The Washington times., 1902-02-02
TOWN OF TOMAHAWK
IN STATE OF UNREST
Hair-Trimming Order of In
dian Bureau the Cause.
Hitherto Peaceful Uroye, We're In
cited to Warfare by the Proc
lRmatiOn
ME town of Tomahawk was in a
state of unrest. Feathered heads
II were punched here and there in

| ME town of Tomahawk was in a
state of unrest. Feathered heads
L were punched here and there in
| consulting groups, and blankets
swarmed on the one street of the village
till it looked like live patchwork quilt
/ Mr. Indian Commissioner Jones' procla-
nation had arrived.
With some difficulty the Iong-suffering
agent explained to the braves that they
were expected to have their hair trimmed
IN civilized fashion and that the harber's s
pole which promptly appeared in the viii
| iage was a new sort OF totem worthy of
| all reverence. He had considerable inf,u-
ence with his suileless wards. and finally
convinced them of the reasonablcness Of
the request Dut by the time he had fin
ished he had concluded to go and buy a
| bottle of hair dye for himself in case his
mead became much grayer. 1t is wearing
work explaining new things 10 aporigines.
After two hundred and fifty years in which
10 get used to novelty they are still lit
tie stiu in the region of the comprehen-
sion. But at last it was all explained aud
the agent drew long breath and settled
down TO rest.
An tntOward happening.
But there was one certainty on which
nobody had reckoned, and presently it
developed.
When the first warrior emerged from
the barber shop he met the post trader.
who pleasantly remarked:
"Ah! Had yorr hair cut?''
The brave grunted and passed on. A
little farther down the street he met
Young Man Afraid of His Mother in law,
who is proud of his English, and who i'm
mediately remarked:
Huh! Had your hair cut,'
Then Ulysses Gray Wolf, who had been
to the agency school, came by, and said
he:
How, Uncle, Had your hair cut.''
Then member of the football team ex-
claimed:
All! Had yer and at that point
he and the other Indian clinched and went
rolling down into a gully. They had 1t
out, with the advantage on the side of the
football player. for the newly -barbered
head made its owner nervous. When the
TWO combatants emerged ten minutes
later they found wild hullabalo going
on all up and down the main street of
the village. Spotted Dog was pounding
DIS VIE. Two Rabbits wife was pound
ing him Seven Arrows, Frightened Bear.
and Big Rat were having three cornered
tussle in front of the mission school. The
barber had retired into his cyclone cellar
From the midst of the fray emerged in
fragments the historic and fateful query:
"Ah. Had yer hair cut,''
BrIbes of No Avail
Nobody had thought what would happen
when the whole male population of a nu-
merous village was attacked with the
question at once. 1t was almost more
than the agent and the missionary to-
gether could straighten out, but they tried
moral suasion, and argument, and bribes,
and prayer, and arnica, and court-plaster,
and did the job up somehow. and there
was law passed in that village that no.
body should any mere say anything when
a person had been to the barber shop
Six weeks later, in pursuance of further
benevolent designs OF civilizing the In
dian, Mr.. Indian Commissioner Jones
caused consignment of poultry to be
gent for distribution among the deserving
agriculturists OF Tomahawk The fowls
were distributed with as little osten-
tation as possible, for all of the feuds
begun In the barber shop were not vet
healed Early next morning Two Rabbits.
lighting peaceful matutinal pipe in front
OF his domicile, was greeted by hen, Who