The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-09-19
ABORIGINES AT HOME.
THE SAC AND rOX INDIAN TRIBES AT
TAMA CITY, IOWA.
A Tenderfoot Visits Their Primitive Hon,
and Graphically Describes what lie Saw
The Red Mans Tepes-No Advancement
Made In Fifty Years.

NA"ue III titty teSr-.
lMsrshalitown Times Republican,
Indian Agent Enos Cheen was kind enough I,
invite your reporter TO accompany him on
visit TO the Indian camp some three miles FROM
TGma City. Iowa, thinking no doubt. the ten.
derfoot would see something new, aud he did
This is not reservation. The Sac and Fol-
tribes own some i.4Oo acres, bought by the Gov.
eminent for them some years ago the title
deeds beine held by the Governor OF Iowa in
trust for them
As farmers, they raise corn and garden truck
with lair success, and have some 5cJ head OF
ponies that have TO shift for themselves. sum-
inef and winter, no feed or shelter beyond what
nature supplies being furnished them by their
owners. No cattle are OH the farm-solne say
it's against their religon-and two hogs make
up their live stock.
AT present they are occupyng their summer
residences, which consist OF sheds without
chimneys, and the inside is generally one room
They still eat as their forefa hers did VII, J
hungry, and the table is the lap Of mother
earth, covered with mating made by the
women from the rushes on the river banks.
stores are unknown, schools they won't have,
ana clothes are the combination seen when they
visit town.
When co d weather comes on, they move into
the "tepees, q circui1r thatched hut, say six feet
high, with opening for the smoke 70 20 ont at
the top, ana hole TO crawl into. In Other
words, they live as they did 100 years ago per
clothing and food.
AS We rode up. some three games Of poker
were going ON, no penny ante business but q
game for keeps, n dollar-raise common, and the
limit was of. We heard the continuous POUND
ing OF a drum from one cabin, and an inquiry
showed we were fortunate enough TO be on hand
10 witness an adoption is, IA certain
family was 10 adopt healthy spring buck Of
twenty-five years OF age. Across tho bottom
came tho chiefs, who were invited TO the mum.
Der OF twenty or more; one old fellow that
would weigh $50 "fattern fool" o
linen duster, some one-legeed pants, and
that's al others were covered with red
blankets.
they had forgotten to dress for company
Then the drummer had called two assistant
musicians. A stick some three feet eight was
stuck in the ground; this was covered with
streamers, like May pole, and the Queen OF the
May the adopted one, the prodigal, as 1t were
took his position near it. On the ground was
some mating, with bakers biscuits, green corn,
and other truck, and az given signal down on
the ground, around the table %, they Sat, and
the feast commenced, let tho devil take the
hindmost. The sqUaws and hungry papooses
Keep IA respectful distance, waiting for some
thing 10 Turn up, that s the bucks. They make
short work OF il, and then the women andch-
dren gathered up the fragments and carried Them
off insos OF them.
Old Kick EN- STIFF youth Of H. with his head
shaved n la Chinaman, face painted, clothes re-
moved to his hips then commenced II slow walk
around the May pole with'a drum accompani
menti very soon he began a double shuttle the
sweet singers gave us, Dundee or something
like. Faster and faster he went, until his breath
gave out, he gave backward kick, the music
stopped and then h Grafton commenced. Our
interpreter said he was hu ting the Sioux At
any rate he had big time making believe he
was doing something and all Of sudden be
Stricken Der a 50-year-old chap, with his
head tied up in black rag, b cause
he was scaped once upon time He
put the battle AK between his legs, played horse,
kicked up backed, aud went down. Interpreter
said horse threw him." Al any rate we all had
good laugh, Indians included. Then he gave
as a free trade speech, as nearly as your scribe
remembers, and handing the battle tx TO the
next performer. he walked around once did
man, who asked some old chestnuts which we
gave up and then the adopted one, covered with
blankets, ribbons Of all colors stepped out, took
the calico from the May pole gave each chief
red rag and the show was over.
This visit has knocked ali Of the Fenimore
Cooper business out of the writer. He saw a
little fat papoose, with "a stomach on him like a
tour weeSs-old pig after drinking two gallons Of
buttermilk get lighting mad and cry natural
as any white baby ever did. He heard these
iignihed noble RED men hugh at and guy a
bashful speaker equal to any students debating
society. One OF he speakers The fellow that
played horse was perfect clown and kept
chiefs, squaws and papooses il q continual roar
Of laughter.
They treat their women as they always have
like brutes. They live 10 eat, making no pro-
vision for their horses or themselves for the
winter months, any more than they did fifty
years ago They are inveterate gamblers. One
thing that perhaps some white folks can get "a
pointer from is that when the noble red man
comes home drunk, the squaws tie him hand and
foot till he soDers of.
Perhaps the most comical eight was an old
chief half naked, painted, dancing his war
dance, with bells on his ankles, KILN, and
scalping Its imaginary enemies all this in the
most approved style, and wearing spectacles.
This can be said 10 their credit, that they re-
member little debts of honor. Deputy Post
master Austin says il is safe 10 trust them foI
apostage stamp. Agent Gheen snys they APP
preciate kindness, and his successful work with
them is Oh that plan.
Thirty minutes brought Us back 10 town, and
1t hardly seemed possible that within three
miles OF us lived 400 human beings that had not
advanced perceptibly, socially, morally, intel.
lectually or financially, in fifty years.