The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-13
SELLING BUFFALO HORN&
A Method Invented by Indians to Pick u
Prccnrlous Living.

A Method Invented by Indians to Pick up
Procarious Living.
At various stations along the Canadian Pa
ciflc road in Assinibnia and Alberta groups Of
Indians. chiefly women and children. are found
on the platforms. Sometimes they are rather
picturesque for the many colored rags which
cover them. But as a rule they are dirty,
sQualid. sickly.looking lot and are anything
but attractive. A few men are among tn m,
and they are all engaged in the not very lucra.
tive occu patton OF selling buffalo horns to the
tourists. On the plains they pick up the horns
Of the noble departed bis N. Then they set to
work improving" the horns in such q way as
to destroy all their value to any intelligent
person: for what Is the use OF havin. buffalo
horns as relics Of that departed animal unless
they arc something like tbs horns the bufIa-
loes used to wear.
First the Indians scrape the horns with a
knife until the surface Is comparatively
smooth. Then they file them for long time.
until they are smoother yet. Finally they TAX o
stone and begin to polish. and keep UP the
process until the horns arc as smooth ~ glass
and as black and shiny Us we'll polished boot.
Some travellers think the product is very
pretty. and 80 tho Indians have an occas !ona al
customer. Sometimes thoy make sort OF hat
rack Of several OF the horns. pair OF fine
horns brings from Is cents 10 sl.5O. and
other specimens containing several horns
are valued at 50 to 81, or course the
tsy viii s purnS the dfa hHn
Indians pretend Ignorance Of English. '' wh has
esked the price they hold M one or more
q. to offer only 81. The, suuaw vii shake her
2 solitary finger in her fnce for q few minutes.
he decides to do little better. SO no shakes
one finger at her. and then crosse the finger
whfph m
gesticn''nting on both ttdes bargain Is struck.
$ Is sailed isTy SSoa ., Il race
these Indians, and when sitting Bull ret nr 81
the border. and are settled down permanently
~ Canada A few other SIOUX are al 0 found
so T nSaSs 4e a one sn ea w TIC
head thai would not have disGraced Il pIiIos.
9pent in rs state mess and dignity: and yet
this old fellow who looked as though H. was
race was having quarrel with y tonri.t over
ainerence OF r. quarter OF ~ dollar In the
Most Of the the indians iH m' along tho route aro
Crees; Some OF the tourists the. rtIor ,iav
were sH,6 SeIWaling ths fact i6at they hadn't
cause .hs Look ne ones are ali down on 'Se
girls down there. iou see these Indians WHO
hang around the stations are renega,lnr, TLoy
are shitless lot. who had rather rick M il
precarions living selling buffalo hons than
stay on tho reservations: where tney can live
great deal better. and where tho Government
VIII feod and otherwise provide for them Thn
Government does not give u cent IRON Qua
y"nrs ond to nnoth.r to these renegndes viii"
leave the reservations but they pre- or I o LEAD n
eIualtd life near the whites. Where, thou,,n /"
is strictly against tho law they can orct' ion
GIly get drink OF forty-roh. than to be decent
ln,tiuns and live on the rcseryationa
"Wnal." said an Old gsntlemnn from Yer
mont, I've bcen trayellin' around n good dnnI
1n san Frnncisco md handsome Jnpan.s"
girls In Seattle. hut haven't seen u sinris In
dian woman on tho plains who WASH I n horrid
old thing, II these AFRO perimens OF Indian
women don't wonder the race IL dyin. out