The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-16
A MIXED RACE. ON LONa ISLAND.
The African aud 1sdlan Resultant-A Shiu.
necack Indian Maiden.

there passed by inc WINDOW where i write a
woman Of extraordinary but peculiar beauty.
such rs ono never sees on the fashionable
streets OF NETWORK. She was toll and aa straight
as a mountain suruce. Her hair was raven
black. as thick and ms coarse MS n horses
name. with not a kink IN 1t. Her eyes we're.
however. the ,sost striking feature about this
woman. They wero black almost TO h,ueness.
and they cleaned with n fierce rcstlessness.
in which there was Il painful suggestion Of
cruelty. Tho only defect in tho round.
bronzed face was the undue prominence of the
cheek bones. which. with tho mad watchtul
eyes. fixed the race origin Of this woman.
whose hands and tcet were extremely small.
She was dressed in the fashionable garb OF
civilization. the %clinaing hell skirt giving her
1.-the. symmetrical figure attractive prOmi-
nencc. and she possessed most OF the manner.
isms Of the average American woman. save
that she carried herself in u naughty md
scornful way that indicated that she consid.
cred herself " nm alien hn, superior race.
The woman was n pure .bloohcl Shinnccock
Indian maiden. one OF the remaining Minnc-
hahas o! her race. and resides. for the most
part. with her tribe on the reservation in the
shinnecock Hills. some fourteen miles from
here. She ard others OF her tribe are often
seen upon the QUOT streets of Sag Harbor.
But. as this Shinnccock maiden glidcd BY my
window, will, head eroct and flashing eyes
and stately step. she had an escort who at
tractod my attention almost rs irresiStibly AS
sllc lid: such a man. too. is seldom seen in
the streets OF New York. lie was rather short
and decidedly stout. and his face was very
black and beautifully oval. Good nature
was stamped all over it. as we'll ns a
serene satisfaction easily construed into
II contempt, for most things others hold
dear in civilization. His hair was like
that Of tho Indian maiden at his side. with tho
exception that it rurlcd up slightly at the
ends. And this is said to be an invariable test
OF the purity OF the Indian blood. II adultera-
ton does not show in color or features. 1t will
always show in the ends Of tho hair Mt least.
This man had the African color aud lightness
OF heart. with tho Indians hair and restless
eyes. always gazing into spaca. ready to tnkr
alarm at the cracking OF, y twiS or tho rustling
Of a leaf. He %resemnle'i in many ]Icsrcrts II
y h jnw %, sHaa ero o. i B"f tHe com nnW az s shraWa.
ness and the. shrinking timidity that char
a.terizel the East Indian were nowhere truce
;lblo in the African Shinnerock-the strange
product Of tho African deserts and the North
American forests.
As this strangely assorted couple PASSED
and lost themselves in the continuous woods
in which the wnrwhoop is heard n, inore. The
together impressed mo profoundly aud sor-
wa also reminded. by their easing, Of ,he
the ouigrowth OF amalga mn,ion OF The Afri.
AN with the shinnscock. Montnuk. and Narrn-
all this section. 1t Is IN. exceedingly difficult
matter 70 find a lurc-h,oodcd Aarragansett
milan hs;e a ,an on only lys d fur Of whom
seen. There, are only Il handful ~ tho Mon
tAuks. most Of whom dive! about East lamp
OF whom tlArn are not n UpSp 100. iSt4 ON tIl,lii'
men work. but the men hug the shady side Of
,rnsttul rcorle. Some q them are very nhi:
Gnvernmont furnishes these Shinnccocks viii.
influence they have TO wcan the In.
md his tacilurnitv. The only thing thai ho
hns a strong liking for that the white man has
t f. Was o min is i Few e Se Says s'i asn Ter ;hat Ff ! snx arin d
these proud sons of ,he forest prone against
II farmhouse by, tho roadside snoring, OF the
said that when an Indian comes within the
power OF n ",JaE' lie is an exceedingly ugly
creature, ana disrosed to flourish a revolver
In the main. however. they aron Silent and
inolrensive reonle. gradually fading of tho
Tho extent to which the Indian and the Afri-
can have, become an ama!galnated race ON
Long Island is remarknrle and striking.
EVERYWHERE. IN town. village. aud ham
let. specimens Of them are !ound. Among
ting cid families n here it is sail TINT there IS
mixed with that of Shinneeuck. MontanH. or
;N~arragansrtt. All over the north side this is
largely the case, They own considerable real
estate here. at least. and nre a thrifty. law
abiding, and self-respectins people.
Tho intnenc. which this mixture Of races
il interesting, as showing the relative p%IeserN-
atiys strongly o. dot the fW1 ro"lIes; The dc.
IN \truinio Ia pa. ~ wa C kn.t, prr,,l al th,,,
ancestry and @noastful Of their achievements
in the State and. in society, They have good
stronger ana. more calculating AngIn.Saxon
blood received y t'crcer and more persistent
courage from the eomWinGiing ., thc Indian
clements Of the weaker race, 1t seems to have
had Il similar result nr,on the mixture ' In
:I'"e f indinn1 'fI Is a ', "Siia on o, '", INC ' fnnos1.
and hns succcssfnllv resisted tho influences OF
civilization; Instead Of being absorbed into
IS not 'sis' a y" Srs an1 n""s Of a aIanti i! u.s. "h EIs afric no
is. When the two hoods have c. mmingled. the
f fIhr ! E is ' n" ,ni hsa HG's' 1Gas. Fl ,p %Iro1 l G'2Ha;
on Long Island is II nohIrr man in every re-
spect. measured, by the standards Of Chris
tim. and helps to support the Church: lo il a
citizen. am! helps To- SUPPORT the State. He
!,my s q .nm ~ cj nm4 "I !, h nuJ 'r 1any ,,Ty and sc"ns
Of. competence. The rure.blooded Indian
cIings to the reservation and tho habits OF
W SHNHko it1CSs'''S' 'ltifIIiUE upon me
Government to support him ana insisting
upon and per-isting in iockinK by himself.
The moment his blood becomes mixed with
that Of the Anglo or Sire .Americnn's he be.
comes another creature. He deserts the res.
%crvation for the city ana tie town: he wants 10
mingle with mnnkind: he throws on the nuhIts
Of his Savag. ancestors and follows those OF
his civilized fellows: and instead Of the Gov
crnment supporting him he becomes u citizen
and lieips to support ~" Government.
Measuring tho result Of amalEamation in
Virginia and on Long Island. speculation
might reasonably concern itsclf with the sort
forefathcrs had absorbed instead OF extcrmi.
mated the Indian races.
From my observations | am inclined to l,e-
lieye that the Afro-lndinn il n much better
looking and. physically. n stronger man than
either the plrc-blpoiea Indian or African.
This is plain t., he soon. ! have not been
able to mako an estimate upon which
to base II sound opinion of tho infu-
cnco .upon the mentality OF. tho amnign-
mated race. but from casual observation
and isolated eases am inclined TO think it
has been to tho common benefit and improvO-
ment. 1t certainly has been OF ndvantaxa in a
one Airo-indinn who has represented lila GOV.
ernmcnt rs Minister. Resident, and CONSUL
who resides in New York city. and ono preach
err whom ! henrd olectrify n public meeting Mt
Knoxville last yenr. and who was q college
mate Of mine at Howard University at Wash