Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-06
Some Tribes Own Herds and Flocks
Which They Care For.
GREAT PROGRESS MADE BY THE RED MEN
A Band of Indians Living Literally I'm
Hot Wntcr--Sanitnrium Conducted
by Squnws-ouecr Lives Led
i'm the Far Southwest.

quite eXterminated. At times, indeed, says
the Helena Independent they have been
killed without cause and made slaves with
out right, as in Mexico and the West In
dies.
We recall that most of the English set
tiers of Amerioa started out by treating the
Indians with fairness, or at least they did
not intend to murder or make slaves or
them as did the Spaniards OF the southern
countries. The pilgrim fathers paid Mas
sasoit for the land and corn they took and
William Perm made treaty whereby he ac-
quired large amount OF land. To be sure,
the prices paid were very small and in the
light of modern times seem quite inadequate,
but that they paid any price at all when
they might have taken 1t by force shows
that they were moved by spirit OF fair
ness
Yet in spite of a spirit of frendliness and
mutual forbearence the red man continued
to dwindle and melt away before the ad-
vance of their white brothers. 1t was the
inevitable progress CT civilization. before
which the Indians could not exist. The mode
OF living OF the aborlgines conduced to this
end. Now there was that same MRssasoit,
who, though a great chieftan, yet lived in a
wretched hut and subHisted upon the scanty
gleanngs OF the soil and sea.
SOUTHWESTERN INDIANS.
Like him lived all his barbarian brethren
In the east, along the Atlantic coast and as
far west as the Mississippi valley. But
when the territory in which lie our present
states of New Mexico and Arizona was
reached 1t was found that come of the In
dians were dwelling in permanent villages Of
stone and mud houses. These then, are
about the only ones who have maintained
themselves intact as against the advance Of
the white mans civilization.
After our great government was founded
md Iall p=4a1 CHI Cd all usn n
make amends for the losses the Indians had
suffered at our hands, and instead of taking
from them without pay their lands and hunt
ing grounds we bought them. In certain
states there are settlements of Indians who
are secured in the possession of vast tracts
OF land and who ere making good progress
in education and the arts of peace. There,
for instance, are the Cherokees, who as a.
tribe are far richer than any equal body of
white people in this country; who have
schools and colleges, immense and fertile
farms, and live happily and peacefully by
themselves One of their number years ago
invented Cherokee alphabet, and their
rulers seem wise and upright.
These who still persist in leading a wild
and roaming life even are looked upon as
the wards of our government and are pro-
tected In their rights so far as possible.
Schools and educational institutions OF ad-
yarcsd grade have been founded for their
exclusive use, and all have been assigned
RESERVATIONS upon WnlCn HO WhiLe HAL IS
allowed to intrude with the sanction of au-
thorlty unless he has been appointed to care
for the Indians themselves.
These reservations are scattered through
out the country, particularly in the west and
southwest. and the Indians now, instead of
being permitted to roam about in savagcTy
and Incidence, are encouraged to till the soil
and provide for their wants Agents have
been appointed to defend their rights, dona-
tions of tools and agricultural implements
have been made for their use, and schools
have been established at their very doors,
which they are compelled to attend
HELPING THE INDIANS.
So 1t will be seen that we have at last
done much to- atone for the inevitable harm
that came to them through the necessary
appropriation of their lands and are treating
them according to the precepts OF the golden
rule There are now and then exceptions
which cannot be avoided, for the present
generation of red men Will cling to their saw
agery, and selfish white men are always to
be found ready to commit unjust acts for
their own enrichment.
But what about the particular Indians VINO
are now in "hot water?" In southern Cali
forna, where green and purple mountains
guard great valley in which are the mead
waters of the river Sam Louis Rey, reside
tribe of Indians whose forefathers mad been
there for at least 100 years. They lived near
the foothills at one end of the valley, which
is dry and poor and their small punches OF
cattle have very hard work indeed to find
sufficient nourishrhent to sustain lie, while
their grainfelds are not large or very pro-
ductive.
Indians SO tenaciousy cling to the little hot
hamlet they have built here and resent
every effort of the white man to get them
to 20 away?
For the best OF reasons, since this arid
,hn.,, hntt
than their brother Indians get on the most
fertile reservation n the state. Their very
name explains It all, for they are known as
the Hot Springs Indians. Yet out or the
rocky hillside gushes hot sulphur spring,
which flows, as it has flowed for hundreds
of years through a narrow ravine, on the
banks of which their little mud village Is
built.
The water Is so hot as it pours forth and
flows down the gulch that 1t Will blister the
hand IL thrust into it, and 1t Is so hlghly
charged with sulphur and ether medicinal
elements that IL has reputation second to
none in the country for the cure of rheum-
atism and like complaints. And So haVng
perceived the virtues of this wonderful
spring many years ago and Knowing from
waters have cured many afflicted people, the
present Indians have erected rude Daih-
houses, which they furnished with wooden
tubs and which they rent out to patients who
come from far and near.
LIFE AT THE HOT SPRINGS.
That is why it has been said that they live
in or rather by. hot water, for their bath
houses yield them fine annual income, and
they are probably the richest red men In
all these parts
Their simple huts of "adobe," or mud
brick. line the left bank of the ravine in
double row. Each house consists mainly CT
one large room, with a mud floor and roof |
of thatch at one end a huge fireplace and al
the other Il big bed, the space between being |
Rled up with all sorts OF household fur |
nishings.
Some Of the Indians have separate houses
which they rent to white patients, and when !
these are all filled they quarter upon each |
other and give up their own dwellings 20 !
sick ones They do not do this from any in
clination Of hospitality, however, but charge
-four bits" or so cents, for a lodging.
and 1.-TWO bits" or % cents. for each meal.
the latter being furnished in a small
board shanty run by an enterprising red
man.
Perhaps It should be said. though, that
the whole business is in the hands OF the
women, for they do all the work Of cook
Ing, making the beds, renoyating the mat
Iresses and linen and providing the towels
and baths. while Mr.. "Lo" merely stands
about lazily or loafs in the sun-and col
r. -, III, ,,.tiA