Evening journal., 1899-02-14
All Indian Dinner Raid :
BY Eleanor Kirk.
r AM NOT able to sentimentalils
BY Eleanor Kirk

hT AM NOT able to sentimentalize
much about Indians" said Harry
Denman. a young man who had spent
his boyhood ia the far west. There is
no doubt that they have been unjustly
and inhumauly treated. and what they
might have been had conditions been
more favorable. it is hard TO tell. But
they were the terror of my young days,
and though never once did they harm
me OF mine. was in constant fear that
! might do something which they
should consider worthy of their ven
geance. The braves struggled into our
hamlet from time TO time. sometimes
10 sell their bows and arrows. or ex-
change them for eat. but moie fire.
quently begging or demanding what
they wanted. their favorite articles OF
diet being rice, hominy and meal.
The squaws came oftener. and
brought herbs and berries Of various
kinds. and in the winter rush baskets.
some OF them being exceedingly pretty.
Our little settlement was in the
neighborhood OF Elk Lake. Mimi. and
our schoolhouse was only short dis
tance from our homes"
"Did the Indians ever disturb The
school OF frighten the pupi1s?' one OF
the little group hastened to ask, she.
with the rest OF us, being eager for
story.
"They were in the habit. in the win
ter, Of coming into the schoolhouse 10
warm themselves" the young man re-
piled. "and they were generally cute
enough to arrive about dinner time.
You see, out of our fear we had esfab-
lished a very bad precedent of dividing
our food with them
Il should call il very humane pre-
cedent. "another lady remarked. Poor,
down-trodden creaturesi How they
have suffered"
Very true" was the smiling reply;
but of all the persistent and pestfer-
Gus heegars, the Indians carry Off the
palm. and # you once begin 70 give
them you can never stop without row
of some kind. 1t was no joke TO me.
can tell you. TO see three or four tail,
conper-colorcd braves horribly paint
ed and well armed, glide into the school
house and surround the stove. Indians
never walk like other folks, you know.
They must have had some respect fer
education in the abstract. for IN all my
acquaintance with them-and II was
much more intimate than ] desired
] never knew them to disturb reeiia-
ton. If ono was in progress, they
waited silently until it was over. When
the class was dismissed. each brave
would select his victims. and begin the
cultural cry Of; Eat. eat; lnjun 'un-
CRY; eat. eai!'
"On these occasions I used 10 be
frightened almost out Of my small wits
/ could not swallow a raauthful, and
they got not only my dinner, but my
dinner pail also. which they always ne
ceived with a grunt Of satisfaction.
"About half the pupils were like me
in this respect, and half Of the other
half would divide equally with the vo.
racious redskins. and the other quarter
would not give them a single bite.
81 think that the Indians liked best
those that divided with them, and had
almost as much contempt for the cow
ards who gave up everything as they
had hatred for those who gave then
nothing.
Among the latter class were two
girls. one u, the other 16, Mary Ham
mond and Lizzie Bradbury, who seemeC
to have no more fear Of the indiana
than they had Of each other. and woul6
frequently tantalize them by showing
large slices Of bread or cake, of whicl
the savages were very fond.
"such behavior terrified me beyond
description. for ! knew by intuition
as well as by what had read and heard
how merciless those red men were t'
those who offended them.
"Our parents did not know what wa
best to do. some counseling one eours'
Of conduct and some another. But a
last the teacher decided that the onl'
way to put an end TO these Indian din
ner raids was for us 10 bring NOTHING
with MS TO eat for awhile, and be dis
missed earlier.
81 was old enough TO know that
stop musE be put TO their work. 70
every week the number OF would-b
aiuers-out increased. and our parent
would before long have the whole irib
on their hands. But was distresse'
beyond measure by this arrangement
II seemed to me It would be much wise
TO dismiss school entirely than IT,
such an experiment.
"But the teacher was firm and Oh
hungry regime was inaugurated. tn
first time the Indians came after thl
they simply grunted their disapprovf
and departed peaceably. The next tim
their grunts were more pronounced
and they held q protracted powwo'
outside the schoolhouse. The teache
"a young woman who had been ser
10 Minnesota for her health-had I'll
courage Of n lioness. Those best al
quuinted with the Indian character ha
advised her TO take no notice of thes
undesired visitors. and no one woul
ever have supposed from her mann'
that the savages made the slightest in
precision upon her fears. to say uothlr
OF her inner consciousness OF conteml
and disgust.
.4Ret,vepn The second and third call