The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1891-08-12
amoupthe Indians.

The following is an extract from home letter
of Max. Riddle, who is now doing work for the
Columbian Exposition among the Indians of
Northern Wisconsin.
KESHENA, SHAwANO Co WIS. July 1891.
have Just returned from what is probably
the most interesting trip shall have the privi-
lege of making while among the Indians. and
write to tell you alb ut it while it is fresh in my
mind.
Last Friday morning an Indian came into the
store just across from the Agents office. and
said there was to be ' Dream Dance away
up on the northern part Of the reservation. l
had been saying that 1 wished to see one, and
when 1 came down to the store clerk there,
who has been good deal of help to me in dit
fei ent ways (he is an Indian), told me about it.
Immediately set about devising some way to
get up there. But before tell you how sue
ceeded had better explain about the Indians a
little more fully. The Menomonie tribe consists
of two very distinct factions, the Catholics and
what are generally termed the Pagans. The
former are quite good church members-for
In iians. but the latter still observe their an
cient rites, most prominent of which is the
" Dream Dance'
The Pagans nearly all live at distance from
Keshena. very few speak any English, and more
over they are much the harder of the two fac
tions to transact any business with. as they are
so suspicious. Very frequently they literally
won't have anything to do with person they
do not know. Therefore the difficulties in the
way of my visiting them seemed very great, but
not half as bad as actually found them on look
ing the matter up little more fully. In the
first place, instead OF being fifteen miles away,
as at first supposed. they were actually twenty
miles. and the road there one OF the worst in the
United States. But went TO work to devise "a
way to go. / had not been ut is an hour ill :
found there was a bridge down on the way, and
that could not get the horse had expected TO
take. hurried around trying to get horse
which could drive part way aud ride the rest
but did not succeed Finally, when / had about
given up in Despair, the Indian in the store said
he had fixed u way for me to go. What that
way was you will find as go along.
The next morning MIR. Winans, with whom 1
am boarding. drove me to Crow Settlement.
distance of five or six miles. The road lies
through dense forest, and is really not road
at all. but an Indian trail. just wide enough for
one vehicle. and pretty tight squeezing between
the protruding branches at that. The way is
doubly hard from the fact that there is scarcely
spot on which the sand is not foot deep. But
we arrived at Crow settlement in the course OF
an hour and a. half. and MIR. Winans left me at
the house of an Indian named Keokuk. This
Indian is one of the old MCnomonee stock, and
is called the prophet of the tribe, becau,e 9 he
claims to be able to predict the coming of
storms &C. 1t was after one of his relations
that Keokuk. Iowa, was named He is rather
above the average Indian in intelligence, but
can speak only few words of English AS
could not speak Indian. we were not able TO
carry on an extendei conversation with each
other. However. he had been fully instructed
beforehand, and had consented to take me up
fhn Dor Tnli
and he to walk. You would have been surpris-
ed. as was. to the saddle he brought out for
me to use. 1t was nothing bat a mere frame
work, but when he had fixed it ON the horse he
had made 1t the most comfortable saddle ever
rode. He first put about two inches of old coats
and bagging on the horses back. on top of that
the frame work, and over all heavy blanket
When he had everything fixed we started off, he
walking ahead and l following on the horse
and forth who'e fifteen miles he walked at
at such pace that the horse could hardly keep
up with him. The scenery was by no means
monotonous. even if there was nothing but
trees the whole way, as there was constant
changing from sandy to boggy. and then to
rocky land. At one place We went for half a
mile through timber over which the forest fires
had passed. The fire had not burn ed the trees
entirely down, but had simply killed them and
tnere they stood, like an immense grove of nag
poles. minus bark and limbs and tapering from
bottom to top with perfect regularity. Every
little while we crossed swampy places where
the read had been repaired by building a cor
duroy road. and anything more difficult to rides
over could hardly be imagined. 1t was made of
logs. with every now and then two or three logs
missing, leaving big hole for the horse to fall
into. In one place we made long detour
through the woods, by narrow foot path and
forded the river, since the bridge was down at
the regular crossing place. About seven hours
after leaving the settlement. we came in sight
of the first of the Pagan houses, and also the
first of the Indians had seen in this sectio n
He was the handsomest Indian 1 ever saw and
was dressed in romantic style, with his tight
fitting Logging, beaded shirt and broad brimmed
hat. decorated with leather and silver orna
ments. He directed us to the next house, and
we soon arrived there. Here my guide made
me understand by signs and few words that
we would stop while. We tied the horse and
en- tered the log house. The Indian family were
seated on the ground eating their dinner, which
consisted of potatoes, fat pork, bread and tea
The latter is the great Indian beverage, and
they drink it three times day. for breakfast, |
dinner and supper. This house was sample of
all the Indian houses in this region. 1t was |
built of logs and rooted with birch bark. The !