The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-11-15

fuel. l have seen them carrying
loa,is-of wood that would stagger e
man. Speaking of carrying reminds
me of the squaw's method of car
rying their babies, and / will men
ton it for the benefit of those whom
it may concern. When Sioux
woman wants to carry her baby she
assumes stopping attitude, places
the pappoose on her back, wraps a
shawl or blanket around herself and
child, and the work is done. II is
amusing TO see tire larger babies
crawl upon the mothers back and
wait for the blanket or shawl TO be
wrapped around them. The women
say il is easier TO carry the children
this way than in the arms, and it
doubtless is.
The women Ore very much attach
ed to blanket or shawl. To see
one without both Is sign of eth
err poverty Oh civilization. Summer
or winter, it's all the same-the
blanket is worn, covering head aud
shoulders. Our washerwoman is
an Indian, and 1 have seen her
bending over the tub, with the mer-
curry at a hundred, wrapped IN a
heavy Mackinaw blanket.
/ said in former letter that /
would give my farmer friends my
experience as granger. One word
tells the story-failure. The oats
were cut for straw, and very short
straw at that, the drought ruined
the corn, the gophers ate the squash
seed before it came up, and lack
of moisture spoiled my "taters."
| had lots of radishes, lettuce, peas
and onions, bit these things matur-
ed before the dry spell set in. You
must experience it to form any idea
of the ruinous effects of combined
heat and dryness--l mean such heat
and dryness as we have here. Let
any sort of a,c-op come up; and then
have no rain for months and the
mercury in the nineties all day
and all night, and where's
your crop? Well, that's how it hit
me. l have been here nearly twelve
months and have III that time seen
two rains worthy of the name. /
have worn rubber coat twice and
have never hoisted an umbrella.
How is that for dry?
We are now receiving the yearly
supply of cattle TOR the support OF
the Indians who are fed at this
Agency. The cattle were contract
ed for early in the year, coming this
year from Mohtana. When they
hfrfSe here they are driven into q
corral which will hold about
three hundred head. Then
they are driven five or six at time
onto the Scales, weighed and then
forced into the branding chute and
branded. This chute is just wide
enough for COW to squeeze through
and long enough to hold four OF
Ave head. When it is full the
brands are applied and the cattle
turned over to the herders. 1t is
very easy to write all this-much
easier than it is to do it. Some
times it is hours before the cattle
can be gotten into the corral. They
will walk quietly down to the gate
led by a few old cows-you see how
one sex leads the other into trouble
when suddenly they will bolt and
away they 60, may be for miles be-
fore they are stopped. A few days
ago they were working all the after
noon and far into the night to get 6
herd of three hundred into. the cor
raj, and finally had to give it up
Then ell you can do is to keep The
herd together by riding around
them, soothing them by talking anc
singing. By morning they are gen
orally in good temper and easily
handled. As these breaks" take
many pounds off each head, and a
this beef is not received until j
passes through the scales, the con
tractor. uses every exertion TO ge
his CATTLE safely and quietly int,
the. pen. ~
But this letter is already too Ions
| and I'll close. G. w. WRoTEN.
/