Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1891-07-09
"A CHARMING PoE1 IS
ST.. coal. ....,,,,.,, J,
Her Indish Life.
ROMANCE AND BEAUTY OF 10.
Charms Of Dakota and Some Bright Talk
About the Indian.

Elaine Goodale, the bride of Dr.
Eastman, the educated Indian brave,
writes from the Pine River agency un-
der the date of June 4, as follows:
The Sioux reservation can hardly be-
called summer resort, in the usua
sense of the term. nor was the journey
which I propose to describe undertaken
for pleasure, although it was pleasant
enough for me. I travelled in my heavy
mountain wagon and on the back Of
little Indian pony 2,4O0 miles in single
season. There is an ever fresh charm
about selecting new camping ground
in spot different from any that we
have called our temporary "home" be-
fore. It Is pleasant to stretch ones self
on rug or luxurious cushion of grass
and idly watch the feeding and rub
bling down" of the tired horses, the
pitching of the 'tepee, the building of
gypsy fire and the deft preparation of
an al fresco meal; or even, if unusually
hungry, to assist in these preparations.
My cook kept everything clean and
orderly, and my driver delighted in add
ing to the simple billof fare at every op-
portunity fat prairie chicken or O
string of delicious fish.
If there were any Indians in the
neighborhood of our camp they usually
claimed a relationship with some of us,
and on the strength of it brought their
humble best and were in turn invited to
share our rustic meal. Any one who
travels through. the Indian countries
with the desire to study native customs
and character must divest himself of all
prejudice. travel with Indians as simply =
and unpretendingly as possible, pro-
claiming by dress and manner willing
ness to accept life for the time being on
similar terms with those on which it is
taken by the people whom he wishes to
really know.
A pair of moccasins, fondness for
one or two genuine Indian dishes, good
Workmanship and an acquaintance with
the tongue of the people are all excel
lent passports to their confidence. That
confidence won, the rest is easy. Ny
journey on the plains covered more than
six months and ended with the begin
ming of the sad winter of 1S9O-91 in
Dakota.
Foremost among the charms of the
Dakotas is the exhilarating climate.
The dry, clear atmosphere and brilliant
sunshine seem in themselves to make
life worth living, and the reward of free
exercise in such an air is an almost sup
erabundant energy and vitality. To me
feeling of languor is absolutely I'M
known there, even on the hottest mid
summer day. I have walked and rid
den in safety and comparative comfort
with the mercury 144 degrees in the
shade-and there was no shade, except
the narrow strip on the north side of q
building. The same may be said of the
occasionally severe cold of winter, when
one can thoroughly enjoy brisk walkin
temperature of 40 degrees below zero,
provided the wind does not blow,
Another source of the keenest enioy-
ment is the exquisite and subtlf variety
OF prairie landscape.
These are gardens Of the desert-these
The unshorn fields, boundless and beautiful
For which the speech Of England has no name
Inc prairies! behold them for the first
ana my heart sWells while the dllated eve u-
Takes in the enclrcling vastness.
That charm, however, which sur
passes even tue sltalizing climate and
the inspiring landscape is to be sought
IN the nature of the Indian. There is
something indesctibably soothing about
the repose, the dehberation of it-some-
thing in striking contrast with the over.
excltable, overturned, modern tempera.
ment. Indians are such pleasant, rest
lul FELLOW travellers, such cordial, unpre-
tending hosts-giving of their best with
out unnecessary circumstance or delay.
Our Life on the prairie is simple but
sumclent, and we recall with wonder the
a az needs which we once labored