The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-27
INDIAN MARRIAGES.
Tho Matrimonial Question Is II Trouble
sono Ono to tho Rod Men.


somc Ono to tho Rcd Men.
once asked the Pi1nas how they man.
aged this question, says writer in
Kate Fields Washington, and the old
1nen said it had given them more trouble
than anything else, SO that finally they
had dropped the whole business and let
the young people matc to suit them
selves; If they loved one another they
remained together; if they did not, they
snapped and that plan seemed to work
better than any they had tried.
L had case among the Pimas once
which required judicial decision and put
all my ability to the test.
The wife of the chief came to NV
headquarters, accompanied by a small
army of Amazons, to inquire what the
law was among the white people about
the everlasting question of matrimony.
l told her the American law allowed a
man to have only one wife She then
said that Antonio had brought another
woman into the house, and wanted to
know what was going to do about it,
Now, interfering between even an In
dian man and wife is no fun, SO the
court took the case under adviscmcnt
Finally asked her if the other woman
was as strong us she. NO" she replied,
''shc is little sQuaw."
had some Mexican chicotcs-horsc-
whips-plaitcd of rawhidc; / gave her
one of these and told her to go home
and whip the other woman like sixty!
The advice worked to Il charm and the
encounter between the two women ter
minated the matrimonial ENHANCEMENT.
The great chief of the Mojaycs, Ire
tcba, had shown John Moss IL gold mine
in the FL Dorado canyon; Moss sold it
in San Francisco for several thousand
dollars, and out of gratitude offered to
take the chief to Washington; so they
had II grand tour in the Atlantic states.
Thinking it would please the Indians, I
had lretcbas photograph taken, i'm
perial size, and placed it in the agency
on the Colorado river for the Indians to
see. Int they failed to appreciate the
fine arts. and after looking at the photo.
graph would go away without saying
good-by. I called up my interpreter,
Jose Cabczon, and asked him:
Jose, what is the matter with the
Indians, that makes them SO sullly?"
They are angry" he answered.
Iretcba and that that picture is his
ghost"
sob, no." replied, "Ireteba is alive
and will return. You tell the Indians I
will stay here among them till he comes
back"
When Ireteba returned he was
dressed in major generals uniform,
with dashing sword and epaulets as
big as saucepan He came to the
agency in furious passion.
Captain" lie exclaimed, ct want to
make speech
''All right" responded. knew he
had been to Washington and caught the
contagion. So fixed dry goods box
with rcd blanket on it for rostrum,
and he harangucd the audience for an
hour or two i'll true Indian fashion.
Jose interpreted it to me, and the sub
stance Of it was that the Indians had
come to the agency during his absence,
and, having seen his ghost" concluded
he was dead and proceeded to divide
out his wives, horses and other personal
property among them.
Here was serious case. involving
wac, for which 1 was partly response
bic; that is, l had raised the ghost"
and it required diplomacy to lay it
again.
I inquired if they had not left him
any wife at all?
He replied: YES, one young one.
The only reason that she was not di-
vidcd ont was that She had ran away
to her people among the lInalapais."
told him to hold on IL few days and
I'd send for her.
I sent out a few friendly lIualapais
out with horses to bring her in. She
turned ont to be remarkably bright
little squaw, and brought with her n
fine little boy about five years old. To
make Il long story short, 1 settled this
matrimonial difficulty by giving her all
the calico, beads and other goods which
would have gone to the harcm if it had
not been dispersed, and dressing her
boy in uniform. The family lived happy
ever afterward, for all that know
The Apachcs have not much of a mar
riagc ceremony except Il process of bar
ter, and divorce among them involves
the cutting off of the unfaithful WON
ans nose.