Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-11-28
ABOUT INDIAN DOLLS.
Piece of Human scalp Fastened to
 Their Heads for . VIE.


 Their Heads for a Wig.
 Talking about Indians, said the Man on the Cracker Box, T haven't lived at the foot of q reservation for 30 years without knowing something about the critters, nor eaten dog at their feasts for nothin' I tell you they are scaly lot, but what l want to know is: Would we folks be any better in their place."
 He got up to weigh out pound of dried apple and another of crackers Tor squaw who came in softly, her moccasined feet making a sound like the footballs of cat. She did not look at the row of braves sitting along the counter. but when she received her two packages she weighed them one in each hand and shook her frowsy head.
 Him too big she said, indeaiing inc crackers. Him too little,s point ing to the dried apples.
 Well, what yer goin' tc do about lit?" drawled the Man of the Cracker Box, resuming the office of whiting an ax helye out of stick of hickory. You've got pound of each--now git"
 Mrs. Squaw went off muttering. and the passengers who were waiting for the stage to Blair said
 ''Should think you'd be afraid of bee ing scalped.'
 Am. expect every morning to wake up with iomahawk in my bosom. but sass back just the same. Talking of scalping, they had a sealping bee mp at lthe reservation few months ago. but this time they scalped one of their own kind. Did it for reyenoo only and made Ia mess of it. l got mixed up with 1t in- nocently myself an like to lost my own bangs. l tell you it dc make a heap of difference whose dogs tail the lin can is tied 10, an pawnees and Shoshones are as particler as any other folks
 He stuffed his pipe full Of killikiniclS and touched q match 10 it. After a few whiffs, during which the Indians filed out on their way 10 the reservation, he resumed:
 "The ladies up at the reseryation-I mean the ones who wear leggins and blankets-go got up sewing circle to
 
 inc east. Ii appears that Indian dolls sell at these places like hot cakes, so they sent out for q hundred or two, and it just stood the whole reserve on its head The first l knew of il an old sqnaw, as homely as hedgehog and as old as Methusalem, came in here and wanted to trade off one of em for pound of sugar.
 You must be sick, I says, to think l want a graven image like that round my store'-for it's mine when the boss isn't here-and I told her had enough Indian in mine now Then she tells me 10 look at its hair-and. would you be- lieve it, that there doll had two long braids of real Indian hair tied with two bits of red flannel for ribbon, and sewed on the critters head by piece of real scalp. Nhew! Ii made me feel kind of faint, and I says: Take the blame thing away. But she perseeuted me for that sugar till she got ii. and left the doll for pay. And that night squaw came in and threatened to toma- hawk me if l didn't give il up. for she said it was her son Paul Something they had scalped, getting him drunk first and then taking of the crown of his l head as neatly as if it was done with q moving machine. And I was that tiekled, l said: Well, ma'am. how dc you like it yourself2' And with that sue flung ! hatehet at me and grabbed lp the doll and skipped t came near bringing out the sd States troops. or the man that scalped was q 3laelSfoot, and they like 10 have had an uprising. You can't never tell what an [ indian won't do. l think hear the tage a-coming"
 Did the church fair in the east get he dolls?" asked the passenger, us he to leave.
 Every one, and wanted heap more. Ever see an Indian doll? They're the I Named cutest thing out. Made of rags [ nd dressed in a'regulation sutof buck i kin, with fringed brooches and real | aoccasins, an like an Indian as two | eas. An here's queer fact. They Illus toe in, just like them critters them- elves. I've had heaps of them offered ere by the squaws, but the boss won't ake 'em for currency; nuther will I. Thy, an old grandam will snatch an ndian papoose's doll and bring it here , trade off. There's allus the long air with bit of scalp sticking to it. nd the owner of the same likely to ,me in and claim it. So you're off ell, come again when you can't stay o-x, fTN;,,,or II
 The CoIIcgfnn,s Retort.