The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-11-13
CHICKASAW INDIANS!
THEIR SPORTS-HOW THEIR SUP
PLIES ARE DEALT OUT.
Indian Agent a Fortunate individual
Indians Imposed Upon.

l
the Panhandle country. a very dry arid
district exclusively devoted to cattle busl-
ness. Nowhere under the shining stars do
cattle seem to flourish rs well as here, no diff
| ference how dry II gets. In some places they
have had no rain In sixteen months, yet there
| Is an abundant growth of buffalo grass and
| cattle are as fat ON this dry, sun-bakcd prai-
rle rs though they were corn fed. One ranch
we were on had one hundred and forty thou
sand cattle. They pay fve cents an acre for
the grass and calculate ON II taking ten acres
TO the "crittcr." The ranch owners are all
looked up TO and supposed to be as rich rs
Crocsus. In many respects this Is the most
remarkable country on the face of the globe.
Its greatness, however, lies in the fees bed
bugs, reaches, mosquitoes centipedes, cater
pillars, chigres, tarantulas and rattle snakes
that abound here as "numberlcss as the
sands on the sea shore" Flies swarm here as
only they did in King Herod's time, and no
Moses TO lntcrcedc for relief.
But rs this Is TO be an Indian lettcr too
much Texas might spoil II. Edward Bellamy,
the hero of Looking Backward" will never
see his pet theory of the twentieth century
more fully In working order than right here
among these simple, plain, meek, but all Mt
once daring, dashing, blood -thirsting fighters
of the plains. These Chckasaws live here
under one government uhe chief, and have
everything in common, without n single care.
Uncle Sam supplies their every want, even
10 winchestcrs and ammunition, for the rea
son, we suppose that they can at n moments
notice go on the warpath The only differ
ence between these redskins and Mr.. Bella
my's gang Is, he pensions and relieves from
work at forty-fivc years old, while these are
pensioncd and retired from the day OF their
birth. As might be suspected they are very
crude and their treatment of each other re-
minds one of the days of chivalry. The bucks
are sour morosc looking fellows and show no
evidence of being instructed i'm the shorter
catechism, us Is now being done at some of
the agencies. They are e-eminently play
ing people, as much so as were the ancient
Greeks and the highest conceivable honor for
them is to carry of the prize I'm their various
games on one of their feast days. Pole play
ing Is one of their greatest sports. which con-
slsts In throwing poles so that they will 20
through small running hoops without dis
turbing or changing their course. Possibly
craftsmanship exceeds all other sports or
games. Their ability In this respect would
easily excite the envy OF Buffalo Bill They
take stick, split II, put nickle in the
SLOT" step of hundred PAGES and knock the
nlckle every time. You must give them the
nickle every time they hit, you get It every
time they miss t.. At first we felt con-
scicnce-stricken for going into n game OF
chance. This idea was soon dspelled so
skillful were they that out of Il hundred shots
they would scarcely miss once. II soon be-
came apparent that N we were no wiser our
purses were at least being rapidly depleted,
so we called Il halt, much to the chagrin OF
Mr.. Indian.
The most interesting feature of our sojourn
among them was tissue day" Prior to this
the agent canvasses the nation and takes
orders for what they need, and when the day
arrives for which all have been mpatiently
waiting, their supplies are promlscuously
dealt out to them. For instance so many
pairs of shoes are needed; they are handed
out as the reds file along without regard to
size, weight shape or style. An old buck may
get pair of pappoose shoes and Il young girl
Is liable to get Il pair of brogans. Then they
begin to hunt up their own shoes, perfectly
confident that some one has them. Their
queer antics, language and expressions, en-
liyened by an occasional fight, make it very
interesting The climaXing feature of tissue
day" Is the "beef issue" The steers that U.
:. has gotten for the occasion are fully up-to-
date, great, big, mammoth fellows, corraled,
ready to be butchered in the most brutal
form. The Indians with bow and arrow, gun,
hatchet, hammer, aX, club and every conceiv-
able and inconcevable manner of weapon,
stands breathlessly still till the animal is
thoroughly enraged and ready for fight
When the signal is given 1t is free pitch in
and a free fight. After they have. succeeded
at liberty to help himself, whether by cutting,
saving, pulling or twisting IL OFF, no differ
ence, so they get meat. Now comes a scene
of hide, horns, hair, heart and the balance of
the paraphernalla, profusely stepped in
blood. 1t is not an uncommon sight TO see n
pappoose chewing away at a chunk of liver.
The marrow out of the horns is eagerly sought
after and in the mad rush the tall Is by no
means forgotten. During the present fnan-
clal depression this is the first time we have
had the pleasure of seeing both ends meat"
horns and tail, After they get chunk of
meat they run with it, and one looking at
them would suppose they were stealing it.
BY this time the squaws appear ON the scene
and the bucks, after they see that the drudg-
cry will he done by squaws, give themselves
up to sporting, in the strict sense of the word.
lhtS hft RItal HanlDlcIH anu kItNi'i
ers, when they can get fre-water as they call
1t. They seem 10 get IL very easily, too.
These Indians are a mercurial people and
differ in complexion from as dark as Calcutta
TO u marine red. They are considerably
mixed with whites, but owing to the warm
climate and a constant wind they retain their
original color.
OF all the men in the west the Indian Agent
Is the most favored His position is not only
Il paying appointment, but the opportunity
for making good deals is constantly staring
this fortunate Individual in the face, II re-
minds one very much OF the Soldiers Orphan
School system formerly In vogue In Penn'a.
They are supposed TO furnish the best of
everything but poor Lo, he only gets the
poorest, meanest and cheapest, and n more
shameful system of plunder never existed
even under the Tweed ring Of New York.
When everything Is taken into account, not
only that they are so mercilessly swindled,
but that their home-the Indian Territory
has been the rendezvous for all the most
notorious outlaws OF the American continent
con Ia. Of