The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-11-10


houses half a century old OIL up the
side streets. In some months there
are more and in some fewer OF Indians
In The colony. Few have what could
be called permanent residence here.
Thus at one moment a hundred lnilens
or more may be about Broome street.
and few weeks later the visitor would
ind Il hard TO discover a score. Three
trades or professions are what bring
the redmen and their women to New
fork-beadwork, engagements as
braves and squaws In travelling Indian
medicine shows. and jobs as artists
models.
OF bead working the chronicle Is a
tad one. While trifies ofthis sort sell
well at Niagara and such places. the
New York city market for them IL poor.
Il Is even poorer than II was a few
years ago. and miniature shoes. PIN
cushions. and the like. heavily orna-
mented. seldom pay the worker more
than 10 cents apiece. II Is dlhieult for
the most industrious Indian woman 20
make more than % cents a day at this
work. Some. with a baby or two TO
support. have all but starved: In fact.
many. men and women alike. would
have found life In this city unbearable
Tor the last few years had II not been
for Mrn. Harriet Maxwell Converse. the
only white woman chief OF full rank
ever created.
Mrs. Converse. or Ta-le-wanoh. as
she Is called BY the Indians. is a Sen
eea Indian chief OF the Snipe clan.
adopted by this tribe in recognition OF
her services TO the redmen OF New York
state. Her father, Thomas Maxwell Of
Elmira, always paid the keenest atten-
ton TO Indian matters. For many years
Mrs. Converse has followed up leglala-
ton In their interest. visited with great
frequency the reservation In the west
ern part Of the state. and kept a watch
iul eye on the Indians OF New York
city.
Bead working however poor Il IL In
these days. Is the trade OF several OF
the most picturesque OF the colony. Up
In the third story back Of dingy West
broadway building. otherwise inhab-
Tied by Italians. Il the home Of the
most noted Indian bead worker. a half
breed. Mrs. Lizzie sayior by name. Her
keen commercial instinct has kept her
going At this work for upward OF twen-
" years In New York. Few Indians
have the modern trade shrewdness OF
this bright-eyed. snappy little woman
or her industry She has the regular
business OF the chief shops which han
die bead work. and these are mostly the
little emporiums along the river front
that sell TO sailors.
Al times, even enough orders come
In for her TO take on a helper or two
but these occasions are rare. AHamat-
ter Of fact. Mrs. Saylor cannot make
a living on bead work alone. She com
blnes Il With furnishing uniforms for
the Indian societies such AZ the Inde.
pendent Order Of Redmen-headgear
BELTS moccaslns. and other insignia
This work pays much better. but n Il
limited and uncertain.
Like many other Indians. she speaks
almost pure English. despite the fact
that she belongs 20 the Caughnawau-
gas. a Canadian tribe whose Influences
have been French. She Is small and
stout. but facially an excellent Indian
type. Her daughter a year ago mar
ried an Italian, and lives with her. the
baby. now few months old. showing
strange mixture Of races that Is ex-
tremely interesting.
Perhaps the most disilnciiyeiy Indian
house In New York Is an old-fashloned
little throe-s,ory building OF red brick
with dormer windows. NJ No. 500
Broome street. Just west OF West
broadway. Il has ave Indians In n
besides two children Of Indian descent
the mother Of these being what might
be called a "quarier-breed She has
the redman's characteristics very dis
tlnc,ly, though the children have not.
Here lives a curious old aquaw. a
Caughnawauga also. IN tiny room
that holds a bed, two chairs. a bureau.
a washstand. and the bead table. AT
Intervals, when bead work Is slack. this
sQuaw. skah-wah-na-t. may be heard
grooming Indian hymns In a soft. tune
iul voice. These Indian hymns are full
Of Sierd. pathetic melody. and the lit
Tie book she uses Il unique. Probably
there IL no, another one In this ooun-