The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-10-17

THESE weekly meetings at the agency
buildings. They examine each others
dresses carefully and freely express to
the Wearer opinions upon the quality
and cost. If the dress meets with the
disapproVal of one, she has no hesitan-
cy about saying so to the owner of such
dress, who retorts as she sees fit. Some
times open quarrels ensue at these ses-
sions because some women has been
too bold in her criticism Before they
go home they take a vote on the
dresses. and the owner of the best is
crowned leader of fashion for the next
week. and all must refrain from criti-
cising her dress. During the ensuing
week there is a great race to outshlne
her garments, and this is generally ac'
complished, no matter how hard she
may have striven to hold her place i'll
the lead. The squaws do not have to
work as hard as is generally supposed
They do little outside their houses, as
the Indians who have an income from
the United States do not harm. All OF
the money due the women is paid direct
to them, and they spend II to please
their own tastes, which means for
dress.
The SWEETEST gowns are made from
tanned buffalo hides, which at this time
are very scarce The leather is soft
and durable 1t is made up into COM
fortably fitting skirt and loose waist,
All dresses are cut in about the same
style. They cost very little until the
decorations are added This is where
the extravaganza begins. Not less than
hundred elk teeth adorn the bosom
of a dress and sometimes 200 are used.
They can be sold at from IS to $40
apiece Then a row of gold braid must
so around the bottom Of the skirt, and
a string of pearl beads should adorn
every belt. With addition of elk teeth,
pearls and oyster shells the dress soon
becomes very valuable.
AS the Comanches and their neigh
bors, the I<iowas. were great hunters
they have the most elk teeth and buff
falo hides; hence in Indian circles the
women Of these two tribes are supposed
to be the best dressed. Not until last
Easter did the sduaws introduce the
wearing of hats, but they spent money
freely for headpieces when they once
began They all had their hats trim
med with red roses and vlolets. Some
of the hats We're as large as bushel
basket.
The fashions they follow are very
amusing to the white people, but with
them it is serious business. and the
women are a much interested IN their
shopping as a white woman would be
at the country of one of the largest mil
linerV houses in New York
Civilization is steadily growing with
these people, and the ways of the
whites show in many matters besides
ried couples of the Kiowa and Conan
che tribes have comfortable houses in
stead of tepees. They are well educat-
ed. having been forced to attend the
government schools. To these new
of life the young men and wo-
men take kindly, but the older class
will have none of them. They continue
to live in tents, as do full bloods of
other Southwest tribes.
The young Indian Wife of day is
clean, fairly good cook and tidy with
her house She is not yet well versed
in the art of decoration and red and
green are predominating colors in all
of her rooms, whether in harmony or
not. The house has good furniture.
but 1t is strangely arranged. The
lounge is a favorite piece of furniture,
and one sees it in every Indian house
hold always in the parlor. If the In
dams have a piano or organ, it goes in
to the bedroom. The young bucks best
saddle goes into the parlor and in
many houses it Is hung upon the wall.
Red ribbons are tied to everything. even
The tail of the cat, for no Indian house
hold Is complete without a cat and dog. |
From the San Francisco Call.