Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-11-04
COPETA, WIFE OF OURAY.
THE WONDERFUL INFLUENCE
SHE HAD OVER HIM.
In His Life the Only BeIng Who Could
Manage Him-Her Kindness and
Generosity Beautiful
Woman In Her Youth.

was the dearest of all his possessions
and secure In the love of his great
heart she was not afraid OF him.
Twice in Ute history she persuaded
HIM from leading his men on a raid.
Once all remained quietly at home.
tho other time a few went but IRE
was not their leader
Such n pretty woman she was!
When IRE first knew her-she was
twenty years younger then-she was
slender and graceful. with beautiful
hair. hands and leet and such eyes!
Like doe. with their soft black. i'm
measurable depth.
She dresses now rs do the other
women-in a short calico dress in
one piece, moccasina belt and native
ornaments. Her hair which was
worn loose over her shoulders and
back. was cut at Ures death as
badge of mourning and loneliness.
She has her beautifully beaded dane
ing dres es OF buckskin. and she still
uses them in the spring bear dance
and summer sun dance. Her wraps
are the costliest and prettiest Nava. o
blankets that money or ponies can
buy. and she has many OF them.
Though having a sweet kind dis
position. as have all these childish
hearted women. she is very proud.
Proud. because she WAS | res sQuaw
and proud she was in Washington.
She carried back 10 the Indian settle
ment many gifts from friends In
Washington. last impressions and
recolleclions that mado many hours
around the wick-i-up ire pass delight
fully to tho Indian hearers.
Ure's death occurred so soon after
this trip that being in mourning.
she made no use OF her clothes dishes
o. trinkets given her. and when she
wished 10 show them 10 us about a
year ago. preparatory to their dis
posal she found they had decreased
in number. Many dishes had been
stolen or borrowed and go she wisely
concluded to sell the remainder or
give them away before her stock en-
tirely disappeared.
The day OF her yhibition she drove
down TO the agency stopped at the
house where wo were visiting and
said: Your three squaws katchum
, hat Piqua ma wickup' ego my
/ house.
As she had a com 'ortable buckboa
| two well-cared- horses and we
knew she was good. clean cook we
accepted the invitation. After a
: drive OF seven miles nearly all the
time in sight OF the beautiful Green
River we reached her home. Sew
eral one room log houses three can
vass wckups varying IN age color
and size; two brdsh houses ON which
the brush is renewed every week,
thus keeping it always cool
and shady. and many corrals com
prised Copeta residence.
She aid not live here alone for the
rich Ind ans always have many
brothers and friends who help them
spend the extra they have. To-day
Copeta alone entertained us We were
first seated alone in one OF the log
huts 1t was carpeted. and contained
set OF red plush furniture that re
had purchased from some officer when
he changed posts COpeta brought US
water in a willow bottle made BY her
SELF ana we passed it from mouth tc
mouth.
In another house there was n rude.
home constructed table covered with
slightly worn damnsk cloth which
by its color must have been pur-
chased before the wah." The table
was set with her Washington dishes
the lack filled out by her own home.
bought ware. A bouquet OF flowers
in in elegant cut-gla5s celery dish
and an early primrose at each plate
testified 10 her love for flowers Al
my place was n card dish of solic
silver.
drank from n goli-lined goblet
but my friend across the table used c
teacu Beside my plate was knife
with a dainty pearl handle a fork tC
match and n spoon OF tin, She had ;
silver fruit dish. sugar bowl and C. can
Jug. but spoonholder lost" She once
possessed set OF delicate china tha
; any woman would have envied bu'
only q few dishes remain.
Copeta is very generous One day
last winter she did something tina
few people in the world would hav,
done
1t was an early Sunday morning IL
January. snow on the ground and min,
, degrees below zero. Many Indian,
had stayed all night at the agency. al
day beio had been issue day. ant
Copeta was among them. They wer,
just moving about when they sav
the house of an employe on fire, Blu
OF course tho log straw lowered
house was in flames before they coult
reach It.
Copeta came up the back way apt
: saw standing barefoot in the snow
with only a thin night dress on.
young woman who had been visitin,
at this house. Quicker than a though
she had dropped on log and re
moved her overshoes and stockings
then unpinned her blanket and goin,
, 10 the girl pinned the blanket roun,
her waist and then helped her dor
the shoes and hose. Moreover. sh
called squaw TO her removed he
blanket and pinned it round th,
girls shoulders. She laughed all tn