the various military posts
are composed chiefly Of French half
breeds for the reason that aside from
their knowledge of the country, they
speak with fluency both the Indian and
American tongues.
Although the Sioux are not usually
very demonstrative In their manners
about the traders store, they can on
certain occasions become as noisy and
boisterious as "a whole convent when the
father Abbot has gone to bed" Among
other novelties In the store, we once had an
ingenious toy, which consisted Of q small,
square box, ON the top Of which were
four little images representing negro
minstrels, two OF whom, seated on tiny
chairs, held respectively set of bones
and tambourine- The other two figures
were tn q standing attitude When the
concern was wound up with key, the
little darkey musicians began q lusty
Gathering Of the bones and tambourine,
and the standing figures would break out
tn o wild dance, jerking and throwing
legs and arms In mirth provoking att
tudes Of every description These mimic
performances never failed to elicit the
widest applause, the squaws fairly
shrieking with delight, and even the most
stoical chiefs shouting wy-yu-pah away
up) at the top Of their voice.
They are however, subject to coca
sional fits Of dependency In which "a
sadness appears to fall upon their spirits, I"
and I have been informed by educated
half breeds living among them that the
different lines Of paint on their faces sig
nifty when they are IN love, melancholy,
etc. once passed period Of fourteen
days and nights with young Indian at
a point about thirteen miles up the river
above the fort, near the mouth Of the
Cheyenne. My companion was a strong
and active young fellow about 81 years
Of age, by name Ferocious Bear, but his
manners greatly belied his name. for q
more civil partner could not hope to
find.
One stormy Sunday while sitting by
the fire In our shanty, I observed that
Ferocious Bear was unusually taciturn.
Usually, when about the shanty, he was
employed In cleaning his firearms, or
with bits of charcoal embellishing the
walls Of our shanty with pictures of
eagles, buffalos, deer, etc. But on this
particular day he scarcely touched his
breakfast, and up till noon had spoken
not word When finally asked what
was wrong, he shook bis head mourn
fully and replied that "his heart was
very bad" had with me an excellent
field glass belonging to Lieut.. Myer at
the post and when the storm cleared
away handed 1t to the Indian and re-
quested him to take a look at an encamp-
ment Of bis people q mile OF 80 distant.
1t 80 happened that he had never before
looked through one, and his amazement
and delight was unbounded, and his
moroeeness soon passed away.
The Sioux picture writers or artists
are by no means skillful painters-yet
some of the decorations on their robes
are Of very clever designA Among my
collection Of Indian curiosities is quite a
large picture painted ON cloth. represent
ing dozen mounted warriors bedecked
with paint and feathers all ready for the
warpath. 1t was executed for me by an
Indian named Black Hawk. He was q
participant in the Custer fight, and
several of his pictures representing the
battle-ground were purchased by DR.. Mo
Chesney, OF Fort Bennett, and forwarded
to the Smithsonian institution. The
pictured representation of their battles
with other tribes are an evidence of their
tendency to exaggerate their own
proves Every solitary Indian repre-
sented in these encounters as getting ter
Hbly thumped with war club, or losing
his topknot, Is certain to be anything
else but Sioux.
A noticeable feature of the Sioux is
their affection for their children. A
chief, or, indeed, any Indian who Is we'll
to do, |. e.. one who has many ponies,
spares neither pains nor expense to make
his little ones happy by lavishing upon
them everything in the way of gaudy
apparel that barbaric fancy can suggest.
Some of the little boys, the pride of their
parents hearts, when mounted on their
favorite ponies with embroidered saddle
and bride, and their own persons glitter
ing with ornaments, are a sight to be-
hold Parker In Detroit Free Press
Heine and His Mother.
Visiting Heine one evening, when he
was just debating letter to his secre-
tary, asked to whom he was writing.