The San Francisco call., 1895-11-17

0eueral custer poOk, 1entlng On Lne
Plains. The ladies spent their time in
looking after the quarters and sewing,
and | remember that l labored many a
weary hour over an old quilt which is now
a keepsake, but it brings back to me
whenever l look at it all of the hard times
we had when the officers and men would
60 out on the scout and we women
dragged on the slow-footed hours till their
| return. We often went on camping ex-
| peditions. Then there would be fishing
party and sometimes buffalo hunt. At
| such times all of the ladies who could
| would join in the chase.
"The men would start out in front and
scare up the buffalo and the ladies would
| ride on at the rear. But we never failed to
be in at the end of the hunt and many OF
the ladies were often up with the men IN
the mad rush across the plains, for the
horses would catch the spirit of the chase
and rush away as if mad at the heels of
the galloping black herd that covered the
prairie before us. When the hunt was
over the men would cut out the tongues of
the dead animals and take the hides for
| robes. | have now several fine robes that
we got while out West. But that time,
though it was not so long ago, was quite
different from now, for there is scarcely
buffalo left and railroads have opened up
what was then dangerous land, lnhab-
| tied by savages.
winter we were quartered in the midst of
hundreds, who behaved most peaceably.
| There were often great many prisoners
brought into camp, but these were sent
away to other places.
1.-The winter that General Miles first spent
in Montana was in Washington. for my
| uncle, General Sherman, who was at that
time IN command. would not let me 90 to
| that region with my baby girl. The next
| year | spent with the general, and it was
one of the most desolate places to be found
in the Union. The cold was SO intense
that most people can have no idea of it,
and we passed our time in trying to keep
warm. But the worst part was our journey
| southwark which we began when the ther-
mometer was 20 degrees below zero. We
! travelled in ambulances and had to be
| covered with buffalo robes all the time to
keep from freezing. When We camped at
night fire was built, yet it made but little
impression On the air, which was like that
! of the pole. We travelled in this way for
several hundred miles, and the memory of
| the journey will never be forgotten.
"From my own experience with the In
dians [ will say that | have high respect
for them and that most of the army people
| have the same opinion. The bad Indians
| are principally those which have become
degraded by contact with low white men,
who have taught them all of the vices and
none of the virtues of civilization. In his
way there is a great deal of native dignity
| about an Indian, and in their speech an
unusually poetic spirit, which even the
most warlike display. The best thing that
| can be done for the Indians is to have them
educated right where they are, for it has
been the experience of all that those who
are taught at home seem to be more docile
| than those who have been sent East and
| acquired an arrogant manner and super
| ticial knowledge which units them for
their part in life. Not that education is
not good for them, but it is best when it is
conducted out on the reservations.
| II do not think the Indian is law, but, if
! he is taught how to labor, he will make an
| honest workman. When his blood is pure
| Indian, he is generally fine man and one
! of good morals till contaminated by de-
| praved example from the whites who fol-
low on the heels of the opening of a new
country, but half breeds are dangerous
and bad set. 1t is said that an Indian edu-'
| Gated in the East is the most ferocious of
all when he turns again to his savage
ways.'
| Mrs. Miles is very handsome woman,
with rounded, graceful form, which she
dresses most stylishly in rich gowns. She
has an aristocratic carriage and easy but
dignified manners, which show her perfect
training in the school of courtesy, and the
facts that her whole life has been passed in
the best society in the country, and that
she has been called upon to play the part
of hostess so often, have given to her nat
ural grace very attractive charm of easy
cordiality.
Mrs. Miles is an admirable housekeeper
and thinks that, as a woman's sphere is in
the domain of her own home, it is
her most pleasant duty to make her home
bright one. Everything goes on in per-
feet order under her watchful eye, yet her
servants are most devoted, for she pos
sesses the tact to mot notice" when a
servant makes a mistake, and she thus by
kindness secures the best of help. Mrs
Miles is nothing of the "new woman" in
her manner or life. and while she is a
woman of broad mind and wide expe-
rience. and one who keeps abreast of the
times on all subjects of the day, she does
not think that it is exactly woman's
place to invade the domain of the lawyer
and doctor. She approves of all healthy
out-of-door sports, and admires the
woman that is able to help herself when
necessity urges, but she has a great abhor-
renee for masculine woman, thinking that
the greatest charm is in a brilliant mind
united to an attractive person of true
woman, NOS unsexed by aping the
fashions of men.