The herald., 1896-02-01
THE GODDESS OF CR|MPS
Showed the Squaws How to
Wave Their flair
IN APPALLING DILEMMA
The Result Of Catering to the Vanities
of Indian Women
Singing Bird the First to Fall Under the
SpeII-Amusing RecoIIections of From
tier Army Officers Wife

"Children are alike the world over" l.
an oft heard remark. So is woman, say I,
when it comes to longing for the benuti-
full, for what she considers personal adorn-
ment. In recalling my early married life
away back in the sixties, spent in the
heart OF an Indian country, hundreds Of
miles from the nearest railroad, q comical
scene comes before my vision. My hus-
band, an army officer, took me, bride,
from comfortable, well appointed Michi-
gan home out to tumble down, forlorD
little ono company post in the wilds of
New Mexico Shall ever forget tho day
Of my arrival, after a long days ride in
rickety old stage through scorching sand
beds and miles of buffalo grass and
sagebrush, with a dry, hot wind blowing
every step of the way and fairly boiling
tho very water in our canteensp
The sun was setting when my husband
exclaimed, "There is Fort St. Annie' I
saw by the aid of strong fleldglass tat
tered "Old Glory" which the wind threat
ened to soon sever from its long, slender
pole, and under its folds sentry on his
beat. looked and strained my eyes for
the houses, which saw not and said so,
whereupon Captain J. pointed to the right
and said, There is our house.. Ye Mexi-
cans! That upheaval on the side of the
bank from which rusty, cracked stove
pipe peeped? That "our house?'
But was bride then, and many happy
days were spent in the "dugout house,
and was not at oil idle, though my house
hold duties were light in that humble
abode, consisting of one room or an apol.
ogy for two for I partitioned it of with
largo gray government blanket, behind
which was the bedchamber. l cut small
hole unbeknown in the blanket by the
bed, through which often peeped into the
drawing room at the late callers and if on
sufficiently intimate terms carried on con-
versation at my end Of the line, reclining
in state, glancipg from my observatory
now and then to see the effect of my re-
marks upon our callers seated there with
my good captain on the upholstered can
die boxes and the three legged stool-the
stool that found on the prairie beddod
deep in somo sand and sagebrush, relic
of some camping outfit gone to no one
knows where.
This small post was in the center Of an
Indian reservation, and the post trader
did a large business with the braves and
their consorts. I, being the only white
woman in that vicinity, was naturally
never failing source of amusement and
keen interest to the squaws of the COM
munity, and my comical recollection, pre-
viously mentioned, is connected with these
wild eyed wondering women.
In the day of the crilnping pin I was
standing before cracked hand mirror,
others having been confiscated by the In
dians, who were pleased as monkeys over
them, twisting my long brown hair in and
out of the crimping pin. Ny maid, a
buxom, dumpy squaw, stood gazing at
me, giving vent to an occasional grunt and
protruding her upper lip. She also hap
pened to SEQ me take down my crimps
when she fairly shook with delight and
admiration and made excited gesticula-
tions, which amused me greatly, as dis
covered she wanted her hair done in like
manner To braid horses name and
have it wave nicely is an act, but nothing
when compared to coaxing crimp into In
dian hair. An hours work saw the task
done, however, and my Indian maid wait
ed in feverish impatience for the morrow's
dawn, before which made her understand
those pins were not to be taken down If
she wished her hair like mine.
Tho morrow came at snail s pacc to her
and with it Singing Bird, smiling and ex-
pectant. The ecstasy Of that poor, simple
lately captured Indian squaw as one pin
after another was unfastened and the blue
tlack masses of wavy hair fell over her
head and shoulders was worth an artists
brush. I admired and praised her. but not
more than she did herself. No court beauty
was ever more bewitched by herself than
she Crimps or no crimps, the breakfast
had to be prepared but no other labor
would Singing Bird do that morning, not
until she had gone to the Indian camp
and sutler store and shown herself What
was the verdict of her lady friends? They
all, each and every dusky, horsehaired
squaw of each and every tepee on that arid
plain, returned with my vain Bird, asking
that their hair be made cheap good" like
white squaw's and Singing Birds.
had heard of fashions spreading rapid.
ly, but never like unto this, and I the au-
thor Of it too! Horrors, those SO or more
heads to pull and twist! I saw no way
out of the appalling dilemma, and calling
the source Of all my trouble sent her to
the post traders with a note begging him
to send me post haste all the hairpins he
had in stock. The labor was great, and
tho heads were many, but Singing Bird
soon acquired the art and was of great as
sistance, as she put up nearly as many
heads as l, and such lot of frizzly heads
as there were in that agency the next day
for many days, in fact! No matter what
their deprivations might be, their heads
were wavy. 1t mattered little if the moe
casins Of their lords and masters were
worn out and beads dropping off for want
Of diligent wifely attention, that wifes
hair went in pins every night.
shall ever remain as being set apart
the goddess of orimps in the minds of the
squaws Of that section, but fear me am
remembered as teacher of evil ways by