The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-02
PHOENIX, ARIZONA.
A Logan County Boy Writes About
Indians, Cow Boys, Mexicans,
Criminals, and War
Dances.
PHOENIX, Dec. 10, 1899.

Dances.
PHOENIX, Dec. 10, 1899.
The Phoenix Indian and Cowboy Car
nival, was concluded here Friday,
with an ''all night masquerade" and
one of the most hilarious evenings 1
ever witnessed, and one of the most in
teresting weeks I ever enjoyed.
Previous to the opening day, Dec. 4,
the town had been profusely decorated
with the carnival colors, red white and
green, and western town is not so con-
siderate of the expenses for an event
like this as an eastern town, and one of
your conservative business men there
would look upon the business men here
as reckless spendthrift, and expect to
see him in the hands of the receiver in
side OF thirty days, so it is needless to
say that the little city of Phoenix looks
quite gay. Washington street.-the
main street of the town-was one mass
of carnival colors by day, and incandes-
cent lights by night; and ten blocks
apart were two large arches across the
street, which were mass of blaze by
night with electric lights.
| The opening attraction was the in
dustrial parade which was composed to
a great extent of the usual number of
floats of the business houses, which
were very creditable but not interest
ing for mention here, but to "tender-
foot" the most attractive feature was
the Indian, cowboy and Chinese part of
the procession. The Carnival AssOcia-
tiOn had brought number of Indians
from their reservations in different
parts of the territory, (some of them
coming overland 300 miles to partici-
pate and they were bedecked in their
grandest attire, for what, to them, was
a great occasion, as they all seemed to
enjoy the excitement and notice given
them, as much as the most vain Ameri-
can is for political popularity.
In this parade, the Indians and cow
boys were on horseback, and would
halt until the balance of the procession
would get respectable distance in ad.
vance, and then would gallop their
horses in pursuit, giving their war,
whoop, until it would make the whole
valley ring with their voices, and the
cowboys working their six-shooters in
true western style. When looking al
this parade, one need not wonder as to
whether or not they were the rea
thing, as that was self evident.
This parade over, the balance of the
five days was filed in partly with the
usual military parades, competitive
drills, baseball games, football games
sham battles, band concerts, etc.; bu
to me $50" (which is the name the In
dian goes by here,) afforded the most
interesting part of the program, with
the exception possibly, of the cowbo!
part.
The evening of the 5th was devoted
. to Indian exhibitions, the first of which
was the real war dance, and given b.
the Pisa Indians from their reservation
20 miles from this city. Since my frs
school days, I have been reading abou
Indian war dances, but this was tn
, first time ever witnessed an exact i'm
itation by the real native, and it surel
, was w1erd sight. About 40 Indian
: took part in the dance, half of then
in osp Oh
their ''tom-tom," which is an old kettl
with the skin of some animal stretches
tightly over the top, and used as
drum; while the other half of the part
, joined hands and circled around this lii
t tie group, chanting in monotonous ton
: all the time that they danced. Tn
first part was not exciting, but as
! proceeded Lo became more and NOR
warmed up to his subject and evidentl
the old war spirit came back to hin
and finally the enthusiasm waxed yer
, warm, and had they been on their ow
3 native heath, there is no dout
f that it would have continued until day
e light, although to the white man ther
r was nothing visible to show why the
l were so interested and enthusiastic.
To show how the spirit takes hold {
the Indians, there is an Indian schOt
o of 700 pupils here, a large number {
v whom were in attendance at this dane,
i and after returning to the school the
took up this dance and continued it III
d til late in the morning, and would M
have stopped then but for the interp'
sition of the superintendent, who wa
fearful of having the old spirit of th
ancestors instilled into the youths I
d the school. This dance, you know,
IS indulged in only on the eve of battle
o and many of the early settlers he1
l. when looking on would recall the man
real war dances they had seen veal
:. ago when it would then make the
F., blood run cold and fear what woul
i happen at the close. Some even argue
S against the war dance being givel
o for fear it might revive the old spir
and be the cause of trouble should the
return to their reservations and thel
take up the dance again, but the L
% dian is so far civilized now that thel
is apparently nothing to fear from tn