The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-12
THEY MARRY SQUAWS.
eEN. HOWARD WRITES ABOUT So
CALLED "SQUAw MEN"


Women Later-Frontier Society and
What it is Like-Some Interesting
Instances Known to the Writer.
from the Ne'0 York World.
An old friend Of the writer Of this paper
ol,an remarks that the Bible history of the
children Of Israel and their heather neigh
bors always remind one OF the present
1,dian customs Probably the converse is
the more exact statement, viz: That the
customs Of our Indian tribes and their rough
raigbbors often remind US OF the ancient
israelites and their strange neighbors.
In the tribe of Dan, Samson, the son Of
Manoah, was born about the year 1856 be-
fore Christ. He became a giant in strength,
and a half employed character, seems to
have been set apart for the punishment of
+be wicked Philistines, who were the ua-
comfortable neighbors Of the Danites
On one occasion he went down to Tinnath,
Jaw Philistine woman that delighted his
ewes. so Sampson said to his father: sect
her for me, for she pleaseth me welln He
married her, and the result of uniting He
brew and heather was a most unhappy life
for both. By the threat OF "burning her
and her fathers house with fire" the enc
mics of Israel succeeded in making her en-
ice and betray her husband. and SO there
was through this treschery q terrific wGr
brought on. The story is familiar to every
child
A like tale, thoroughly true, repeats itself
in the neighborhood Of Hundreds of our In
liian tribes. On our frontiers, when we had
frontiers, the white man, whether Spaniard
Mexican. Frenchnan, English or American,
who married an Indian woman, was called
a "souaw man" and in few instances the
'sauaw man" has been made to suffer be-
travail like Samson of old; and then have
resulted some Of the most relentless wars Of
our time, accompanied with outrage, burn
ings and slaughter. But yet the results
have not, in the main, been told. 1t is
thought that the putting of a man upon a
horse adds to the picture of the man and the
horse, but while it does this, it always takes
something from the dignity Of the man TO
be so mounted.
We have hardly visited tribe of Indians
without finding at least one white man
married to an Indian girl or woman. The
wife soon learns from him to live in a
houseand to do the work, in a rough way,
that women did in the house of his youth.
learns to dress fairly well and is q true
friend and companion to her hus-
band; but he himself usually
has shrunk away into a lower life
His personal cleanliness suffers, his clothing
is shabby and bis self-respect is lowered.
So in such pair the man has less dignity
in carriage, while the woman has more than
the queen Of the proudest India chieftain,
but cannot we'll stand up and compete with
her worthy white sisters in the essentials of
prosperous home life. 1t may be well to
particuarize.
Near Fort Stevens, Ore, a strong young
man many years ago settled upon farm.
1t was before the old governor of Washing
ton Territory carried a shipload of mar
riageable teachers around Cape Horn, and
white women were few and far between.
He married woman Of neighborlng In
dian tribe. He carried on a good trade with
the garrison at the fort; was enterprising
and often obtained fat contracts, and 80
accumulated a comfortable fortune His
sQuaw made him good, faithful WIFE Her
love for him caused her to study to make his
home more and more tidy as the wears
went on, but she mostly kept apart from
white women. Her children learned to
dress better than their mother and gathered
in the useful knowledge, social and practi-
cal, OF other American youth. The eldest
son has already replaced his father in HON
est and profitable business, and the
daughters are respectfully married.
In eastern Oregon there was, few years
ago, superb family. The husband was a
tall, dark-eyed Frenchman. At one time
Tor quite period he was the trusted agent
OF the government. There were three
beautiful daughters. In grace of figure
and movement, in elegance of attire and in
the various accomplishments of gifted
women, few could surpass them. The wife
and mother, however, always kept in the
background. She was really q servant In
the household. She talked little English
and shrank from every social attention
She had advanced far beyond the women of
her tribe, but never forgot for one moment
that she was an Indian. So even here in
tbs most successful instance of white and
Indian marriage it was next to impossible
Tor the polished French gentleman, in the
summation OF his white neighbors, to rise
above the recognized condition of a ''squaw
man.n
The old ''voyageurs,n French emigrants
70 inc westfron Canada, who served the
northwestern fur companies and travelled
through the wildS Of Oregon. were encour.
sged to settle here and there among the In
dlan tribes. They were naturally led to
marry Indian women. The Hudson's Bsv
company, 1t is said, made it a policy to
Layor such marriages. Therefore you find
uaI-breeds and French descendants of
AAS@hS Wherever
you travel in that dark region. They are
LoI generally on par with our best bust
mes ness people OF the west, though some are on
eae 'front.' line of progress, yet, for the most
par1, they are kind, steady, self-support-
ing race Their sires or their grandsires
we're the husba cos OF Indian women. MANY
VI .nelr descendants to-day are in the west.
qs shey usually are in Texas, proud of their
Indian blood. '--0-A
Inc ttIs time the writer visited the Spo-
Aaues ne came with q military escort TO the
LrosSlng OF the Spokane river. many miles
oelo" the falls 1t was the bridge YOU cross
~ 90 from Walla Walla to Fort Colyille.
mere were the bell shaped tepees of the
indian! INDIANS pitched in irregular groups. perhaps
1wehty OF them altogether. The skeleton
P oleS proGruded beyond the old canvas out
sues ana smoke in small puffs was gently
ascending ABOVE them. At the bridge vas
i Ine "hlte inan who took the Ineaoer toll
nv TrrEEtng IN q wretched apology for a house
Iue lepess in cleanliness and order were
peleraoie: He had poor, ope.ess-looking
o ot9aw VIE and numerous little half breed
st-auren' who gazed curiously upon
changers, and ran to cover here and there
upon approach. Soon a white man. a lama
hHittaaSter, made his appearance. having come
nlIner from distant mission. He nod been
-nsI'eo 70 ot1ciate at a wedding. A white
ulan, rather of the old "Georgia craclxerH
HtrGi poorly dressed in old gray clothing,
g ro1nalS ~ or IS years Of sgs was the bride
ne bride had come with her Indian
p taag.I. She was 16 or II years old, had