The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-04
AN INDIAN MODEL.
Kicking Bear Poses IN the Studio OF a
Chicago culptor.
From the Chieaoo Herald.

Kicking Beer, the bad Indian who danced
in all the ghost dances two years ago and
fought the soldiers at Wounded Knee
creek, was brought down from Fort Sheri-
dan yesterday afternoon to pose for one OF
the figures i'll the group which will COM
memmoraee the massacre Of 1879. Sculptor
Carl Rohl-Smith picked out Kicking Bear
as the man TO stand as a model for Black
Partridge, the chief who saved Mrs. Helm's
life, because Kicking Bear is a 1.-the, wide
chested Indian, and his face is full of the
craft Of the Sioux, although really he is a
rather nice sort of man to meet.
The chief was pleased by the compliment,
and when Sergt Cahlll, OF Company g.
and Post Inspector Jules Lorin went 70 his
quarters to take him to town, they found
that he had dressed himself up In his best
closhes. He had painted his cheekbo and
eyebrows with vermillion, and had put his
handsomest eagle feather in his hair, which
he had slicked down and carefully braided
He wore beaded moccasius. buckskiu
breeches a white linen shirt, which he
bought in Paris when he was there with a
wild west show; a base ball players belt,
black broadcloth vest, q bone unape, or
breastplate, framed in beaded work, and a
great blue blanket.
The Paris shirt was embroidered with
blue and red flowers. and from the back Of
it hung six scalp locks which Kicking Bear
had lifted at one time or another. In add
ing to all these things, as a special sign that
be was going out into society, Kicking Bear
wore the string Of red beads which the
Prince OF w ales gave him the last time he
and the prince came together.
Sculptor Rohl-S NTH aud Mrs. Rohl-
Smith were waiting for the party when the
big Indian leaped into the studio on the top
floor of the Temple building.
''How do you dor Mr.. Rohl-Snith said
baking hands with the chief.
How" Kickingl Bear said He shook
hands with everybody In the room, and
then he lighted cigarette and blew the
smoke through his nose. he looked about
the studio with the air of a critic. When
he saw a big bronze of Youth" represent
tlg lad and girl in a mad dance. he said
'Um-um," with great appreciation. Then
he stripped and laid his tinery on a chair
and strobe across the room naked, except
for a gaudy breech-clout and beaded mecca
sins. Kicking Bear is a fine figure of a man
in buff, and he knows 10, too, for he stood
beside soms Of the statues in tho studio to
show how much better looking he was than
the artists IDEAL He Ia nearly six feet tall.
straight as sapling, in spite Of his A years,
his legs are 1.-the and Binswy and bis shout
dsra broad and full Of muscle. Mr.. Rohl-
Snitt, said he was little soft and the
muscles OF bis legs were not at their highest
development. That "a because Kickiug
Boar has been away from the plains
slUce he helped 70 Kill ths soldisrx at
Wounded Knee ereek Aside from this, bis
figure b marvellous. A better tAoe for an
Indian type Mr. Rchl-Smith said he had
never seen, WHOM tho Indian bad walksd
around tbs Saudto and smoked another
cigarette the scalptor sho we'd him the rough
clay modelling Of the group. II represented
tall man In the act Of saving a woman
from an Indian who had beset her with
knife. The tall mal is Black Partridge, aud
the woman is Mrs. Helm. The figure of
Black Partridge is almost heroic. The chief
Is stridtug forward one arm Ia laid upon
the woman, the other appraised TO ward off
the descending blow of the murderer When
Kicking Bear was told that Black Partridge's
figure was TO be modelled after him he
laughed all over.
''Short Bull will be the other Indian, :" the
interpreter said. HE Is numbering the
woman
Kicking Bear enjoyed this fact he
laughed silently and said to the interpreter:
''Short Bull 10 a very bad Indian. am a
good Indian" Short Bull is his fellow
prisoner at Fort Sheridan. Then he studied
the pose of Black Partridge and tried TO
IT, He raised his hand and bestrode a rug
and when he had shown how the Potta wa
| tonne must have looked he chuckIed and
NADACO NJ 1ohAAls MI
| did not want him TO pose. He wanted his
first study TO be one of the face aud head
Kicking Bear threw away his cigarette
and sat solemnly on little platform The
sculptor slapped away at a big chunk of
| clay, and presently the rough lines Of the
mouth, nose and chin appeared. Kicking
Bear got down from his chair and surveyed
the clay.
"Um,n he said conbentedly, and hoisted
himself back again. When the artist
started TO work on the eagle feather Kick
ing Bear became impatient. He bawled for
the interpreter and when Jules came In he
talked eXcttedly.
"He wants to make the eagle feather
himself" Jules said.
IAN right Mr. Rohl-Smfth said, and he
gave Kicking Bear a chunk of clay. The
chief worked on it till he had made some
thing that looked like a shoe horn, after
which he crossed his legs and thumped him
self on the chest. at noon he climbed down
to eat dinner, which was brought up to the
studio. He dressed for dinner by putting
more yermillion on his eyebrows.
At the table Kicking Bear showed the
advantages Of European travel. He ate his
soup like white man, and he ate his steak
with as much enthusiasm as one Of those fat
men who go TO Billy Boyies for dinner. He
committed one offense against good taste by
putting sugar on sweet corn, but be speedily
Offset this by swearing deeply when the
waiter spilled some Of the sugar on the steak
A big slice of watermelon was laid In front
OF him when he had eaten two steaks. With
pleasant smile be laid the slice against his
abdomen and measured 1t with bis eye.
why do you do thatr the interpreter
asked him.
40 find il have ROOM" Kicking Bear
replied
Then he ran his head into the melon and
wheu he came out again there wasn't enough
melon left to fill hollow tooth. The big
chief shook himself after he had eaten the
melon aud drank quart OF apollinaris and
three bottles Of white pop. He said he would
not drink beer because beer made bad man
If him. When he had fms ed his dinner
Kicking Bear smoked another cigarette
and then the modelling began again. While
Sculptor Rohl-Smith was working the chief
told him about tho headdresses Of the Pot
tawatomiss. He said they wore more
feathers than the Sioux. He knew old In-
dams who remembered them, and they said
the PottR watomies wore many beads and
feathers In their head dresses. He didn't
think 80 very much about the Pottawato-
mics. The Sioux were better men. While
he was talking he tried TO model In clay a
knotted cord which was part OF his head
gear, but he couldn't do this.
The chief made a patient model until 3
O'clock, when be began to yawn. The
sculptor had about completed the head by
this time and when Kicking Bear yawned