Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-05

look out for white sharks who would prey
upon the weakness OF the Indian, especially
gamblers and "bootleggers." Every Indian
is a gambler and natural topper, No effort
is made to stop gambling among the Indians.
because IL one should lose all he has to an
other Of the tribe, the communal feeling Is
so strong that the loser would still be fed
and clad and perhaps he would stalk in and
squat at the fire OF the very one who had
heeced him.
Sam Lincoln, James Poweshek and John
Canoe are the three braves whose stock OF
sand" caused them to bo selected for this
thankless office. They are perfectly faithful
to their trust and two white men now Ian
guish In Jail who dared to sell whisky to the
Indians.
Much can be said In negative way to the
moral credit OF these people Mr.. Hinde-
gardner says that during residence OF forty
years in close touch with them he does not
believe he ever lost by their theft. They do
not quarrel, even among themselves. What
little trouble they have is settled by their
chief and a council Of ten wise old men. un-
less 1t is a question in which figures play
part. There have been only two murders
among them since their return to Iowa. The
first victim was visiting Pawnee, and the
religion OF their fathers demanded that this
they were true to the religion so inherited.
The other victim was asclvlous squaw.
who fell at the hand OF an injured female
whose mate had been lured by the wicked
wies OF the murdered girl.
influence of n Mission.
Presbyterian mission was established on
the agency about 1885 and has done much
good work. not largely in conversions to the
true faith, but in Industrial instruction and
In teaching the younger women and girls IN
the care OF children, In obstetrics, In cookery
and in some measure personal cleanliness
and dress reform.
Magic and the squaw doctor still monop-
Y olize the care of the sick. have seen little
s children who suffered from various diseases
g clad only in moccasins, leggins and shirt.
CRYING, shivering and neglected In zero
. air. 1 have seen such neglect OF the aged
as would touch hard heart anywhere
= outside of an Indian wigwam. AT my Au-
J.. gust VISIT In one Of these shed homes there
n were four occupants. Like the other homes,
= It had no openings but the two doors and
- the smoke hole in the roof, and 1t was quite
y. dark On one Of the platforms squatted
- 5O-year- old buck and his squaw. He smoked,
-, she sat and did nothing. At the other end
u of their platform, half-reclining and wig
"a Cling in pain, was a very old and stone
a blind Indian, who evidently suffered from
variety of parasites. Blind and suffering as
IN he was he seemed to sense our presence.
T., He quit his wriggling and scratching. ad-
,e justed his breechclout, jerked up his legglns'
p sat erect and faced forward. pulled his
70 blanket about him, rolled his sightless eye
al balls to a dead rest. and sat ready for In
Sc spection. On the bare dirt floor, by the side
Id Of some dead embers, sat the blind mans
Mt squaw, apparently dead to every surrounding
IN hat
Id both hands she clawed her thick and leath-
ry cry skin wherever she could reach and ex-
lit tended her work with brand from the en-
ck bers Thus these two unfortunates pass the
up days and the years of their old age, without
en- love or care to tighten the weight Of theil
n infrmities.
er Object to Schools.
,st The government has maintained schoo
er on the reservation for the last dozen years
he but it was discontinued last year. IL wa
lst under the ban of all the old men OF the tribe
we s, that where there should have been an at
ed tendance of at least 100, only ten to twent
ud put in an appearance The children are up
ith in all things that appeal to the eye and tn
lr- ear-the two organs that have been special
to trained for 100 generations back to the ex
md clusion of the others. Whenever continue
ca application or abstract thought lis require
they are decidedly mot in It," Mathematit
is stumbling block to them, But IN VIII
ade ing, drawing, reading and singing they lear
the rapidly
Cruel Superstition.
One feature of their religion seems to
prohibition of the attendance OF girls
this school, During the thirty or more yea
of the fertility OF their women they are b
lieved to be under an evil spell during &
monthly visitation. and at such time
whether in the heat of summer or the CO
of winter, they are religously and cruel
banished to a little six by eight tepee ne
the family hut, there to remain In solitu
till recovery restores them to the wol
again. During this mournful period mi
fearful consequences are said to befall a
man or boy who Is touched by such won
or who receives food prepared by her hal
The saddest. the most wickedly cruel thi
saw on the grounds was this frequent lit