Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-12-06
LO AS HE IS SEEN AT HOME.
Still Good Deal Of q Savage Despite
Civilizing Influences.

CivtltztnG Influences.
HIS SOCIAL, MORAL AND INTELLECTUAL PROGRESS
rs EXCEEDINGLY sLow-LIPE IN THE TEPEE-
THE PoLreANIc PRACTICES TO WHICH HE cLrNos
SELLING HIS WIVES.
1t is a common saying in the west that "a
dead Indian Is the only good Indian" q re-
mark perhaps little too sweeping in its appli-
cation. Our Indian population, writes Moses
Folsom in the Milwaukee Journal, numbers
about $500 and all west Of the Mississippi
except $4,000. None are hostile except
a few in the southwest along the
Mexican frontier. The total number belong.
ing to agencies under supervision of religious
bodies is officially reported in round figures at
10000. The Methodists lead in the number
under spiritual guidance. having fifteen
agencies with oversight of $4,000 The Pres
byterians come Gloss up with the oversight OF
As 600. Next the Episcopals with $4,000; then
the Roman Catholics with %, 900. and then the
American Missionary association, or Congrega-
tionalists, with $4,000. The Christians have
10. 600. with smaller numbers under the direc-
ton OF the Baptist, Unitarian. and other de-
nominations. There are not less than 800
schools on the various reservations. The In
dian child. as a rule, is an apt scholar.
The Blackfeet and allied tribes, the Piegans,
Bloods. Gros Ventres and River Crows Of North
Montana are looked after by the Methodists In
early years the Catholic missionaries. whose
service is more attractive, worked with signal
success among the Blackfeet, and several mis-
sions were organized and several thousand
Indians baptized in that faith. Lame Bull head
shown, wears .spectacles and q "biled' shirt
smokes a clay pipe, has two wives, speaks En-
glish, and is pretty clever Indian.
Since the disappearance Of large game and
the degeneracy of the Indian into a suppliant
FOR government aid, he il not as much of q man
as he was. When surrounded by large white
population, as in the east something NAV be
expected OF him; but the average reservation
Indian now has little to do except to gamble
and horse race while waiting for government
rations. The Indian woman does all of the
work, pitchess the tepee, gathers wood, cooks.
cares for the horses, DC. She is considered
property as much as horse, and the husband
can sell his wife az the father sells his daugh-
ter. 1t is considered effeminate in an Indian
to show affection for his wife.
The home, lodge or teree of the plain Indian
is conical in shape and made Of hides or can
vas stretched on framework of poles. 1t de-
ponds on the size of the family for its size, but
Ii seldom more than 20 feet in diameter and Is
feet high. The fire is built in the center, and
the smoke escapes from q hole in the top,
which which being guarded by a winged cap, usu-
ally prevents the wind from blowing in. The
draught, however, is not perfect by any means.
and the tepee in cold weather Is too full of
smoke for any one not used to it. 1t is not
easily overturned by storm and little fuel keeps
1t warm. The beds are made of robes and
blankets spread on the ground close to the
outer part, and serve during the day for seats
They are never made up" as the white house
wife understands the term. The Indian is not
selfish, and so fond of company that most te-
pees contain more than one family. Ali live
sleep. cook and eat in the little space, and when
nd =
during the cold weather, the inside of the
tepee becomes frightfully unclean. The wives
OF an Indian able to have several all sleep in
the same bed.
Like a white gambler with his diamonds, the
Indian can make his wives a source of revenue
by selling them when misfortune comes upon
him. Living as they do there is total absence
of privacy and modesty in the domestic life of
an Indian. From hard work, the Indian wome n
are not prolific and rarely have more than
three or four children. The mother has early
charge Of her little ones, and soon teaches them
not to cry by holding her hand over their
mouths and pinching their noses until they are
almost suffocated, and they soon learn that
silence is the best policy. This habit was
adopted to prevent outcries in times of peril.
The Indians live much in the open air and
children brought to the agency schools are
usually 80 far-sighted that they cannot see let
tiers or small pictures ON the printed page.
Adults are usually impatient in illness and
seldom survive protracted or severe spells Of
sickness. They eat most everything, meat
heretofore being their main subsistence, but
where the, government is trying to make farm
ers of them they take readily to vegetables.
In their tepee life they have no regular hours
for meals. but eat when hungry, usually boil
ing their dried meat. Birds, reptiles and small
game they eat entrails and all, and generally
more or less of the clothing of white men-
pants giving them more trouble to get used to
than anv other garment. An Indians idea Of
full dress Is to heap everything he has on him
self. and then he is not in full toggery unless
his face ia besmeared with paint, sometimes
quite artistically streaked, or worked into
figures.
Most Of the agents prefer Indian police to
preserve order, and when 30 employed they
are dressed in army uniforms, mounted and
well armed. They are picked men, and always
loyal and faithful to duty. When this great
cattle range becomes we'll settled by whites
many Of these Indians will become herdmen.
and in that way make themselves useful The
Blackfeet have a large reservation. some 90
DOC, DOC acres, next in size in the country after
the Sioux reservation in Dakota, but commits
sion last year arranged with them to cede 49,
OOO, 600 to the government, they to take three
small reservations.
They only number about $4,000, and the f.
DOC, 900 acres they retain is more than they
need, but the government is to give them
stock and farm machinery, and it is hoped
that real good live" Indians can be made of
them.
A railroad was extended through this section
last year, skirting the valleys Of the Missouri
and Milk rivers, thence to the mountains Rail-
road building in the west has become marvel
The iron raIl penetrates the solitudes and the
engine calls for the settler who comes, and as
surely as the pillow turns over the sod. the rain
cloud follows, and the tradesman POUNDS the
village that hastens to be town and stops not
until it is a city. To-day the surveyor lays out
the town, and tomorrow. as if by magic, the
city is seen, full fedged and throbbing with all
the busy energies of life.
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