The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-15
Brilliant Paper
Prepared by
Mrs. Shoemaker
of LAYTON

Mrs. Cera B. Shoemaker, wife of the
sub-agent Of the Comanches at Fort Sill,
recently read . paper before the Enter
Mons Club at LawtCn, for which that
body requests space in the Eagle. The
general subject of the paper is Indian
and it is so delightfully."- and entertaining
~ written, as well as comprehensive in
the scope OF information concerning an
interesting people, that it is cheerfully
commended TO those readers of the Eagle
who would know more about the man
ners habits history, tradition. ambitions
ana religion Of "our red neighbors.'
Ny first impression as 1 left the little
railroad town one morning in September
five wears ago. was that ar Indian res
ervation was a dun gray country upon
which the sun did not shine. The sum
mer had been very hot and dry, and
every bit of color seemed to have been
burned out Of the landscape. and a haze
hung over the whole country that morn
ing Two high posts, indicating the loca-
ton OF rude wire gate, stood out ahead
of, us. and this, I was told, was the en-
trance to the Comanche country. A
very ccwaryJy feeling came over me for
moment rs I recalled a stolen glance
into dime novel when I was a child, in
which ] saw a few frightful pictures and
read few terrifying sentences about
the fierce and waTlil5e Comanches, their
blood curdl1g warwhoop, and their hid
cous p5iuted faces. l suspected an am
bush at every. creek crossing, and believed
an Indian TO De lurking in every group
OF trees. while my ears were strained to
eaten the first sound Of the terrible
varwhoop SO as 10 give the alarm. But
saw not a cultivated field, not a sign Of
a Aabitation. not even an individual for
so Iorgr that gradually my fears sub
sided
After driving steadily for 6 couple Of
hours we began to approach the creek
called Il mile Beaver. Let me state that
popular taste seems to have run in favor
Of the name Of Beaver for creeks although
! have never seen any signs that beaver
were common in this country You will
probably hear Of Big Beaver Little Bea-
yer. j Nile Beaver. . Mile Beaver and
Blue Beaver, if you take many drives
through the country As we approached
34-Afile Beaver we were met most abrupt
" by a cold body of air called norther
that moved rapidly or, bearing our hats
wells. handkerchiefs, 1aprobes and other
TRIES away with 1t. 1t was Ike meeting
another and colder season moving along
on its travels to keep its winter engage
ments. It was decidedly cold when late
that evening drove into the sub-agency
wearing a blanket. / had promptly ad-
opted the style Of wrap prevailing among
the Comanches.
At the last creek crossing I had seen in
the darkness several camping parties
cooking their suDpers over their bright
cheerful campfires. the horses grazing
near. and the wagons back among the
trees. They made a very cheerful pic
ture and 1 thought how fortunate we
were to have just happened upon this
pretty and unusual sight. had no idea
how common a sight this was 10 become.
and how many just such campers should
see cooking their bacon, their bread, and
their cokee over these glowing fires.
We drove up to the Fort Sill Indian
boarding school just after dark and en-
tered the stone building called the boys
building we were at once surrounded
by a crowd Of boys. all talking at once
and as if they were reading slowly and
haltngly from > primary reader. Hello
Doctor, You got back. amt it?' Doctor,
ms eyes very nufi Dottoi, MI. Al'4-
land ne heap sick.
at once noticed peculiar odor, as OF
burnt bark or smoulderinE wood and I
found This was always noticeable in an
Indian school or camp. and about ali their
wagons and possessions. For genera
lions they have sat over their tepee fires.
while the smoke slowly explored every
corner. if there are corners in a tepee-
and after impregnating everything and
everybody inside. and stain-the tepee a
dark brown. at last reluctantly assembled
through the opening at the top. and so
the race has become saturated with its
odor
T soon 7 gan d-i ing cut anon: the In
dams and. as first impressions are the
most vivid. / observed things then that
now I do not notice. 7 noticed that the
Indians smiled. and very pleasantly too.
and called out ''IIa lItes,' which means
How are you. friend?" This smiling
upset some of my long cherished notions
in regard to Indians. Then. if I met one
in the office he would smilingly shake
hands and ask the doctor. You woman?
"Ha chot." meaning. Yes. good.
often. as we were driving across the
country. a wagon occupied by an Indian
and his family would stop. the man
would halt us with one of those impress
sive Indian gestures. and ask us. "Hocca
Pan mere Where are YOU eoins2'
Then We had great time TRYING 70 ton
him. But finally the two of AS with al
the baby talk broken English. gestures
and Comanche words We could think OF,
would satisfy him enough To make orr
escape Sometimes 4 hoTseman would
rome riding WILDLY across the prairie to-
Vard us and We would wonder inuocently
what he could want He would pull his
Ealoping and GREATNESS horse back or
its launches. and smilingly ask 'IIocea
pah more2 or from some group Of te-
pees and wagons an old Indian would
sumter out. wrapping his sheet around
him in his deNterous way. and. gesturins
with his uplifted hand seem a. raise a
barrier before us as he asked the same
old question. "Hocca> pah mere"
7 soon learned that the country sur.
rounding the Fort sill sab-aSency was oc-
cupied by the Comanches. Northwes,
from Mt Scott and surrounding tho new
town If Hobart. live most Of tho Kio-
was Northeast FROM here. around Ana
darko live the Nichitas. CaEsos and 2
few small remnants of other tribes
WlCHITAs.
With The Wihitas and affiliated tribes
am very little ac9uainted as they live
noout Anadarl1o and J have seen very lIt-
he If ther-. They are considered a rath-
Pr pleasantly friendly t,.tnfn z -, 80