Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-11
POOR LOS Parental AFFECTION.
Indian Chiefs Who Show the Deepest
Love for Their Children.


Indian Chiefs Who Show tho Decpest
Love for Their Children.
The Indian is generally not credited With
much regard or affection for his family,
but this impression was dispelled from my
mind during my trip to Pine Ridge. OF
number of friends l made among the In
dian chiefs, l will always remember Ameri-
can Horse, man of much prominence
among the friendly Sioux. When he
learned that / represented a newspaper he
gave my hand cordial shake and re-
marked, How cola, good" He had one
of his squaws with him, and through a
simple but beautiful sign language in
formed her of my vocation, and she, too,
said, GLOW, good" and shook hands.
American Horse then brought out young
pappoose of about years of age, anu IN
formed me that it was his youngest, and
then he patted the little one on the head
and gave it an affectionate squeeze
In q joke asked him what he would take
for the little Siouxvenir He did not first
understand whether l was in earnest or
joking, aad I was afraid had offended the
old horse, but he shook his head, pointed
his finger toward bunch of several hun
dred Indian ponies, then to a troop of cav
airy horses, stamped his foot upon thr
earth and waved his hand about his head.
and | understood that not for all the horses
and ponies on earth would he part with bis
child. He, however, did what he could,
and cut an elk tooth ornament from the
little Sioux's dress and presented it to the
correspondent as a memento, and with Il
grunt of satisfaction and another How"
he took the little one by the hand and
walked away
At the close of the Indian campaigc nj
1.
taken to Fort Leavenworth to be trans
ferred to the Indian Territory Capt. Edie.
of the hospital corps at Pine Ridge, was at
that time stationed at Fort Leavenworth,
and related another instance of Indian af
lection and pride in their offspring. The
transfer to the Indian Territory was a ter
rible blow to the proud Cheyennes, anu
was regarded as humiliating and degrading
in the extreme.
One of the noted chiefs of that tribe
whose name has unfortunately slipped my
memory, was especially bending under the
imagined humiliation and made several
murderous attempts to escape He had for
a squaw a member of another tribe and
two boys were the result of the union.
Before the final transfer was made from
the fort to the territory the military con-
cluded to separate the different tribes, and
to the territory the others were to be re-
| turned to the north. This news was con-
veyed to the Cheyenne chief, and the pros
poets that his sons should not share in his
disgrace gave him undisguised pleasure,
until he was informed that families would
not be separated and that they would have
| to accompany him.
He grew morose and down hearted, and
i one day he walked into the hospital, and
| before any one was aware of his intentions
! he had seized a pair of scissors and with
| the point of it ripped cash clear across
! his abdomen from the left side to the right
| He expected to die, and said he wanted his
wife and children returned to their home
in the north, but his terrible self sacrifice
| awaited him nothing, for in spite of him
| self he recovered, and with his family was
taken to the Indian Territory, where he
was lost to public notice.-Omaha Bee.