St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-14
HEPANJIBO, The HERO.
How He Won a Dusky Damsel
Whose Conditions Were
Very Cruel.
For Coming Years Of Servi-
tude the Maiden Took
Early Revenge.
Dragging a Buffalo Head At
tached to Sits in His
Broad Back.
Gen. R. w. Johnson Relates a
Tale Of Lattep-Day Bar
barism.

After the hustling and hurrahing of
the canvass and election are over, even
those who have been most deeply inter-
eSted naturally drop back into an easier
way of going, and seek recuperation in
pleaSanter paths than are to be found in
the field Of politics. This quick settling
back from high pressure existence to
the ordinary run of everyday life is one
of the admirable traits Of the American
character that cannot DE treasured too
highly, and no man probably possesses
it is a more liberal degree than Gen. r.
w. johnson.
From politics to romance! From the
hot hunt for political preferment to the
gentle pursuit of the pleasures OF liter
misunderstanding civil strife to mind
easing and Misunderstanding love lore.
What jump. Tbs general was found
in mood to mOraliZe recently, and
finally drifted into the current of love
and marriage, after this fashion:
The marriage of young and refined
people in this country is one of the most
interesting events in their lives. Fond
ana devoted parents make the most
elaborate preparations for celebrating
the nuptialS of their daughters; and, if
they have wealth, nothing is left UNI
done TO make the occasion one long to
be remembered. The trousSeau of the
bride is of the richest and most costly
materials, and the delicate handiWork
must be that of some skilled Partisan.
Various causes lead to matrimonial al
liances. Some marry for wealth, others
for name and social position. but the
greatest number are the outgroWth Of
love and sentimental admiration.
Indian Marriages.
Among the Indians marriage is quite
different matter. The man wants a
female servant, and when il is remem-
bered that the wife is simply a slave of
her husband, that she is compelled to
do his bidding, that there is no drudgery
too labOrlouS, no service too Illuminating
and degrading for him to demand it of
her, it Will be readily understood that
love is not one of the elements entering
into the matrimonial alliances of these
low and degraded people.
The Indian woman'S greatest desire
and highest ambition is that her hus-
band shall be distinguished as great
warrior, be industrious and successful
as hunter and above all that he shall
HepanJibo had no second as warrior
and when he laid claim to the henri and
hand of the far Ah-quod she accepted
him under the following conditions:
He was to submit to having two par
allel Sits. two inches apart and four
inches long. made in his skin just over
each shoulder blade. These strips were
TO be torn loose from the flesh, and one
Of the ends OF rawhIde rope was to be
passed up under one and down under
the other, the ends brought together
and tied 10 an old and dry buffalo head
turned upside down, so as 10 have the
horns resting on the ground Thus har-
messed he was to go around the camp
once and then to repair to the tepee of
the bride, around which he was required
to pass,
Dragging the Head
until the gentle maiden on the inside
was thoroughly satisfied that no pain
could be so great that he could not en-
dure 1t. Hepanjib0 wanted wife badly,
and SO he consented. In making the
journey around the camp the horns
would occasionally catch under a sod.
and the effort to eXtricate them would
cause the blood to flow profusely from
his lacerated back. He made the rounds
of the camp safely, and after dragging
the head around Alb Qqad's tepee three
times, her brother stepped out and adj
dressed bin thus:
"Well done, my brother-in-law, here
are three ponies which present to you.
Go in, the feast is ready; there you will
meet your wife"
Ah-quod dressed his wounds, and
placed before him kettle of bouilon
and some dried buffalo meat The cere-
mony was complete, and it was thus
that Hepanjibo won his wife. They
thenceforth lived as happily together as
husbands aud wives among the Indians
usually do.
This is not fancy sketch. but a de-
scription of real marriage ceremony,
the facts in relation to which were given
to me by one who Witnessed the whole
disgusting ceremony, 1t seems strange
that such cruel. bloody proceeding
could possibly take place in America
near the close of the nineteenth century,
which has given to us the fullest and
grandest civilization ever enjoyed by
the human race. 1t is reasonable to
suppose that an Indian even, would not
care to pass through such an ordeal
more than once, and hence, [ suppose,
second marriages are Of rare occurrence.