Evening journal., 1899-06-16
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: All Indian Dinner Raid ;
: By Eleanor Kirk.
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OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
nI AM Nor nbIe to sentlmentalIne
By Eleanor kirk .

y
Deuman. a young man who bad spent
his boyhood in the far west. There is
no doubi that they have been unjustly
and inhumanly treated. and what they
might have been had conditions been
more favorable. Il is hard 10 tell. But
they were the terror Of my young days,
and though never once did they harm
me or mine. was in constant fear that
| might do something which they
should consider worthy OF their ven
gearce. The braves struggled into our
hamlet from time TO time. sometimes
TO sell their bows and arrows. or ex-
change them for eat. but mole fire.
quentiy begging or demanding what
they wanted. their fayorite articles OF
diet being rice. hominy and meal.
The squaws came ofieuer. 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
neighhorhood Of Elk Lake, Mimi, and
pur schoolhouse was only short dis
,ancc from our homes"
Did the Indians ever disturb The
school or frighten the pupi,s?" one Of
the little group hasteued to ask. she.
with the rest OF us being eager for a
story.
"They were in the habit, in the win
ter, Of coming into the schoolhouse 10
warm themselves" the young man re-
piled. "und they were generally cute
enough TO arrive about dinner time.
You see. out of our fear we had esiab-
lished a very bad precedent Of dividl-g
our food with them"
"I should call It n very humane pre-
cedent. "anothcr Indy remarked. Poor,
down-trodden crenturesl How they
have suffered"
VERY true" was the smiling reply;
but of all the persistent and pestifer-
Gus beggars. the Indians carry of the
palm. and II you once begin TO give
them you can never stop without row
Of some kind. II was no joke 20 me.
I can tell you. TO see three or four tail,
copper-coiorcd braves horribly paint
cd and well srmed. glide into the school
house and surround the stove. Indians
never walk like other folks, you know
They must have had some respect for
education in the abstract. for in all my
acquaintance with them-and it was
much more intimate than ! desired
/ never knew them to disturb a recita
tien. II one was in progress. they
waited silently untilitw was over. When
the class was dismissed, each brave
would select his victims, and begin tho
cultural cry Of; Eat. eat; Injun 'un
cry; eat. eail'
"On these occasions I used 10 bs
frightened almost out Of my small wits
could not swallow mouthfui. anf
they got not only my dinner, but my
dinner pail also. which they always 10
ceived with a grunt Of satisfaction.
about half the pupils were like m'
in this respect, and half OF the othei
half would divide equally with the vo
ucious redskins. and the other qSarte'
would not give them single bite.
81 think that the Indians liked hes
those that divided with them, and ha'
almost as much contempt for the cow
ards who gave up everything as the,
had hatred for those who gave then
nothing.
among the latter class were tw
girls. one 70, the other l6. Mary Ham
mond and Lizzie Bradbury. who seeme'
to have no more fear Of the Indian
han they had Of each other. and woul'
frequently tantalize them by showing
large slices of bread or cake. Of whicl
The savages were very fond.
"Such behavior terrified me beyonl
description. for knew by intuition
as well as by what had read and heard
how merciiess those red men were Il
/ those who offended them.
"Our parents did not know what wa
best to 90. some counseling one cours
Of conduct and some another. But a
last the teacher decided that the oul
way to put an end 10 these Indian din
uer raids was for us TO bring nothin
with MS TO eat for awhile, and be di'
missed earlier
81 was old enough TO know that
stop musr be put to their work. 70
every week the number OF would-h
hirers-out increased. and our parent
would before long have the whole trih
on their hands. But was distresse
beyond measure by this arrangement
II seemed 10 me Il would be much wise
to dismiss school entirely than tr
such an experiment.
"But the teacher was firm. and th
hungry regime was inaugurated. Til
first time the Indians came after th
b they simply grunted their disapproy;
and departed peaceably. The next tin
their grunts were more pronounce,
and they held a protracted powwo
: outside the schoolhouse. The ieachI
"A young woman who had been ser
to Minnesota for her health-had q
D courage OF a lioness. Those best n
quainted with the Indian character ha
r advised her to take no notice Of the
undesired visitors. and no one wou
ever have supposed from her mannl
that the savages made the slightest in
:. preston upon her fears. TO say nothlr
OF her inner consciousness Of conteml
, and disgust.
r. Between the second and third call
these dusly braves there was a muC
longer time than usual. and we begl
J. 70 think that the teachers plan hi