The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-13
From the New York Sun.


Husband Case in Point.
| From the New York Sun.
| Kip, Mon, March 20.-"The early ex-
! plorers and adventures in the West" said
/ Col Joseph Kpp the other evening
found wide diversity in the social
customs of the plains tribes Among some
| for instance, the purity of women was
| held to be the greatest of virtues. while
| with others is was an unknown quantity.
! There were the eros Ventres, Crows and
! Rees, utterly depraved in this respect on
the other hand, no people were more
modest and virtuous than the Cheyenne,
! and none guarded their honor more close
! ly than the Blackfeet. But while the Che
| yenne women We're virtuous merely from
| intense pride in their good name, l fear
the latter We're so in most cases from fear
| Of the fate which awaited those who
| stayed from the straight and narrow path
punishment the most severe ever devised
| by man for the suppression of inhdelity
l saw several Administered tons of this cruel
law during my long residence with the
Blackfeet, and in one case my sympathies
| were with the victim.
There was a young woman in the camp
named Silver Leaf, daughter of the Tur
tie, a man so indolent that he was very
poor He was fond of telling every one
| that he would not always be poor. Look
at that girl he was wont to say. there
| isn't as handsome a one in the whole
world; when she grows up some one will
| give me enough for her to make me the
| wealthiest man in this tribe
silver Leaf developed into as tall, slen-
| der and graceful
one would wish to see, barring her COM
| plexion which was dark. of course, and
| she was as modest and well behaved as
she was handsome. The young men gazed
upon her hopelessly; the older ones count
| ed their herds and figured how many
head they could possibly give in order TO
secure her hand. One after another they
made their offers of twenty, forty, fifty.
and even seventy-hve horses. Turtle
laughed and shook his head. No one in
the whole tribe felt that he could spare
more. and the girl remained in her faith
ers lodge
"At this time there was a young man
| in my employ named Bearhead. He was
saving and ambitious, and in little while
| he collected nice band of horses, and
had also a number of robes, blankets and
guns, besides other things, which consti-
tute the wealth of the red men.
Why do you suppose l am working so
hard, and saving all l can?' he asked me
J one day.
"Oh, I don't know I replied. unless
it is to get you nice young wife.
That's just it, he said I'm going
to marry Silver Leaf one of these days.
Il laughed, and told him the sooner he
| gave up that idea the better it would be
for his peace of mind; that it was well
known Turtle had refused seVenty-five
| head of horses for her.
g No one in this tribe can pay more for
her. he replied so l have plenty of time
in which to make bigger offer About a
| year from now l will have at least a hun
! dred horses. Turtle will not refuse herd
| of that size
"Bearhead had never spoken to Silver
| Leaf up to this time, and now he wanted
to let her know his plans. He schemed
around a long time watching for a
chance, but the old mother never left her
alone At last he prevailed upon me TO
| employ them to do the womens work
! about my post, and one day, when the old
woman went to the river for water, he
approached the girl and talked rapidly to
| her until her mother was seen returning.
A little later he came over to where 1
| was sitting and said that she had not
spoken a word to him. But then. he con-
| tinued, she did not drive me away she
| stopped her work and listened and that
is good sign, l think
80 It proved. The courtship began in
June and by November the girl was as
much in love with Bearhead as he was
with her The season for robe hunting
! began and Bearhead was kept away One
! day some Blood Indians, branch of the
! Blackfeet tribe came from the Saskatch-
! evan to visit the camp. A few evenings
later big, fat, wheeling old brace stalk
| ed into the trade room, followed by half
| a dozen women staggering beneath the
| bundles of robes they carried. Fall back /:
| fall back he said pompously. Make
| room for chief when he comes to trade
| The crowd moved al once, leaving him
| the whole length of the counter. These
| dog white men,, he continued after lit
tie, addressing the crowd and pointing at
| me, don't know how to treat one who
comes to buy their low class goods; never
| a drink nor a smoke is offered.
Il smiled pleasantly and asking him to
| excuse my oversight. l invited him to a
| seat behind the counter. gave him a cup
Of whisky and filled a big stone pipe
| Presently he ordered his wives to open
their bundles, and / agreed to give him
| 500 for them. Then the trade began He
| bought blankets. red and blue cloth
! beads, brass rings and bracelets, almost
| exclusively.
"'You must intend to get married.
said jokingly.
:" 4 do. he replied. Tomorrow the Sill
yer Leaf becomes my wife
when he had gone, the bystanders
| told me that he was a great chief named
| ManyJWhite Horses; that he owned many
| hundred horses all pure white. and that
| he had given Turtle 100 of them for his
daughter. On the following day the Bloods
concluded their visit and left for the
| North Silver Leaf cried and struggled
| So refusing 10 be separated from her
mother, that the other wives Of the chief
| were ordered to lash her on horse which
| one of them led, to make sure she would
! not escape.
I'm a week Bearhead returned nearly
! crazy with grief. It's too late now
! said, 10 do anything. OF course she is
now beyond your reach. Try to forget
| her and look about for some one else
There will never be any one else for
me- he replied. we were promised to
each other, and nothing Will change us
Do not argue with me, for / must do
what Is in my mind
II said no more, and the next morning