The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-01
10 AT THE BATH
Red Men Who Use Steam and
Enjoy a Cold Plunge.
Explosion OF the Theory That All Indians
Are Dirty and Abhor Water-Columbia
River Tribes Have the Turkish Sys-
tenn in q Primitive Way.

them do. 1t is d curious fact that the
Columbia river Indians believe as
thoroughly in the efficacy of the hot
air bath and the sudden immersion of
the body afterward in cold water as
the Turks or the most advanced believ-
ers In the Russian and Turkish baths
do. To the man who knows only the
ill-smelling, Unconditional Digger.
Apache or Piute this viii come as a
revelation.
The Columbia river Indian, says the
Chicago Tribune, is clean individual.
He may not have the toilet articles and
clean linen of civilization. but his pores
are open, his skin is clear and free from
spot or blemish, and he is generally a
healthy person. His step is light, his
head erect, his eye clear, and form
why, and he probably owes it as much
to his hot baths as TO the delightful
climate in which he lives. These baths
the Umatilla, the Wenatchee. Yakima
and all the other tribes of the Column
ola basin have used always, or so far
back IN the past that not even the faint
est traditions of tf.s tribes tell of their
commencement. They take them reg
ularly, once or twice weekly, and al
ways prescribe and use them for sick
ness, although their ignorance of the
various diseases, and their practice of
always taking the bath" as cure for
any disease with which they may be
attacked has caused many serious and
fatal mistakes in the past by which
scores of lives have been lost. Repeat
ed fatalities, however, teach them no
lessons. It may be rheumatism or it
may be smallpox; it makes no differ
ence to them.
The bath" or. as the few white set
tiers on the river call it, ''Intun sweat
house. is simply hole three feet in
diameter and eight feet long, dug hori-
zontalIy in the sloping bank of the
river. 1t is usual to dig them from
thirty-five to forty feet above low
water, as the river generally rises DUR
ing June and July from thirty to forty
feet, and although high water lasts but
ten days to three weeks, yet there would
be little left of the bath if the food
had chance at it. The bottom. or
floor, is lined with smooth fiat stones,
and the walls are hardened as much as
possible by the builder lying on his
back on the bottom and pounding them
with a rock resembling pestle. After
few baths the walls become as well
baked and as hard as brick, and will
not only retain the heat for hours, but
will stand a wonderful amount of pres
sure and weight from above
The method of taking a bath is as
simple as the bath" itself Filling the
hole with dry wood it is set afire and
IN a few minutes is burning fiercely.
When the wood has burned out the en-
bers are raked from the hole and the
bath is ready. Divesting himself of all
his clothing the Indian takes an old
blanket and, saturating it thoroughly
in the river, spreads it out on the stones
of the hole and crawls in feet first.
The instant the wet blanket touches
the hot stone the hole is filled with
steam in which the bather disappears.
For several minutes nothing is visible
but clouds of steam pouring out of the
hole; but after time that clears away,
and within, yet close to the entrance,
can be seen the steaming face of the
baths occupant. AS the hole cools
off the Indian crawls farther in, and so
the majority of the ''bucks" remain in
all night. Before morning they are
well back to the extreme end Of the ex-
cavation.
To witness ''buck" emerge from
his bath in the morning one would
think it the last effort of a dying man.
Too weak to walk or even stand and
hardly able to crawl. he manages to
slowly drag his body from the hole to
the bank, down which he creeps or
rolls to the waters edge. Then the
transformation takes place. II he is
able to stand he will wade in until the
water is up to his knees, when in he
rolls or plunges. In an instant he is
up again, wildly waving his arms and
beating his chest, and then he plunges
in again, repeatedly, until he has dis
appeared several times under the icy
water, for the Columbia river is ice
cold, winter or summer. receiving its
supply in the summer from the snow
clad peaks OF its headwatOs.
With bound the buck" is out on
the bank, new man: like a wildcat he
springs mp the hillside to the bath"
reaches in and picking up his blanket
wraps it around him and with step as
light and form as erect as an athlete in
training, hurries away to mis- tepee for
breakfast
The taking of his bath is part of his
training, and almost of his religion.
From early youth he Is accustomed to
1t. and he practices it TO his old age.
Winter or summer, whether il be hot
or cold, he takes it While the squaws
do not indulge as frequently or remain
in as long as the bucks" they are re-
quired by the customs of their people
TO regularly go 10 the bathhouse and
receive its benefits. They usually do
not remain in longer than half an hour,
or, perhaps, an hour At the longest.
and are not required TO take the
plunge afterward. usually contenting
themselves with dipping their blankets
in the water and then passing 1t over
their bodies until they become suffi-
GENTLY cool TO walk up to the tepee TO
sleep or eat.
Correctly Informed.