Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-12
lconRrspoNpnNor OF THE D1srArcH.I

GUTHRIE, ]. T., May 10.-The five
civilized tribes of Indian Territory are
the Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks, Chicka-
saws and Seminoles. They ithabit the
eastern portion of the Indian Territory.
The Comanches. Apaches, Arapahoes,
Cheyennes, Osages and Sacs and Foxes
are the uncivilized tribes they inhabit the
western portion of the territory.
The Cheyennes are classed among the
widest of the tribes. They live in teepes,
wear blankets, paint their faces, and resort
to all of the aboriginal customs of their
forefathers. The contrast presented between
the tribes of the West and those Of the East
is singularly interesting. The Cherokees
and their neighbors are civilized almost to
refinement and govern themselves; while
their western brothers are almost as barbar-
Gus in their customs as were their fathers of
the aboriginal days; they are wards OF
Uncle Sam, and live on reservations like
the Indians of the far West. The Phil
osophical conclusions of this contrast must
be, that, as civilizer, Texas is not the sue
cess that Arkansas is.
A party of Cheyennes paid Guthrie a
visit the other day. They had Saved up"
for several weeks ESQ was told by the in
terpreter who was with them) and had re-
solved to visit the magic city in the East
the city of white tents, that looked like a
gigantic eneampment of "Uncle Sans
boys" (the soldiers.)
AN INDIAN RAID.
Now comes the distasteful part of my
writing. I would rather not tell how the
noble red man excoirated the dead cattle
that strewed the line of the Santa Fe Rail-
road, and how they sold the skins for 81
apiece-but it is my duty to be faithful to
detail. After the noble redskins had
swooped down upon the carcasses of the ILL
fated cows, after they had divested them of
their cuticle, they bore their booty home
ward in triumph. With the proceeds of
the sale of the hides they made this excur-
sion to the tented city-the wonderful place
that had grown up from the prairies in
single night
As they marched up Main street, with
proud step, and in single file, the carpenters
ceased their hammering upon the wooden
houses; the gamblers stopped in the midst
of their games, and the shopkeepers came to
their doors to witness the novel sight of the
Cheyennes, in the pomp and splendor Of
their barbaric costumes. The rogues knew
that they were the cynosure of all eyes.
They had "dressed up" for the occasion, and
had come down to Guthrie prepared to
"cut a SWELL" and the funniest thing
about the whole affair was this: After the
five braves had marched, in proud array,
and single file, up Main street, as far as
gamblers row. they sent one of their number
back to get a squaw, boy, girl, a papoose
and three dogs. The whole party then
squat themselves under the shade of the
Delmonico Hotel tent. They squandered
10 cents each of their Skin money" for
lemonade and gingercakes. They had come
to have a royal good time; and they were
going to have it, no matter what it cost.
THEY VIEW THE ELEPHANT.
After they had rested in the shade for
some time, at a signal from one of the
braves, they rose from the ground. and
set out upon their sightseeing perambula-
tions.
1 have heard it said that the Indian
manifests not the slightest curiosity at the
most unusual of occurrences; that if a rail-
road train, the first he ever saw, was to
dash into his presence, and stop be-
fore him, painting and snorting and
whistling, he would regard it with stolid in
difference. This may be true, for the In
dams taste is very capricious. And yet
am sure that if he were to perceive Ger
man band, arrayed in red coats and brass
buttons, footing upon brass horns, and
beating upon splendid, big bass drum,
that he would Immediately be filled with
admiration and amazement.
There used to be an old Indian around
Carson City New, whose fascination for
the music of the Silver Cornet Band
amounted to a mania. He would follow it
around for hours at time. Storekeepers
could engage him to carry an advertising
banner in the procession free of charge
such was his infatuation for the music of
the cornet band. One day the "boys"
played joke on the poor red skin "Jim."
He stood one day at street corner in Car
son City, arrayed in a pair of red flannel
drawers, which he had just received
from Wun Lung Gone, the Chinese laun-
dryman, in exchange for pipe. The
''boys" had two banners printed, with the
following inscriptions upon them respect
lively: