Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1898-04-15

front breadth had landscape painted,
upon 1t In oil. It was most vivid por-
travail of meadows, trees, rivers and how-
ers with mountains IN the background.
Every Indian woman who saw 1t would
have given her two eyes to possess IT.;
but as 1t was already made up. and was
not a very large size. 1t was not every
daughter of Lo who could wear 1t. There
was an Indian wife Of a wealthy white
man whom 1t fitted. and her doting hus-
hand bought 1t for her at a fabulous price,
and she wore 1t in triumph with a broad,
bright crimson sash about her waist to
church festival, where she was the OBJ
served of all observers, the admired of
all admirers, and the envy of all the
envious.
The houses in which Indian wives live
with their white husbands are usually OF
frame, and have little or no foundation,
The poor Indians who live In the country
in wigwams and huts occupy their time
principally in catering to the better
classes in the settlement, bringing In
fruit and berries in the spring, summer
and fall, and game during the winter.
Indians of that class are very worthless
and dirty. Fortunately, they wear buck
skin, which is complete protection
against vermin, otherwise they would De
covered with them, as do not believe.
they have ever been washed since they
were born.
Mr.. McAllister does a wonderful busi-
ness and takes in on an average about
$1,000 a day in his store, besides which ne
has a ranch, and many other sources OF
Income He never travels any distance
from homo in Indian Territory without
taking his wife with him to protect him
from the Indians, who resent his great
riches and power, and who dislike MIN
because of his having signed a petition
for a railroad through the territory. VI
course, he could retire from business mere
and go and live magnifcently in the East
upon the income of his great wealth, Dut
with all his wife's love for him ana oe-
votion to him, she will not consent 10
leave her home here, as she fully under
stands that she could never nave tne
same great influence and high social
standing in the East that she has In In
dian Territory, where she is the queen
bee over all the women of her acquaint-
anee. She and her husband have estab-
lished school for poor Indians, and DO
a great deal of good with their wealth.
Another very prominent and wealthy
white man. married to an Indian woman
and residing here, is DR.. Haley. He was
a widower with little boy by former
white wife when he married MISS 10.
Strange to say, the dead white w1fe's
| child is completely devoted to his Indian
stepmother, who has two sons OF her
| own both nearly grown. one is STUDY
ing to be a lawyer, while the other IS pre-
pairing himself to practice medicine.
! mother wash the clothes, just as Mrs NC
| Allister's sons do.
+ Dr. Harris Is another highly cultured
white gentleman who has most charm
ing Indian wife. A Mr.. Woods, a white
man living near here has am Indian wife
whom he has educated very highly in
Europe She is one of the most accom-
| plished women l ever met, as well as one
of the most beautiful both in face and
| form. She shows very little trace OF her
| Indian parentage, and seems more IKE
the women born in Mexico Of Spanish
parents. '
1t is a singular fact that while Indians
improve by contact with white men and
civilization, white people become de-
graded by associating with Indians.
| There are Indian policemen, or marshals,
as they call them here, who are very tall,
strong and athletic, as well as terribly
ferocious in aspect. They were a uni
form of dark blue, and carry knives,
clubs and pistols. They punish thieves
here in a manner that certainly has
powerful influence in lettering men from
being dishonest, and If 1t could only be
applied to embezzling bank cashiers and
presidents, and other dishonest holders OF
offices of trust, 1t would certainly be
benefit to our financial system i'm the
East. When a man Is caught stealing
anything the marshals take him, fasten
a placard on his breast and one on his
back bearing In large letters the WORD
"thief," and four of them-one in 'front.'
one behind and one on each side-march
him all over the settlement for two whole
days. They feed him in the store, but no
one is allowed to speak to him. On the
third day he is allowed to go to his home,
but he is a disgraced man. Stunned and
avoided by all from that hour AS con-
sequence of such punishment theft Is a
very rare crime here.
There was man here, a miner, who re-
fused to pay debts he had contracted at
the store. The marshals took him out
into the country as far as possible from
amy railroad or settlement, and, turning
him loose without money or food, forbade
him to ever show his face here again on
pain of death
Crimson is the favorite color with both
Indian men and women. All the men
, wear crimson feathers in their hats. Al
most everybody dispenses with shoes.
, Even the Indian wives of wealthy white
men go barefooted at home. You can
, never reconcile an Indian man or woman
: to leather shoes, which they regard as a
cure and an abomination, and l. foF Rne,
do not blame them
/ The homes Of the Indian wives o.
wealthy white men are handsomely fur
a nished The china on their tables Is fine
and their meals are we'll served. AL
these Indian wives are very fond OF now
4 ers, and devote a great deal of time tc
D cultivating them. They have profusior
/ of them in all parts of their dwellings
4 The married life of Indian wives anc
Q white husbands seems ideally happy 90
: far as / have been able to observe IL
a and IL you want an absolute surety o,
i getting a loving, faithful and devoted
9 wife you cannot do better than to MARI!