Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-07-28
Mistellanepus 8eading.
THE WAlF OF WOUNDED KNEE.

more attention than Zintka Lanuni
Colby, the waif of the battle of
Wounded Knee. This is not due alone
to her interesting history, but to her
winsome ways and good-natured dis
position. She is a prime favorite with
the children of the neighborhood, says
writer in the Chicago Record, and
all the callers at the Colby home soon
fall in love with the little Sioux In
dian girl, who represents the last bat
tie on the American continent between
the whites and the red men.
Zintka took her first peep into the
world at a stormy period. Her par
ents lived in the Black Hills region at
the time of the weird ghost-dance hal
lucination which resulted in the Pine
Ridge outbreak. The public is famil-
lar with the details of the brief and
unequal struggle which followed.
The chiefs and their braves fought
more like demons than human beings,
and the whole western country was
thrown into CONSERVATION at their
depredations. The regulars soon came
to the defense of the settlers, and at
the battle of Wounded Knee defeated
the ghost followers and put them to
rout. The warriors gathered up their
wounded and retreated toward the
mountains.
A burial party, under command of
Brigadier-General Colby, soon after
visited the scene of bloodshed. The
soldiers were we'll along with their
work when, as they approached the
dead body of an Indian woman, they
were startled by an infants plaintive
cry. On the back of mother, where
it had been fastened Indian style, was
a papoose. When the mother fell,
fatally wounded by bullet, she pro-
tected the babe with her body. The
Indian braves deserted the field too
hastily to think of the infant, and had
the burial party not found her she
would have died of cold and hunger.
The men carried the little one to
General Colby, who was at his wits
end to know what to do with it.
They were in a new country, miles
and miles from the comforts of home
or the presence of a woman. The
babe was very hungry, and would not
cease crying until given a piece OF fat
meat, at which it sucked contentedly
and seemed quite determined to live.
General Colby finally decided to adopt
the little one which fortune had
thrown in his charge, and she was
wrapped in warm blankets and car
ried back to camp. From there she
was sent to his home in Beatrice, Neb.
The name Zintka Lanuni, which was
given her, is especially appropriate.
In the language of the Sioux it means
"Lost Bird" That is the pet name
which those of the home circle now
use.
The child's early life seemed destined
to be stormy. She had been placed in
the charge of a squaw servant, who
proved untrue to her trust, and one
day, firing of civilization, she ran
away to the Bad Lands of the Dakotas,
taking Zintka Lununi with her. There
the little one had miserable exist
ence. There was neither food nor
fuel in the camp, and the suffering
from the cold and hunger was intense.
1t was a half-frozen and half-starved
babe that General Colby, who had
braved the dangers of penetrating into
the camp, took back with him to his
Nebraska home.
Zintka Lanuni has been adopted by
General and Mrs. Colby, and will be
given a thorough education. She is
exceptionally bright for one of her
years, and learns much more readily
than white children of the same age.
In spite of the belief that her race is
lazy, Zintka is most industrious little
body. She is never as happy as when
assisting some one. Ifthere is needle
to thread Zintka will beg to do it. If
there is an errand to run Zintka is
glad to go. In fact, it seems her de-
light to make herself useful.
Zintka's chief joy is in "making
newspapers" A little desk has been
placed in Zintka's corner, and each
day the newspapers, after being read,
are turned over to her. Some days
she neatly clips out the pictures and
issues an illustrated edition. Then,
again, she cuts out the large letters,
puts them together so as to spell the
simple words she knows and publishes
a very interesting budget of news.
Of course, Zintka has her busy days.
These are when she writes editorials.
She has heard about poets, too, and
when the days are bright and her
spirit high, she plays writing poetry.
Zintka's playmate is white boy OF
nearly her own age, who also was
adopted by General and Mrs. Colby.
The two are greatly attached to each
other.
"Lost Bird" is a pretty child. A
mass of raven-black hair falls over her
shoulders. She has an expression de-
noting high intelligence. Her lips
seem just ready to burst into laughter.
A rather determined chin and slightly
elevated cheek bones are all that de-
note the Indian characteristics. She
has learned only the English tongue,
and will never know her own language.
General Colby, who has adopted the
child, has been prominent in social,
military and political circles for years.
Perhaps no man in America possesses
a more accurate knowledge of Indian
affairs. He has held many important
positions of trust in the gift of presi-
dent and cabinet officers, and his part
in the ghost-dance war was such as to
,,,;r him repown Mrs. Colby has