The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-04-07
Stories of an Inland State.

| there W-gWam may be seen with It's point
ed and cared top next to an implanted cot
| tage.
Is the early Indian agent who wrote back
to the Department that the Indian would
bend under the teachings of Christianity,
winning out in the end over the more frank
agent who wrote that no influence the white
man could WELD would change the Indian ?
Are the Indians then becoming civilized?
Let every observer answer for himself.
They no longer take the war-path, for the
| settlements lie thick about the reservation
and Indians do not attack superior forces.
They no longer bedeck themselves in bril-
! liant pigments and hunt the deer and the
| buffalo, for the deer and the buffalo are
gone. Will the Indian follow him? The
statistics say he is increasing. Do not the
Indians farm? Yes. With three squaws at
| the piow and the draught animal hitched
with a single trace. But they plow? Yes,
some of the time. And they wear the
clothes of civilization? Yes the half-breeds,
now numerous.
And are there not schools and teachers?
Yes. And do not the Indians speak En-
glish? No. Can not they speak English?
Yes, and they speak 1t in answer 10 their
teachers and the Agent, but no strange
white man or woman could force a single
English syllable from their lips.
And the Indians recognizing the advan-
tages of a Christian education, send their
children to school? Yes, when the Indian
Agent threatens to withhold their annuities.
And are not the children dressed in the
clothes of civilization in the school? Yes,
and they throw the clothes off and roll
themselves in blankets when they return to
their parents. And have they not dropped
polygamy? Yes, in the Agents report TO
his government.
And Christianity, do they not appreciate
it's manifold blessings? They say the Lords
prayer beautifully, pathetically in the
school room And the same night on the
reservation If you could see them there
:hey would be dancing me cora or Some
other dance, stark naked and blind with
fanaticism.
Then they are not civilized? Yes. so long
as the Agent with his threats and the teach
er with rod of iron stands over them. But
remove this influence at three in the after
noon and at six o'clock they would all be
back in the darkness where they were sixty
centuries ago.
A political government frequently changes
its survants and the indian agents change
frequently. The new agent had now been
in charge a year.
Louis Holding had been politically valu-
able in the state above the Indian reserva-
ton and had received the appointment as
Indian agent as a reward.
Tonight he was sitting in his parlor,
awaiting a guest. This was his young
friend VIII Wynants, from the state, a
young college-bred lad of nineteen
Here they are" said Holding tossing his
paper aside.
Walter stepped from the buggy which
had carried over from the railroad. drag
ging a heavy valise behind him His health
full cheeks were flushed with the anticipa-
ton Of the meeting.
Holding rushed out and dragged him into
the parlor, clapped him on the back, felt
his head as a phrenologist, looked him in
the eyes and shook him by the shoulders
Come and eat old man." said Holding
dragging him through the house.
When the meal was finished, VIII said:
Louis I don't mind telling you, but I
am surprised. / expected 20 sat leg. not
tenderlo;n. and sleep in a wigwam instead
Of this palace"
The other laughed.
"Where are the Indians?' Will asked.
ooh, You'll see plenty enough Indians"
How about our scalps?"
Holding laughed heartily. "Our Indians
are much better than your civilized burg
lars" he said. Don't you worry about
your scalp. I'm surprised at you. VIII.
You were raised in the west and ought to
be over that"
Just the same these Red men make me
feel creepy" said VIII glancing around.
Father told me some awful tales. you
know"
YES, I've heard him. He tackled these
very Indians more than once"
Then they fell to talking Of old times,
and of the folks at home.
That night VIII slept soundly despite his
first creepy feelings.
In the morning VIII was up at dawn.
The warm day was awakening.
See here, Holding he said, dressing him
self "You stay In bed til you're ready to
get up. I'm going to take a morning stroll.
When do you have breakfast?'
Eight o'clock"
"All right, old man. I'll visit the Red
Man as he awakes."
You'll find him up an hour ago. Good
bye
VIII Wynants passed up the streets OF
the agency curiously inspecting the wig |
vans and the dark faces about them and |
looking still more curiously at the unpaint- |
ed cottages. which he could not associate |
with their Indian occupants.
He passed out of the little town and came |
upon a brook, and. then looking up its cool |
waters started back. then looked again.
Twenty or thirty young girls from eight |
to fourteen years of age were splasA.uS |
about in the stream. The young |
man watched their play. The young water /
nymphs spied him and pointed him out but |
went on with their play undislurbed and
VIII Wynants tripped back TO the Agents
house and was taken to the breakfast
table.
Holding watched him curiously and as he
brooded silently, could stand Il no longer
and asked:
Look here, VIII old boy. What's come
over YOU. The wrongs OF the Red Man
haven't moved your heart. have they?"
The other dropped his knife and fork and
pushed his chair back.
You won't laugh at me, Louis
'Of course I won't
But you Will when tell you ! went
down to the brook this morning and saw
twenty or thirty young girls bathing. And
among them I saw a young woman, Louis
who is. you are smiiing-TL say it-marvel-
ously fair She was bathing there naked
ana she did not finch when I looked at
her,"
MY dear boy. what OF it?''
HAS she parents?''
she has mother The girl Is beauti-
rul creature-haIf-br is Misty
Dawn
What g beautiful name,'