The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-07-18
FOURTH At PINE RIDGE
Former Eagle Screaming Records
Smashed to Smithereens.

The Original American, Painted and
War-Bonneted, Had a Celebra-
tion That the Pale Face
Couldn't Approach.
Pine Ridge Agency. S. D.. July g..
The morning Of h glorious Fourth
dawned here amidst a grand diapason
of whooping Indians, neighing ponies
and yelping dogs, and he who missed
this celebration Of the day missed such
a wild and picturesque conglomeration
of sights and ounds as may never b.
the lot of man to enjoy again. TIE dogs
of the day of the Sioux in his pristine
glory are rapidly O. the wane, and 1t Is
h opinion of those familiar with such
expeditions that this will n these af-
fairs in this locality. Many say 1t will
be impossible to ever again mass the
throngs of the untutored children OF the
plain that were to be seen here Satur-
day. There were 5000 of them. Brules,
ogalallas and Cheyennes, n at their
head was tina historical old patriarch
of the tomahawk and scalplng knife.
Red Cloud. While the aged sachem was
boss of the day, he had numerous Illus
trious assistants-He Dog, Big Elk, Dog
Ear. Running Bear, Lone Dog, Bear
Upslde-Down, Vol Nose and scores OF
others. distinguished alike on the war
trail and in the chase.
The bear family seems to predcmi-
nate, n an fdea nay be formed of its
numerical strength when it is stated
that there are only 273 Bears. The Dog
clan is another powerful clan, and while
they are not quite so numerous they are
fully as pretty and fragrant. Truly it is
q great congregation of the remnants of
these once mighty nations, and their
tepees, numbering something over $50,
are pitched on the limitless plateau just
east of the agency along Wolf and
White Clay creeks.
A Picturesque Shutdown.
At shutdown Friday the broad plateau
presented q scene Of weird and novel
picturesqueness that once seen can
never be forgotten. Squaw dances were
In progress at q dozen different points in
the lurid light of a hundred campfires,
while the young bucks were engaged In
horse and foot races and other sports
kindred to their nature. The monoto.
nous tumult of the drums, commingline
with the hoarse shouts of the old mer
n the falsetto chant of the dancing
females was to be heard long after mid
night. Nevertheless Aurora had hardly
begun to silver the tops of the tallest
huttes the morning of the Fourth be-
fore the whole plateau was in a very
paroxysm Of unearthly sounds and mo-
ton. Scores and scores of half naked
n feather-bedecked warriors dashed
hither and thither yer the plain on their
little rats of horses, yelling like fends
and firing their rifles at every jump.
Squaws busted themselves with the
morning meal, chanting their national
songs the while. while wolfish ours snap
ped and snarled as If they appreciated
and partook of the frenzy. Firecrack-
ers. brass bands. rockets, red fire and
beer Of the white mar form weak i'm
potent symbols by way of comparison.
The initial orgies of the morning over
and all fell to like wolves at a carnival,
and the way beef and dog meat and
soup disappeared was a caution to
snakes The inner animal satisfied,
preparation for the grand Qualification
of the day tool on shape. At the gut.
teral command of gesticulating chiefs
Wy aIiN llC OSS lOI
the big sham battle hauled forth. VIVA,
a scene of wild savagery and g-otesque
ferocity was then presented. Painted
indian on painted ponies were shortly
swarming the plain like the forking in
fusoria OF a stagnant pool, while a wall
of squaws two and three deep environed
the whole vast arena and kept the all
vibrating with their shrill and sturdy
shrieks of encouragement or walls OF
lamentation, but so like a coyotes Is the
tongue OF the Sioux belle that it is al,
but impossible to tell when they are
tlckled out of their beaded socks or In
the last agonies of a %torturous death.
Indian Sham Battle.
Under the command of Big Elk and
Standing Bear the opposing forces were
deployed upon the broad plain, scouts were
thrown out and all the minute details Of
the impending clash perfected with a sys-
TEN that Uncle Sam might do worse thar
to sometimes follow. Old Red Cloud, in
boiled shirt, scarlet scarf and plug hat,
sat on his pony off on a little promontory
with all the dignity of a monarch of all he
surveys. His once far reaching war cry
has been hushed to a whisper and his once
agile red shanks stiffened like sticks by
the encroachment of time. and he took no
part save Una OIL u lOOkeTOn IN the 1rlHOl-
tiles of his children. But that he enjoys
these memory-waking scenes was evil
denced by the shining red leathery face
and furtive CLEANS of his eyes, as well as
by his occasional bluff at a warwhoop.
There was a short interval of bantering be-
tween Big Elk, stripped to eagle plume
and breech clout and Standing Bear in u
war bonnet reaching to his heels and a big
brass breastpin. Big Elk shook his rifle in
defiance. while Standing Bear worked his
braceleted arms and long lance furiously.
A hush, and then simultaneously each
sounded his respective war cry. Then came
the fireworks. 1t was a very cataclasm OF
white ponies with green tails, black ponies
with yellow stripes and pink names. polka
dotted and checked ponies and ponies in
fact Of all the colors Of Joseph's coat, some
with tabs painted with gaudy ribbons
withes and willow branches; other with
buffalo horns attached to the sides of their
heads and scalps and coyote tails stream
riders with lance and shield, faces and
naked bodies bedaubed with the very in
tensity of artistic Ingenuity with flaming
serpents, and horse tails. with cracking
rifles and ~twanging bows, all to the accom-
paniment of the ~fiercest and most hair
curling yelps and whoops that ever rent a
summer air. In u flash all were ono writh-
Ing, struggling. shrieking mass. convult-
ing in the smoke like a huge colored ser
pent, th6 SquaWS all IN StlH legged motion
were in a perfect frenzy and walled in
lugubrious tones or screamed in most ED.
ritch ferocity, making 1t impossible to
distinguish whether 1t was exultation or
lamentation which was swaying them.
1t would have been difficult to nave told
which side won from the way in which
they dragged off the lead and dying and
wormed themselves after the little battle
was over, had 1t not been for old Red
Clouds forcing himself among them and
presenting Standing Bear with a little
beaded sack of some shining stuff, pre-.
sumably coin. for making the best show
the war and sun dance and an grafton by
Red Cloud, some horse and foot racing, ar
Indian migration. another fight, the Pipe
of peace. a german by the squaws and
some more dog soup.
Blackleg In Cattle.
Huron, S. D., July 4.-The appearance