Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-05-08

outside Of the wickiup to rubberneck
just like any other woman. Even
Indian women have some curiosity. 1
shook hands with her. but at first she
made a face and shook her head. But
it was not because of lack of sociabll.
ity, but on account of the dough on
her hands. l assured her that such
a thing was a common occurrence and
that the dough made the handshake all
the better.
do not think the chiefs wife takes
the Delineator nor the Paris fashion
Journals. Her wardrobe indicated that
she was not just exactly up-to-date in
her wearing apparel. Her foOtware
was the same that Eve wore. She
was barefoot. All the squ;lws were
barefoot: and why not? The weather
was hot, and they didn't need any
thing on their feet to keep warm.
Why can't all women go barefoot, if
they want to? Nothing prevents it,
but custom.
At another wickiup was a squaw
lying down, and we asked the chief
what was the matter. He said:
Sick; eyes sick. His eyes sick"
Their knowledge of gender is not well
eSta blished in grammar. They call
a squaw he
This sketch is not meant. to be at
all a history of the Musuuakies. 1t
is merely short account of how they
live now. And in short they live just
as their ancestors did hundred years
ago, or Il thousand years ago, if they
go back as far as that. Of course,
the day of the hunt and the chase
their reservation. But everything else
is just as nature made it. and there is
no disposition to change it. They have
about three thousand acres which
is theirs in fee simple. You may have
thought, as | did, that it belonged to
Uncle Sam. but it does not It is in
the name of the tribe. and is so re-
corded. Toledo, in Tama County, is
their county seat. but Tama is their
postottice. Later l will relate how
they came in possession Of the land.
The reservation has perhaps forty
acres, or possibly eighty acres, cleared
up, and they farm in a sort of desul-
tory way on that. but not enough to
stock the market, nor to make a cor
ner for Phillips, the corn king. They
farm in a slouchy manner. They
have all ponies, and must have five
hundred head OF more Of them. They
farm after the fashion of their white
neighborS. but a long ways after them.
I saw one Indian out of five hundred
blowing corn, although I probably did
MT see all of them. Their ponies are
like the farmers in Kansas-lt is either
feast OF famine. In summer they
have plenty Of grass and in the Win
tergthey starve because their masters
are too shiftless to put up any hay.
They evidently have not heard that it
pays to make hay while the sun shines.
Indeed. doubt if they would make it
when the sun shines. At any rate,
no hay is made.
All the rest Of the reservation. ex-
cept the few acres that are cleared,
Ill WI as "ISA SO1uu1DuS ulS-
covered America, or when Julien Du-
buque found the lead mines in North
eastern Iowa. The land is the best
Iowa bottom land on earth, and the
white farmers refuse $50 an acre for
their land. The Indian land is COW
cred with underbrush and big timber
The roads are mere by-paths, and IN
til few years ago they had no way
of crossing the Iowa River except by
swimming or fording it. A few years
ago a road was surveyed through and
big iron bridge built across the
river. but every step of the way had
to be fought through the courts. The
Indians did not object to the. road per
Sc. but opposed it because it was a
step toward civilization. It was an
other nail in their coffin Of primitive
ness. They desperately fight any
progress. Now that the road is built
they use it as much assanybody, and
more. because they have more use for
it. The only other road through the
reservation is sort Of by-path that
leads to the northwestern portion Of
their lands. to the home Of Mr. Nc