Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-06-07

tation is effective if rude. Everybody
knows that the Navajo blankets, woven
upon the rudeSt Of looms, have recOg-
nized market value in the west. Inc
Indians of the north call them simply
Spanish blankets.
There is an almost infinite variety OF
minor articles of clothing made oy the
Indians. Feather war head dresses are
still made to 4 slight extent. Figured
buckskin shirts are more common vi
course they are never washed. Mecca
sins. made in the old style, with beaded
fringe orn2mentation, still alternate
with boots and shoes of prosalc eastern
fashion; papoOSeS are still carried III
elaborately decorated bags looking Ike
,nagnified watch pockets, and boys still
play warrior with bow aud arrow
though their fathers have long ago given
up ANYTHING less destructive than rlhes.
Not oyermuch clothing is worn in hot
weather, however, and in winter a
blanket, Z white mans cast-oit vest ana
trousers and u pair of moccaSins make
q fair average outfit.
Akin to their artistic aud induStrial
achievements is the Indian sign IAN
guage or picture writing. ms Is
much more elaborate ard capable OF
greater variety OF expression than
might be supposed, and almost ranks
with the Egyptian hierOgyphs or ASsy-
riap cuneiform characters. As good an
example as can be found OF TINS
writing is the accepted form oil
representing a battle. This con-
sists of simple arrangement
Of horseshoe curves and straight hneS.
The horseshoe curves are arranged In
TWO positions facing each other, the con
yex portion of the figures confronting
those on the other side. These repre-
sent the meeting and onset of the horses.
The straight marks, like short daShes,
represent the flight, either OF arrows or
bullets through the air. These are as
likely 10 be behind the horseshoe marks
as before for purposes of convenience.
This method of figuring forth tight Is
not quite so elaborate as the pictured
SiegeS aid triumphS Of ASSurbanipal at
Birs NimrSud, but it is readily lnteili-
giOle.
Other signs and conventional symbols
are frequently employed in the express
sion of ideas. On the plains we see
nothing of boating Indians. Along the
great lakes the boat symbol occurs very
frequently in rock pictures. If an In
dian saw a freshly cut picture upon Il
rock on the waters edge representing a
boat with seven upright marks sticking
up from it be would understand that
seven men had gone by in Il boat. The
addition of cross would further char
acterize them as Christian Indians. II
there were rude representations of bows
with arrows fitted to the strings he
would infer war party. The figures
might be still further elaborated. a
form like the letter y with the top
filled in Signifed among the Algonquin
tribes man. With both top and bot
tom angles cross Matched it symbolized
woman.
The horse is the Sioux substitute for
boat; and its figure appears constantly
in his pictorial masterpieces. In paint
ing buffalo robes the horse is the favor
lite symbol, but domestic scenes and
even humorous incidents sometimes APP
pear. A battle done in pale red paint
or a hunting scene is always favorite
subject. A stern chase after soldiers,
the beef ration day at the stock yard,
or school and mission scenes, are some
modern notifications of robe painting.
A very few pots and b0H5S are still
made by the ReeS or AErickareeS, a
tribe of Pawnee stock who have lived
for many years in villages near the
| MandanS and eros VentreS, or the Mis-