Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-01-20
SITTING BULL DINED OUT
HOW he WAS ENTERTAINED IN HIS
FEST SUIT OF CLOTHES.


suit-Enlarging His Dress Coat-The
Young Clergyman Put Bad Spirit in
the Meat and Potatoes.
1t was back in the seventies when a
camp of civil engineers constituted what is
now the well known city of Fargo, N ID.
Ny husband was among the number, and
|, with our little daughter, had recently
joined him
heard an unusual commotion outside
the tent before rising in the morning, and
peeping out, saw party of eight or ten
Indians, full blooded Sioux from the Mis-
sour valley, on their way to paw a visit to
the Great FathSr'' IN Washington.
Among them was the willy, keen witted,
merciless savage who afterward became so
demonstrating Bull. They had left their
native haunts clad only in their native
garb, but at Bismarck two or three of them
had succeeded the evening before they left
in inducing themselves into some of the
cast off clothing of Fort Lincoln soldiers.
Over these they had thrown their own
blankets, so Sitting Bull had not discov-
cred the change until the next morning
While openly scofhng at such degeneracy,
the interpreter accompanying them told
It's the chief WAS secretly chagrined at not
having procured such gorgeous raiment
for himself, and upon his arrival at Fargo
he declined to be presented to the poten-
tates of the Northern Pacific railroad until
properly attired.
he GOT TIE CLOTHES.
As he was resolute in his desire to have
white mems clothes a contribution was
levied on different members of the encamp-
ment the result of which, although salts
factory 70 him, struck the rest of us as in
expressibly ludicrous. The only pair of
trousers whose waistband was suited to his
girth belonged to a very short man, and
gave TO their present wearer that laugh
able appearance inseparable from abbre-
waited neither garments. As no ordinary
masculine sock was long enough to fill the
gap between shoes and trousers, Aunt
Nenny, the huge old negro cook was call
ed 10 the rescue, and pair of snow white
stockings were given to him. There was,
of course, some difficulty in giving these
the smooth, unwrinkled appearance de-
slrable. bat the ebony aunty got round the
difficulty by fastening hose and trousers
together with those useful little articles
known as safety pins.
One of our brawny transfers contributed
a shirt. Flannel shirts were in general
wear among our engineers, and a white
one, commonly known rs a boiled one was
an almost unknown luxury However
one of the men resurrected one long
buried hidden in trunk, and to Sitting
Bulls great satisfaction, he was instructed
as to the approved manner of entrance
and exit. y vest was not to be found and
II seemed for time that civilization as
represented by a coat was for him still in
the dim future. But here again his good
genius il the shape of the fat old rerress
interve ed. a coat having been found
whose only objection was its extreme mar
roVraess across the bac.;. this ingenious
woman energetically ripped the center
seam and inserted broad stripe of vivid
red, c-lt from heavy blanket. stove
pipe la, polished 10 the last degree was
found, and thus equipped the famous chief
tam made lis debut before the presiding
officials of the encampment.
The wives of several of the officers had
been at various times residents in the camp,
but just ;hcn ! CHANGED to be left alone
with NY little girl to represent our sex. l
had been warned of the impending call,
but had been told nothing of the change of
r&lT1eHt, and when this astounding toilet
appeared before me, the keeping of the
muscles OF my face under control, and
maintaining a gravity befitting the occa-
sion, was the great triumph of my life.
Ny little daughter was not so fortunate.
and at once gave utterauce to an uproar-
ious burst of mirth, causing her father to
instantly seize and bear her ignominiously
from the tent.
proudly felt that was acquitting my
self very crediiably during the interview.
and as | had been instructed to invite the
chieftain TO dine with us in due form and
state, did so.
AT TEE DINNER TABLE