Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-05-08
The dance took place in an enclos-


ure built of poles like a stockade.
The poles We're laid rather loosely and
there We're holes big enough to throw
a cat through. it one had been so dis
posed. The roof had not been COM
pleted farther than the rafters. 1t
was built as nearly round as they
could get it. without trying too hard
The walls, which were not like the
walls of Jericho, We're about eight feet
high. In the middle of the tabernacle,
which is built in the wilderness, even
as the Jews built theirs in the wilder
ness, there was a green spot of grass.
On this three concentric circles of In
dams We're lneeiing. Six or eight big
braves beat Il tattoo on a drum. which
glOuS zeal by the rest of the assem-
blage. The squaws sang with their
hands over their mouths, and the
sound emitted was not unlike a Katz-
enjammer on a hot night in August
when everybody is trying to Sleep
The men sang doleful chorus. which
was enough to scare away all the evil
spirits this side Of purgatory. After
each spasm or selection by this redskin
choir the orator would appear from
the benches which We're placed around
the outer wall of the tabernacle He
would begin with slow and solemn adj
vice, which often was as eloquent as
anything | ever heard, although not
a one had ever heard of school Of
fc,1r 10 J,,.t
school Of oratOry from the Ten Com
mandments, although he would have
Known it from side Of sole leather.
l had no doubt that what he said
was strictly orthodox. because the
hearers all seemed to agree. a heresy
tltial and a horse race can only be got
up if people disagree. At each well
rounded period the audience would
grunt: ''How," Howl Which must
be their way of saying hear. hear
and of cheering. like we do or like the
member of Congress who goes down to-
the capital and gets leave to print his
speech. and inserts loud applause
every once in a While in order that he
may duly impress his admiring con-
StituentS.
When hewas done, then there would
be another tuning up by the choir, and
thus they kept up the choir and the
orators alternating till midnight. The
bucks did not hesitate at ali about the
canons of society requiring coat and
collar at church All wore moccasins.
Some sat in the rear of the taberna-
Gle and smoked, while the rest had
services. Occasionally they would adj
vance to the circle and dance like 4
turkey gobler that is showing off. The
sGuaws did not dance. 1t was not
their night They merely helped with
the musical program. [ did not learn
who compose their airs and they are
did not play any pipe organ vol
untaries, so it is difficult to explain just
how and what they do sing. At Ger
tain intervals the peace pipe was pass
ed around and each brave took a Whit.
Che old patriarch. who seemed to have
charge OF the pipe. got anxious for
smoke while waiting and he INDUCED
his tobacco appetite by smoking the
peace pipe while the dance goes on.
would have thought that sacrilege
and cause for a heresy trial, but it
may be that the high church dignita-
ries did not discover what he was
about. I didn't say anything. It
was not in my diocese. One crater
must have been Populist by the fire.
quency with which he made speeches
Every time there was lull he would
pop up and address the crowd, which
consisted Of about sixty Indians, four
or five white spectators. three dogs,
few stray cats and several young cry
ing babies, whom their ancestors did
not notice any more than the man in
the moon. This particular orator al
ways Won applause. He wore his fad
ed pink shirt with the tail wholly un-
confined. on theoutside of his trousers
He wore pair of sleeve holders. which
I considered superfuous. though l did
rot mention it to him. My pew was
free, hence did not feel like making 4
kick. He also wore a fur boa around
his neck. He was bareheaded He
was warm enough without a hat.
Some wore broad brimmed hats.
They did not take them off when they
went to church. but Wore them because
they were new ones and then, there
We're lot of Chippewa beauties pres
emit from Wisconsin. They were no
doubt anxious to appear their best
Many had feathers in their hats like
we We're taught in the nursery rhyme
that Yankee Doodle had when he rode
to town. Bob McGinnis was visitor
from the Chippewa reservation. I
conversed with him, and he filled me
UP on hes till | couldn't see straight.
He ought to be 4 politician. They
ought all, from the chief to the low
est Indiannot taxed, to be politicians
they lie SO artistically.
Half hundred Chippewas were
present. aud they We're In a manner
responsible for the dance 1t was pure
~ religious, and the big braves who
got up to talk We're teaching them