The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-09-09
THE DESERTED WIVES.
A Melancholy Little Colony of Indian
Women at Darlington, I. T.
New York JourpaIO
Darlington. L 1.-THE superhuous wives

Darlington, l. 1.-THE Superfiuous wives
whom the United States government COM
PEELED the kiOwa Indian men to discard a
month ago, are very disconsolate. Among
the COO broWn-SlSinned women who are
thus left husbandless there have been
some pathetic scenes enacted in connec-
ton with the enforcing of this law. Two
of the discarded wives of Mario. their
chiet committed suicide. Six squaws be
longing to Tall Elk, a warrior killed
themselves because they had to leave the
teDee of their lord.
AS many more are dying of broken
hearts CuriouSlye enough, these aban-
doned wives are the youngest and hand
nearly all been bought at high prices by
their former husbands as ornaments for
the tent homes of the red men. Among
the kloWa Indians. the importance of a
man among his tribes has hitherto been
estimated by the number and loneliness
Every ambitious and weII-to-do Indian
made it a point to add one new wife TO
his harem each year. These were usual
MES.
The decree of the government aboIishing
polygamy among the Kiowa, Comanche
and Apache Indians was therefore a Sc
we're blow to the old braves.
The legal separation commenced at Oar
hngton. Indian Agent MiSchener and
Captain Tullington Of the regular army.
had issued q call to all the redskins to
meet them at Darlington When the first
faint StreakS OF dawn were showing IN
the sky the braves and their wives began
10 arrive The men drove in buggies
the squaws were better treated that day
than they had ever been before the men
devotinS themselves 70 them and show
ton
There is a popular idea among white
people that the lot of an Indian wife is
a hard one. So it was generally supposed
that the cOmely young Indian women
would welcome their freedom from bond
age
But it has turned out quite differently.
When the men of the Kiowa tribe were
wives TO retain and discard the rest. they
invariably selected the oldest, latest and
apparently the ugliest one among the lot
when an Interpreter inquired the reason
of this an old Indian said:
First wife me like best That seemed
to be the prevailing sentiment among all
This stern loyalty to first love did not
seem to make the lot of the discarded
women less hard There was no outcry
and weeping among them.
That is not an Indians way of showing
grief A look of stern. fixed election came
to their cOppor-cOlOred faces.
The discarded wives were sent away to
the agency building. The government is
preparing to take care of the women IN
settlement, which will be in the coming
winter Then they will have money
enough TO keep themselves.
1t might be supposed that this would
heal all their heart wounds. But most Of
cy with sorrowful faces and detected
air They are mourning for their lost
husbands
Among the comeliest of these Indian
women are Moon Eyes. Sweet-Wind-
Over-Water, Ada, Evangeline and Star
light.
indian Agent Mischener has done his
best to comfort his charges by telling
them of their bright prospects of again
marrying and possibly securing white
husbands, much handsomer than the old.
wrinl1led men whom they were formerly
welded to. To prove the. truth of the
agents words many white men lately
have invaded the reservation and paid
court to the dark-skinned beauties.
As many of the squaws have a head
right of 5000 or more, many white adven-
turers, attracted merely by the pecuniary
gain. bargain for these women Merce-
nary white men are striving in this way
to control the lands that the Indians
have been given possession of.
One of the prettiest of the young women
has confided TO Indian Agent Mischener
that she didn't like to marry white mar
for two reasons. The first was that the
w The other reason, and the one that
seemed to have the most weight with her.
was that she did not like the white man
wedding ceremony as we'll as that Of the
Indian.
The weddings of this tribe are gay af-
fairs. number of bucks race for the
brides pony and maiden squaws compete
in the same way for her robe.
During the festivities the bride. elab
Orately gOWned in a white robe of buck
many ornaments. including costly die
mOnds. energies from her wigwam- Dur
ing the race for the pony. the bride S
mother divestS her of her beautiful we'd
ding garments. leaving her clad only in a
light flowing blanket
Then the bridegroom runs from his wig
wan. throws his blanket around her and
carries her off 10 his happy home.