The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-01-08
INDIANS AT A FEAST.
Captain Batchelor Tells About Banquet
rendered Sitting Bull.

Yes, | once had the pleasure of sit
ting down TO a banquet with Sitting
Bull, the Indian chief, who is now a
conspicuous figure in the Indian scare, :"
said Captain &. w. Bachelor TO a Pitts
burg Leader reporter.
1T was in 1881" continued the
Captain. Il was ut that time in St.
Paul, Mimi. General Haupt then
President of the Northern Pacific
Railroad. had extended me an invita-
ton to join him in Il trip over the road
as far as Bismarck. Oak, which was at
that time the western terminus of that
line. We travelled in special car,
and landed in Bismarck on the MORN
ING of the day Sitting Bull and his fell
low captives We're to arrive. They
were to come by boat, and General
Haupt ordered our car run down on Il
side track near the river front that we
might be able to get good view of the
great Indian chieftan. Bismarck's en-
tire population was on the wharf when
the boat landed, and Bull, together
with four other red-skinned warriors.
the Bulls sister and an interpreter,
came ashore.
Immediately got hold of the inter-
prefer and requested him to invite the
Indians into the car. This be did,
but the redskins received it with deep.
cultural grunts and shaking of their
heads. The interpreter then informed
me that the Indians were afraid that it
was a trick to carry them off. Sitting
Bull stepped to the front, pointed one
Of on ar N q
and car, and said:
Make 'um move 1t was their first
glimpse of civilization. and the look
of surprise which ovcrspread their
several duskv faces when the engineer
moved the car and engine upand down
the track was something wonderful.
Finding it impossible to get the In
dams to board the car, / secured an
open ambulance and had the party
conveyed to the hotel. Here they were
rendered a reception. in which the best
people of the town participated. When
dinner time arrived | conducted my
unprecedented guests to the dining
room. 1t was their first sight of II
spread; but sir, the way those wild
men conducted themselves at the table
was astonishing. They appeared to
grasp the situation at glance, and L
never saw better behaved set of peo-
pie sit down to a table.
One thing in particular attracted
my attention and called for comment
from all the whites in the room, and
that was the manner i'll which these
uncivilized warriors used their knives
and forks. They used the fork cX-
clusively in conveying the edibles 10
their mouths, a rule of table etiquette
so often violated by some swell men,
bers of civilized society. The most in
teresting feature of the meal came.
however. when ice-cream was served.
The Indians looked upon the cream
with suspicious eyes. aud none OF them
would touch or taste it. At my re-
quest the Interpreter began eating the
cream placed before him, and asked
the reds to follow his example. they
did so. Each one took a large spoon
full into his mouth. Then they in
stantly dropped their spoons, and a
series of half-froZen. 'Ughs' went up
from our guests. n more Disguised
looking lot | never saw. They had
evidently thought the cream some kind
of a warm mixture and their disgust
and looks of surprise caused US to
laugh quite heartily. Sitting Bull is
not prepossessing in appearance by any
means, but it has been so long since |
saw him that it would be impossible
for me to give you an accurate de-
scription of him. | almost forgot to
mention that | am now the possessor of
the pipe which the Indians smoked at
the conclusion of the banquet in Bis
marck. 1t was presented to me by
Sitting Bull. General Haupt, whose
guest | was at the time, was in the city
recently aud we had good laugh over
the ice cream incident