Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-07-16
ERtSkY BLIZZARD.
The Sad Disappointment of a Fanatic
on the Indian Question.


the Indian Question.
used to be fanatic on the Indian
question:" squaring off in a pugilistic
attitude every time l happened to hear
a word dropped derogatory to the red
skin.
But that is all over now. l have
studied the Indian in his native wilds.
Assuming the Sioux to be true types of
the aborigines. l studied Chief Frisky
Blizzard, an admitted type of the Sioux.
My study was not long one, nor very
profound. but it was sufficient.
Sitting on an empty barrel just be-
hind the post traders store, l caught
sight of a bowed, Respondent form.
There Whomso," said thepost trad
er, lis Chief Frislsy Blizzard. You now
have chance to familiarize yourself
with the Indian in his natural state
Go to him. He's harmless"
! went
Poor Blizzard. His silk hat was like
himself-hopelessly crushed. A feather
| was showed through a punctured hole
| in the crown, and that, too, was faint
| and dropping. The chiefs head lay
| negligently upon his breast, and his
| hands were concealed in the folds of
| his toga.
1 paused reverentially at his side. l
knew of what he was thinking. He
was canvassing the red mans ancient
| splendor and comparing that with his
| present hard lines. Laying my hand
on his shoulder I said huskily:
"Dost yearn for the barbaric mag
nificence of thy ancestors? Noble scion
of noble, tell me, art musing on the
unhappy fate of thy people?,
| No answer.
Fairly confident of my rhetorical
powers, continued:
| "Once, where stands Fort Totter
| yonder, it was the wont of thy sire to
chase the bounding roe-buck, to pitch
his teepee in the shadow of the wood
and smoke his tomahawk pipe while
thy mother prepared his evening meal.
Chief, dost mourn for those golden
days?"
Still no answer-no move on the part
Of Frisky Blizzard.
| l then resolved to try him in the Sioux
tongue. Perhaps the familiar words
would fall upon his soul like sweet
sounds from the shadowy hunting
grounds. l spoke:
| 'sWandetoka wecheschtope, art thou
chanewonka of thy skasonka?"
| Which is, being interpreted: Brave
chief. are you afraid of your white
brother?
He spoke not, but thought l saw him
finch into a more compact attitude. II
struck me this might betoken some hos
tility to my Sioux, and l ceased to ex
press myself longer in that tongue.
|
unburden your wrongs to me? l stand
before you champion of your race
NV arm is iron in your defense and yet
you disdain me even a look! Is this
right? Is this Just? Will you keeI
silent when your white brother sues fol
speech? If you do, / pray Heaven tc
hear that l shall leave you without {
, word | have tinishd l have spoken.
: | am done.
This threat evidently touched sof
| spot, for he did not move. Slowly, un
steadily, a hand stole out from thu
folds of the red blanket and carried ;
bottle to lips that were painfully rls
| ing to receive it. l started back ap
r | palled. 1t was bottle of rum. and /
| was studying Chief Frisky Blizzard il
his natural state, it was certainly
L state of intoXicatiOn.
Inch by inch the shaking bottle drew
nearer and nearer the Indians opel
1 and expectant mouth Further an
further back he leaned until, just a
mouth and bottle We're about to meet
the barrel turned, Mr.. Billiards. cor
per-colored ankles flashed in the all
and he fell backwards to the earth
leaving his legs still hanging in the pc
sition he had lost. With a sleepy, cor
Ii tented smile on his gutta-percha face
: he Law on his back and disdained
: move.
l turned sadly away from the sigh
= and walked away sorrowful steps
;, How the mighty have fallen"
II murmured, pausing once to look bacl
= show lor'-Benjamln Whomso, in DE-
e troit Free Press.