Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-30
TRAITS OF THE RED MEN.
Curiosities of Character That Puzzle
the Pale Face Stranger.
From the Rocky Mountain News.

From the Rocky Mountain News.
Few white men know how to trade with
an Indian" remarked c. E. Ward of this
city, who has made a study of Indians for
ten years past. II once met an Indian with
a magnificent mountain lion skin. He was
willing to part with the ornament, but his
price was too high. l offered him $3.50
but he Indignantly refused. Later, on the
same day, after l had learned to trade with
an Indian, 1 bought the skin for $1.5O.
The secret of trading with the Indian,
according to Mr.. Ward, Is to appear In
different. The most successful trader is the
one who goes with a supply or the same
article he is most DESTROYS of buying. The
Indian sees that the stranger has had eX-
perience and negotiations are carried on
upon a strictly business basis. An Indian
refused $40 for a bow and arrow 1t was
bought for 81 by man who carried several
bows and arrows in his hand. This willy
individual leased the supply from store
In order to impress his copper-colored
friends, and he succeeded.
THE Indian said Mr.. Ward, in speaking
of traits of character he has observed In
his red friends, lis one of the most faithful
followers In the world If he has confidence
in YOU If he takes a liking to you, there is
nothing you can ask he will not do. If he
dislikes you, the less you have to do with
that Indian the better.
1.-The Indian is very much abused fell
deserved to be by the white man. His vices
are largely the fault of his white neighbors,
and one of the greatest dangers that threat
ems the Indian race is the travelling shows.
The government reports declare that the
Indians who went to Europe with Wild
West aggregations were a lasting menace
to their people when they returned home.
They had contracted all the vices and none
of the virtues of the white men.
1.-THE nature of the Indian cannot be
learned from books 1t must be studied by
actual contact. So far as have observed,
all the Indians are Catholics. They graft
their own ideas on to that of the Roman
Catholic religion, and 1t Is indeed a peculiar
mixture. You can't eradicate the Indian ma
ture by any education, and it is a mistake
to send Indians away to school. They
should be educated at home among their
own people, and their progress ought to be
gradual, otherwise the whole race will soon
disappear. Our government has been in too
great a hurry. Let the Indian develop
along lines congenial to his nature, and
| something may come out of all the expense
and time devoted to the solution of the In
| dian problem. My idea is that the Indian
| is all right, but his ways are not our ways.
Let us give him chance and give him
| time to work out his salvation. A Carlisle
| Indian gets the swelled head, and one such
Indian may spoil an entire village. He is
| over-educated, but in the end he Is worse
| off than at the beginning"
Mr.. Ward says his investigations show
| that 90 per cent of the Indians die of tuber-
| cuosis. Whether the disease was intro
| duced by contact with the whites he does
| not know. This is subject that is receiv-
| ing the attention of the authorities at
| Washington. and is regarded as one of the
most important subjects of investigation by
| those who are interested In the survival OF
| the race that once dominated the continent
'"The customs of the various tribes is a
| never-ceasing topic of interest" said Mr..
Ward. AFTER a white man lives awhile
| among the Indians he is gradually taken