The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1894-01-24
In OLD MONTANA DAYS
THE FLAW IN THE GLASS EYE WAS
VERY SERIOUS.
The Old Indian Wanted One That
He Could See with-An Exper--
ence of Importance with Indiars,

The Old Indian Wanted One That
He Could See with-An Exper--
ence of Importance with Indiars.
HTHE old pioneers had settled
down for their smoke in the
brain room of the Montana
Club, when Hugh McQuaid
remarked:
81 see that some smart newspaper
man down East has started a rumor
that the Crow Indians will get out
of their blankets in the spring and
clean up the settlers and the United
States Army. 1 would bet that lot
of cigar Indians would fight just as
quick. Why, Grow hasn't got the
courage of jack rabbit to fight. The
only trait of white man-that is,
some white men outside of this room
that a Grow has got is humor.
"Of course you mean yourself when
you say outside this room," said DIR.
Churchill.
"Well, / mean all mining experts,
any how, but I remember back in ~
when party was sent out here by the
Interior Department to look up the
condition of the Indians, and they
asked me, as n newspaper man, to
JON them on trip to the Grow
agency. We had fine time no end
of good shooting before we got to
the agency. Then for the first day or
two there were lots of figuring with
the agents, distributing tracts and re-
1,o,,o,,e TOD 60 4ha oo,1owc otto and
finally trip of twenty miles to the
tepee of chief named Horn-in-the-
Foot, who lived near by the big medi-
cine man. There was a fellow in our
party from the Smithsonian Institu-
tion who wore n glass eye that was a
dandy. Said that it cost him 300 IN
Paris, and could roll around in his
head same as the other one. Well, we
got to the old chiefs camp and found
him dressed like fashion plate to re-
ceive us. Long headdress of eagle feath-
ers, bead-fringed moccasins, and
all Of that, but having only one eye.
Learned later that the medicine man
made him tear out the other in a war
dance, We passed the time of day,
and he said ''How," and made the
squaws and young bucks get down in
the alkali dust and salute us. We
made few signs in which the chief
asked for firewater by trying to stand
on his head, but we couldn't let him
have any because it was against the
law. Finally the Smithsonian fellow
thought he would have a little fun, Sc
he takes the glass eye out of the socket
and rolls it around in his hand. Well,
YOU ought to see the old chiefs face
and the young bucks and squaws. They
couldn't have been more surprised II
that ghost that they looked for last
year had dropped down in the party.
The chief, however, recovered quicker
than the rest and seemed to catch an
idea, for he reached out for the glass
eye and, after awhile, put it where
his missing eye had been. Then the
squaws and bucks give another yell,
and off the whole crowd started fol
the medicine mans tent with us
a-trailing in the rear. When we go'
there the chief let out whoop, ano
out came the medicine man. He gave
one look at the glass eye and then fell
on the ground, and began to tremblt
and groan. You see, he understood
that he had lost his pull. Tho chiei
gave him kick in the ribs, and when
he got up talked Il little Grow, and
pointed over toward the Yellowstone
River, the same as to say that he was
giving him ten minutes to get out OF
the camp. The interpreter told MS cf
terward that the chief said that any
man who had to learn to make medl
cine from white people was a poor klnC
of a medicine man, and was not needed
in those parts. Any how the Doctor
sneaked ont of the tepee with couple
of blankets and pipe, and was soon
out of sight in the foothills.
"Well, we had good time laughing
while the Indians were dancing, not
knowing of course where the eye came
from. The chief put the horse on us
though, when he got ready to leave boy
handing back the eye to the Smith
sonian fellow and saying in Grow tc
come back next year, and the new
medicine man would have an eye made
that he could see with. New York
Sun.