The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-07-03
INDIAN HOP-pICKERS.
AN EVENING IN THEIR CAMP AT
PUGET SOUND.
Duslxy Faces Turned Observation-Disclosures
sionate Fondness for Gambling-Sun-
day a Gala Day-"C1ose Tum
Tum" Dance of the Alaskans.
tCor. San Francisco Bulletin.I


In the evening the weary pickers return
to their tents. An hour later and the
savage element appears in stronger relief.
The braves. in lazy enjoyment, bas& be-
fore the blazing embers wni.e the women
prepare the evening meal fish IS the
principal dish. baked la the ashes. boiled.
or dried cakes or ugh. together with
wild crabapples and Cams. form the bill
of fare The di4erent tribes camp by
themselves. A ~ lickitat, from the cas-
cades, struts around il his new Ulanket
and challenges his ALASKA tillicums to
gambling game but they are not yet
ready. They are seated around the coun-
Gil ire in TIER bark lodge. The < hief
Loolish has charge of the cuisine. and
from an immense kettle deals out their re-
past The dishes consist of wooden trench
ers shaped like boats, some two leet long.
Two men possess one of these in common,
from which they cat with enormous
spoons, larger than soup ladies. some of
these spoons are Faithfully wrought with
ebonized wood a mother of pear Their
wives obviously wait on them until the re-
past is over, when they and their children
receive their share.
A veSper-bell vibrates on the breeze.
calling the faithfui 10 prayer. Towards
large tent they wend their wav, where.
falling on their knees they offer their
supplications as earLestl' as il in til!ared
church with white robed priests. 1t is an
impressive see to wa,ch the DUSK faces
turned heavenward But "Sla halle" is
cried, and the gamblers assemble in the
center o. the campus, where they prepare
for the nights dissipation. = fire is
built Two POLES all laid on either
side, beh nd which those who engage in
the game take their places. TIL y
beat upon the poles with sic IS, to eXor-
else the bad spirits, chanting a wild song
res embiing the Chinese gambling ditty
but ten times intensified. The money or
other articles at sake are p aced in Il pile.
Two bis o. carved bone are tie mans ny
which they gamble. and are used by be
| ing swiftly changed from one nand TO an
| other. while tho on tie OPP 9os.te side at
| tempt to guess in which hand they are
| held. If successful, they gain one point;
if not, they lose one. This is repeated
first by one side. then by tine other, until
all the points are he'd by the one side,
when they receive what is at stake. The
Indians are la siOnaiely fond of this
game Twenty of them will gamble a
| whole night for a sing doipr. i he scene
reminds ne of =" l. ante's Inf rno. As
they grow excited it is not safe t. tri g
with them. especially if they have imbibed
| little fire water.
sunday is their gala day Then
mounted on their cayuses, they throng
the thoroughfares or engage in races. An
occasional dance is held. especially at the
| close of The season. L attended the" lose
| Tum Tum dance of the Alaska Indiaus.
At signal from their chief large circle
was cleared. On one side were RANGED q
sea OF dusky faces, on The other, the ma
tive orchestra, consisting OF dozen
men with cUriously shaped drums and
wind instruments. upon whicl they
pla. ed. uddeIiy figure rang into
the center of the ring. whether man or
least was hard to tell Lare feet and
arms a robe trailing the ground. up n
which were all manner of hdeous
dragons, reptiles and birds. Above this
lowered an enormous head sur
mounted by gilt crown. under
meath which peered out two great horns
a mop of shaggy ha.r, cleaning eyes. and
four rows OF shining teeth. With yell
he rushed from side to side, now on his
hands. then On his feet. Jumping dane
ing. crawling. finging his fingers into bis
face. Other grotesque figures join in the
wild orgie. AS they grew exhausted
they were escorted outside the circle nut
to return more frenZied than ever. The
scene was one wild pandemonium, tut to
these savages it was sign of a fr emily
heart | was tod that il | should visit
their country they would show me war.
dance, but this was su cient
| n week ago the InLiaas returned to
their homes. The hop season is over.
Probably 300, 0J0 will be realized from
the hop sales, principally made in San
francisco.