, 1891-02-06

Ghost Shirts and Other Relics from the
Scene of the Indian War.

Scene OF the Indian Var.
Mr.. james II. johnson, OF Captain, c.
F. Humphreys force of clerks, returned
yesterday from Pine Ridge agency, where
he has been during the Indian trouble.
All is quiet at the agency at present,
but the feeling is general that unless the
Indian chiefs now at Washington secure
all they ask OF the government there will
be further trouble in the spring.
Mr.. johnson brings home with him a
splendid lot of Indian relics, some OF
which came from the Wounded Knee bat
tie field. The most interesting of the let
is a genuine ghost shirt and all of the
paraphanalia worn by an Indian when
dancing the ghost dance. The shirt is a
plain muslin garment, in cut and shape
similar to the peaceful civilized article. 1t
is ornameuted, however, with fringe
around the waist bands, neck and the lower
edges of the garment. Eagle feathers
are tied on the shoulders and bosom. The
head gear which is worn in the ghost
dance is a complicated arrangement. A
saddle-shaped piece of heavy COW hide
is made to fit over the head and on top of
this is built up the s~uperstructure of furs
and feathers which make up the war bon
net. First there is an eagle head with
the beak reaching out over the wearer's
forehead. Tall punches of feathers punt
upward from both sides of the eugle head.
Long streamers made up of red flannel,
otter and skunk fur, feathers, horse hair,
beads and pOrcuDine quilts hang from the
head piece down the back and front
nearly to the feet of the wearer. Sleigh
bells are tied into these streamers SO that
every movement of the dancer will create
a noise to help call the messiah to appear.
Bands OF rawhide trimmed with porcu-
pine quilts, turkey tufts and beads, and to
which are tied fifteen or twenty sleigh
bells are fastened around the dancers
legs lust above the knee. He carries in his
hands rattles made OF cowhide fastened
on short sticks and resembling the drum
stick used to beat a bass drum. These rat
tlesare partly filed with pebbles, and for a
simple continuance made an astonishing
lot OF noise. A paint bag is part of the
outfit. 1t is a buckskin bag filed with
yellow or red ochre. As the Indian warns
up to his work in the ghost dance or
when he is on the war path he pushes a
a finger or two into the paint bag and
streaks his face with the paint.
A curious looking object. although not
a part of the ghost dance rig, is the en-
tire skin taken from the head of a calf.
decorated in the place OF eyes with bead
circles and with the ears trimmed with
turkey tufts Mr.. johnson has hat bands,
baskets and innumerable other articles of
Indian make given him at the agency,
which are extremely odd aud valuable as
relics.
The short season OF active service of the
army gave inventors Of improved articles OF
clothing for the men a chance to try their
inventions. One of the simplest and best
of these is a vest, which was supplied the
men for trial. The outer material is a
waterproof cloth. the lining a heavy quail
ity of muslin or liren, Between the outer
and inner material heavy paper is sewed.
1t is claimed that these vests were as warm
as a heavy overcoat, and that they were
almost impervious to wind, cold or mois-
ture. They proved a success and will
probably be adopted by the government
A canvas o~vercoat, warmer than a buffalo
coat and costing less, was also tried in the
campaign aud will be issued by the gov
eminent instead Of the buffalo coats in
the future.