The record-union., 1891-04-15
INDIAN CHARACTERISTICS.
Observations of a Dakota Man on
the Subject.
Good Indians and Bad-An Amusing
incidental Young Indian Braves
Joke-Two Frightened Girls-They
Wanted to Hear "a war-whoop.

A correspondent of the Springfield
(Mass.) Republican, writing from Yank-
ton, S. D., says:
1.-THE only good Indian is the dead In
dian,n is remark credited to one of our
army Generals many years ago. 1t
has been handed down and passed
around in the newspapers until it has
almost become proverb. Most men
and some women profess to believe 1t
and do not hesitate to express their senti-
ments openly. They have never learned
that there are many thousands of good,
sensible Indians who have never raised
the tomahawk in war, and are trying to
become educated in the arts of civlllza-
ton. Many of these are engaged in pas
toral and agricultural pursuits. having
regular houses, barns and homesteads In
many portions Of our Western domain.
settled near an agency in Dakota nine
teen years ago, where / kept a small
store and postoffice. The Indians gave
me a large portion of their trade for many
years, and from first to last in my deal
ings with them / have found them always
civil and respectful. When they came to
the store for their usual supplies they
would stack their arms at some distance
outside, then they would come in and
ask for ''chondee" (tobaccol. After fill
ing their pipes they would sit around.
and smoke for awhile before they began
to trade. They never bantered about
prices, but took the goods at our regular
rates and paid for them, or, with an
''ugh," refused to buy. l have often
wished that all white people would do
the same, for we never had to spend
much time in selling them goods, and
could soon wait on q whole room full of
them.
We took in payment for goods con-
siderable cash, furs of all kinds, wood,
pipes, paper weights and other articles
III.
Many OF the pipes were made in the form
OF hatchets, which were ornamented with
wreaths, flowers, diamonds, ETC., and dis
played considerable 'injin'' 'uity. These
were cut in the stone and metal was
poured in which resembled silver or
block tin. At the time the hamlet of
Sioux Falls was burned, it is said the
type-metal was saved by the Indians for
this purpose, which was used by them
many years afterward. These novelties
sold well 10 travellers, who always wanted
something TO show from the wild Indian
country.
The pipestone quarries were not more
than twenty-five miles from US, and large
bands of Indians from the Southwest
often made pilgrimages to them as to a
sort Of Mecca. They were always dressed
in their Sunday best, some in full Indian
costume, with their faces painted red
(their peace paint and feathers in their
OF citizens clothing. They often had
them squaws and pappooses along, but
we never saw any of them lashed to a
board according to the custom of some
Eastern tribes. They were always very
friendly, each extending his hand to us
with a how" which meant a whole SEN
tence to them, and, coming to the store,
spen9their money freely, when they had
it. They sometimes numbered about 1OO
and would camp near us, but we slept as
soundly as when they were away. They
never stole anything from us, although
there was plenty of property lying around
loose that they might have taken.
An amusing incident once occurred
when party of Yanktons stopped over
at our place. Our blacksmith had sold a
lot of old worn-out files to a big chieftain,
for which he was to receive a large piece
of the sacred stone on the Indians re-
turn from the quarries. They used the
files to cat and work the stone into shape.
It seems the chief could not get a very
large piece, so he offered the blacksmith
a small piece, which made him furiously
angry. EIe shook his fist under the nose
Of the Indian, who was a giant beside
him, and dancing around, did almost
everything except touch him, cursing
and yelling like wild Modoc. But the
Indian look ed down on him as an eagle
would on 8 tom-tit, without making a
motion or showing the least excitement,
started to goy the chief drew himself up.
patted his chest and said, me big-him
small" At this the bystanders {white)
burst into a shout of approval. The chief
proved to be I he most of gentleman, for
he cheerfully gave back the files. and did
not get angry, as most men would have
done.
Those Indians who We're our regular
customers often obtained goods on credit.
and we lost as little on them, in proper
ton 10 the Colds sold TO them, as by white
men. There are many instances on rec
ord in Minnesota where friendly Indi-
ans, at the risk Of their own lives, have
warned settlers of the coming of q muir
derous band in tine for them to make
their escape. There are several agencies
in Dakota where the Indians are citizens.
/ have voted besid many who could read
their tickets, which is more than many
foreigners among us can do. In ease of a
war the hostile Indians usually attack
the civilized Indians first, because thew
hate them intensely for having given up
their tribal relations. The Indians near
us predicted the last Indian war over a
year before II opened. We knew by
the way their letters came and went
through our office that there was some
great excitement among them. Many of
these letters, by the way, were addressed
in a nice hand; others had names that
reached nearly the whole length of the
envelope.
Two young women were alone one
day, when young Inoian brave whom
they knew came to see the man
of the house. The man was away
and the Indian sat down to wait for him.
During the interval the girls, being of
lively turn, began asking questions about
his former mode of life: among other
things they asked him TO give war
whoop and show them how he scalped
people, but he gave no answer. Some
time after, when they were talking of
other subjects, and had forgot all about
hlln, he sprang up suddenly, gave war
whoop that made the hou,se-top ring.
then snatching a big knife that lay on the
table with one hand, he took the top
knot of one of the girls in the other, and
ran the knife around the scalp. They
were each scalped in this manner and
We're nearly frightened out of their wits,
but he sat down and began to laugh and
told them he had done what they had
asked him 10 do. They soon recovered
from the shock and laughed heartily at
the Indians joke.
There are good as well as bad Indians.
ana II is just as unjust to say that the only
good Indian is the dead Indian as it would
be TO say It Of any other race. Our Gov
ernment has acted wisely in sending
troops promptly to the frontier on the
present occasion, for the presence of mil
lIaFy lorce has more quieting effect than
anything else. They will not be apt To
begin a light If they know we are in earn
est but there are two sides to all our
troubles with this peculiar race and in
common justice the Indian side sbonl6 he
heard and considered as well as the other
side. Our government should employ
as agents men who are familiar with the
Indians ana their modes of life. who will
deal justly py them, and will seek to ele-
vate and instruct them. They win in tI,;s
,,-nxr eyfa N their pDnfJnYca 81 -