The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-03-06
Indian Letter.

indian Letter.
Owing to the Indian trouble the present
winter, 1t is almost impossible to pick up a
daily or weekly paper and not see the SO
called 'Indian Letter" among the columns
Of reading matter. Thinking perhaps the
readers of The TINES might have been
sighted in the distribution of grab-bag
epistles, and remembering well the interest
OF OwOssOites i'm the antics of the Kick "a
pOOs, and their cure-all remedies i'm 1887, Is
my only reason for offering We subscribers q
beneft?).
One morning in Durango, while sitting in
the hotel lobby smoking 'Drayman's
Delight cigar, we saw band of Indians
coming down the street. or course our
curiosity was aroused and we made it
manifest by following them. Upon inquiry
they proved to be Utes, five bucks and three
squaws in the party, all mounted on good
ponies. The chief was in the lead followed
by the other bucks, the sQuaws bringing up
the rear, riding ''straddle" like their hub
bies. They stopped i'm a vacant lot, dis
mounted, threw the reins over their horses
heads to the ground (western ponies are
trained to stand quietly for hours with this
sort of hitching) and Immediately began
their tramp about town. They were very
serious and hungry appearing crowd.
dressed in their best suit of Clothes" and
as we followed them about we had an op-
pOrtunity to scrutenize the makeup of the
various costumes. The chief, Man-afraid-
Of-his-tOes, tall well built warrior had on
a high hat (same shape and style of Ira
MerelPs y-gO-tO-meeting tile) with a
long red feather projecting through hole
in the top. He was we'll wrapped In a
''yallar" and blue striped blanket and feet
covered with beaded mOccasins. Little
an-with-a-big-belly strutted about under
a dude straw hat, brass ear ornaments as
large as mule shoes, and in the language of
Bill Nye, 'he wore q wagon cover on his
his arrival and threw one end over his de-
parture." Jaw-bOne had on pants, a little
short at one end, see-more coat, a black
slouch hat, with wilted rim, that to all ap-
pearances hung on one ear, and he was sur
rounded by large leather belt filled with
cartridge ornaments. The "adles" of the
party seemed to have their dresses cut full
IN the neck, waists goring and skirts on the
bias, and over the same was draped q
blanket la princesss; ornaments turkey
spurs. They were all bare headed and Tor
shopping bags carried potato sacks. One
squaw carried papO0se strapped to her
back in most peculiar shaped holder, a
cross between a hOd and q coffin. ,Jewelry
stores seemed to have the most attraction
for the party; to their credit we did not see
them enter saloon. About o'clock we
saw them pass the hotel, two bucks astride
one small horse, one pony having been sold
during the day for $500. We were told
these shopping excursions were of frequent
occurrence, much to the delight of tourists
and the small boy of the town.
The Ute reservation is about thirty miles
south of Durango, comprising many sections
of good farming land which the settlers are
trying to get. At present there is bill
before congress to have the Utes removed
to barren country in southern Utah and
their reservation thrown open for settle
ment. Whenever it is done it means boom
for Durango, but it may be seme years be-
fore the change is made. Uucle Sam keeps
several companies of troops at Fort Lewis,
twelve miles from Durango, but there does
, not seem to be any necessity for their ser.
vices for the Indians are quiet and do moi
modest their white neighbors, more than oc-
casiOnally to capture fat steer or stray
pony.
am told the Indians usually live in what
is called "tepees," with now and then 9
family who enjoy the luxury of log Ol
ITdult ltC ttub 10 oifhCu uOWu,
usually on raise of ground, around the
outside shallow gutter is built to carry of
the rain. Early i'm the fall the floor is
covered with several inches of grass, which
in time is tramped down till it makes quite
O carpet The fire is built in the center of
the "tepee," and an opening at the apex
answers both for chimney and ventilation.
Overhead hanging in slngs are the rifles,
ammunition, beef, coffee, sugar and -four.
| In tent ten or twelve feet i'm diameter live 4
buck, squaw and half dozen children.
| s'pose when the ''sewing circle" meets OF
| the Tidleywink club have party, those not
| directly Interested take q walk. When q
young buck casts his weather eye on dusky
| maiden, the parents of the girl Immediately
| fix selling price according to her beauty.
| The belle of the camp Is usually tagged fol
one hundred pounds of flour, two blankets
and pony, all of which must be given the
mother before the bridegroom secures his
girl. There is such thing as social posi-
| ton among the Indians; son of a chief Is
considered good catch. Then again the
! squaws of the chiefs treat the wives of Other
Indians with the same patronizlng air to be
seen among some of the white ladies of this
country. A curious custom is followed by
Indian parents i'm naming their children
| When child is born the father goes to the
| door of the tent, looks out, and at the firs
| cry of the infant, names the child according
| to the first object seen, such as American
| Horse, Black Cloud, Spotted Dog, Thunder
and thousand and one other names. A
buck about to become father feels his i'm
portance greatly and in some tribes wher
| the child Is born the father goes to bed {,
receive the congratulations Of his friends
| while the mother resumes her household
duties. No marriage ceremony among tn,
Indians, and when couple get tired of eacl
other and agree to disagree, no need of
Chicago divorce mill, for they just separat
and each has the right to WOO again.
Probably the wealthiest of the Indians il
this part of the west are the Navajoes, G
New Mexico. They own large herds an