The evening times., 1896-02-03

Interesting Character.
Quanah Parker, the most celebrated In
dian character OF tbe Southwest, and, per
haps, the wealthiest Indian in America.
head chief of the Comanches. once the most
savage and wariike tribe OF the plains, ac-
companed by his wife, is in the city To see
the United States Indian commissioner.
In appearance Chief Parker is the acme
of nca ness and he is as vain as turkey
rock that has passed the Christmas holi-
days without doing homage to the AK and
block. He dresses in civilized garb, but
wears his hair in two long brai,is, permit
ting a scalp-lock to grow upon the top or
his head, which no doubt is for the pi.r-
pose OF retaining his popularity with the
Comanche tribe, or is, perhaps, chal-
lcnge to some warrior mightier than he to
come and take it.
THE sHREwDEsT OF INDIANS.
Among his people Parker is a great
politician; but when asked If be was a
Democrat or Republican, cunningly re-
Piled: Il stand up for both partics.'' He
is said to DE the shrewdest Of all the
shrewd Comanche Indians He will not
drink anything stronger than coffee, and
he vice of gambling, which is So co-ii-
mon among 1ndiaus. he absolutely detests.
The reason he gives for his abstemi-
Gus habits is that Il man occupying the
position as head chief OF a tribe OF In
dians like the Comanches must have clear
mental faculties to wisely govern them.
In this, at least he sets an example which
well may be enulated by some white and
civilized statesmen.
Parker does not believe in Indian super
stitiOns, and long since lost all faith I'D
the charms OF rain gourds and calahashes,
or the spells and drunken prophecies or
medicine men; but is cute enough to keep
up his end of the show in these customs,
for the purpose OF holding his influence
with superst;tious and more savage por-
tions of the tribe. Notwithstanding his
denial of the virtues of the medicine men
and tribal inCautations, QuInah VIII not
adopt Christianity or join church, but
suggests that the Christian religion would
be a good thing for his people. He aids
them with money, and in various ways
assists in civiIzing his people. but prefers
10 remain neutral, so far as he himself
is concerned. In manner he furnishes
lumber and nails for the building of the
ark. but will not go in himself. His atti-
tude toward schools and white people is
friendly.
WHAT HE SAYS.
He speaks broken English. but il is read
lily understood, and the following portion
of a conversation had with him is a good
sample OF his style of Anglo-SaxOn:
Il not talk English much. / been here
some days. / look all at you. | come
1000 miles west 0klahoma-fhat my home.
] come from there and telegraph commits
siner. Government wants TO open Indian
country, but Indian no ready yet. ln6ian
no understand yet. Me don't want to open
my country. Thht what come for. Me tell
commissioner no ready yet. / can't read.
Me no write. Me and these men just like
little boys: but come up head and in front,
for me chief of all Comanches- That's me.
| conc up head in front in Indian way"
To open up the Indian country means
disaster 10 his chiefship and portion OF
his revenues, and for this reason Parker
bitterly opposes any move on the part OF
the government which might tend in this
direction.
Parker is Just forty-five years old. and
is OF a very domestic turn If mind He
lives i'll a $4,000 house. and has seven wives
and plenty of children. Three of the chill
dren are now students at the Carlisle
School His residence conta ins twelve
well-furnished rooms. the walls of which
are bedecked with pictures. among them
being fine oil painting of his mother,
who was Il white woman. She was taken
captive when a child by the Comanches
on one of their raids in Texas many years
ago and grew up as wild Indian. finally
marrying one of the warriors of the tribe.
When Quanah was quite a little fellow
his mother was recaptured by the whites
and returned TO her friends and former
surroundings. but she had been SO long
with her Indian captors that she had i'm
bibed their wild spirit and begged to be
taken back TO her home in the tepee.
This wish her friends refused TO grant.
and the white mother of the half-breed
boy, who soon became chief of his tribe,
actually died OF broken heart. Indeed.
with her dying breath she besought her
kindred to take her to her Indian husband
and child. Her features as presented by
the painting greatly resemble the Swedish
type Of people.
AT PARKER's HOME.
A gentleman recently. while in Okla
homa. dined at Parker's home, and In
spea king of the occasion said: II was
treated with the utmost hospitality. Half
of the table was set in white man fashion
and the other half in Indian style. The
cooking was done by two or three of the
wives. Those of my party were served
with steak. but the Indians ate jcrked beef
boiled. Biscuit molasses. and excellent
coffee made up the remainder of the re-
past 1t was quite amusing to see a high
chair. containing a papoose, stand along
! side each of the seven wives. and each
| baby apparently the same age his little
brothers and sisters
Parker's wealth is great, and his live
| stock. which he numbers by hundreds. com
| prises some splendid specimens of we'll
| bred animals. He is 4 great stock fancier
| and breeder and very proud or the success
| which has crowned his efforts in this busi-
| ness. At present his stud of horses contains
| 200 head. ranging from the vicious and
| diminutivc mustang tn the sleek thorough
| bred and the ponderous draught horse. and
| his cattle number 900. His land would
| form n county. and of this he has 3O0
| acres in excellent state of InlIiNal ion