The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-11-24
COIN AND BUTTONS.
A PLACE WHERE THEIR PAR
IrY HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
Navajo Indians Use Silver Dollars
and Subsidiary Silver Pieces
US Money and Also to
Eli Buttonholes.
X TOT many years ago. saws III

| money current on tho Navajo
@ reservation was silver. Paper
money and gold were occasionally
found lin the traders stores, but the
Indians would have none OF it; with
them it was silver or no trade. They
would readily accept an individual
| paper from some one who was known
TO them, and such orders were fire.
quently issued by arrangement on
stores fifty, or even 100 miles away,
but they were always paid in silver on
presentation.
AT the present time some of these
Indians understand paper money and
VIII accept 1t in payment, or rather
they understand that green paper"
is general order on all the stores
and will be redeemed in silver on pre-
sentation to any of them. 1t has the
same standing as the "red paper" or
dIsbursing agents check, sometimes
issued to them in payment for work.
But the bulk of the tribe still demand
silver, and all look with suspicion on
| gold, which is regarded as the store
keepers money. Silver Is known as
| "Pesh-lakai," the white metal, and is
highly esteemed, not only as n circu-
! lating medium, but also for ornaments
and jewery.
The principal wealth OF the Navaios,
and they arc wealthy tribe, has al
ways been and still it in sheen and
goats and horses, originally stolen
from other Indian tribes and from the
Mexicans. The bulk of their business
with the traders is in the sale of wool
! and pets. The wool clip is consider
| ably over 100, 200 pounds per annum,
| and as they are not an agricultural
people, but live principally on the
| flesh of sheep and goats, there is
large trade Ill pelts.
A large supply OF silver coin is nee
essary tor the conduct of this business.
especially since competition among
the traders has brought about the ems.
tom of paying for all wool and pelts
in cash, instead of by paper slip or
| memorandum, to be aftery ard trade
out in the store.
Until few years ago nearly all the
silver coin that came into the country
remained there. Being paid out by
the traders or acquired in various
ways, it did not return to the stores
as coin, but was promptly turned over
to the silyersmiths and by them man
ufactured into buttons and ornaments
of various kinds. These buttons
passed current in the stores for their
weight in coin, and formed an effec-
tive medium of exchange among tho
Indians Themselves, as their value was
constant.
The button really formed n better
circulating medium than coin. To n
people who have no pocket in their
clothing they are far more convenient
to handle, being attached to various
articles of clothing and equipment.
The Nayaios, like most primitive
people, and some not SO primitive, are
much addicted to gambling, and it is
not uncommon to see dozen or more
OF them squatting on the ground
around n blanket spread out for n
cloth, all intently interested in the
game. If run of i'll luck exhausts
the capital of player he has but to
cut button of his moccasin or his
Logging. a player has been known to
carry on game for thirty six hours
continuously with the buttons which
formed part of his clothing when he
commenced.
Time was, and that not long ago,
when the average Navajo carried from
twenty to fifty dollars worth of silver
ornaments on his person, and as the
tribe numbers over 1000, consider
able quantity of silver coin was alb
sorbed By it. OF the many hundreds,
OF pounds of silver which have been.
worked into buttons and othsr orna-
ments, it is doubtful whether q single.
pound has reached the tribe in anv
shape other than coin, and all but n
minute percentage was in American
coin. At the present time the cloth
ing and personal ornaments OF the av-
erago Navajo, exclusive of buttons,
would hardly be appraised ut fifty
cents. What has become OF all this
silver IS problem; probably large
proportion Of it, IN the forms of silver
Kidding briddles, ETC., is in tho hands.
OF the traders in pawn
One result Of the hard times has
been the rehabilitation of tho silver
button. The traders have been com
PEELED to accept buttons at their coin
weight or go ont Of business. This was
not accomplished all Mt once, but
gradually and through stress OF 'neoes
sity. Other silver ornaments have
shrunk in value, but why they should
the Indian cannot understand.
On button values the Navajo stands
firm he insists that the parity of coin
and buttons shall be maintained. II
Is iGcOnceivable to him that button
made from dollar, and perhaps show
ing the face Of tho coin on it's reverse
eide, should not be worth n dollar any.
where and at all times. No amount
OF talk will convince him that it is or
ever can be worth less. and he con
tInuo7 90 have his silver dollars beaten
mp into buttons. The traders are
powerless, for so long as the Indian is
willing to receive back as dollar tho
button which he passes in for that
amount tho trader must accept it or
lose the trade.
The manufacture Of these buttons is
very simple process. Those Of small
size are usually plain, and generally
made directly from the coin they rep
resent, dimes or quarters, as the case
may be. A cavity is drilled into
piece OF old iron, usually discarded