Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-05-09
S0uAWS UNDER THE HAMMER.
Features of the Annual Sale of Brides by
the Comanche Indians.


the Comanche Indians.
The annual distribution of Conan
che Indian brides has just occurred at
the Saddle Mountain mission, in 7outh.
ern Oklahoma. Fifty of the prettiest
women of the tribe were sold at pub
lie auction as the wives of tribesmen
who bid them in. This barbaric Gus
tom was to have been discontinued by
the Comanches last year, but it went
on more boldly than ever this season,
being conducted under the very eyes
of the white settlers.
The festival of the Comahche pony
smoke" as this ceremony is called, is
of more than passing interest. Sell
dom are so many young squaws auc'
toned off as was done this year, but
the surplus was great and needed thin
ming out, according to the head men
o. the tribe. Their parents, refusing
to keep them any longer, the girls
naturally needed homes somewhere,
and it was deemed best by the pledi-
cine men to auction them off as wives,
the highest bidders to take their
choice. Big Bow, a monstrous fat and
ugly redskin, acted as the auctioneer,
He was assisted by a number of meli-
cine men, who performed the marriage
ceremonies after the sales had been
made.
Five hundred Indians gathered at
the Saddle Mountain mission last week.
This mission is located 80 miles direct.
ly south of Mountain View, and on the
range of the Wichita mountains. The
girls who were sold had been confined
in a lodge for three weeks prior to
this meeting, and were well fed and
extremely well groomed. They were
all clad in gay colors, and their nair
arranged in perfect Indian fashion. 1t
was plain to see that their parents had
prepared them to bring fancy prices.
The girls were in various moods;
some hysterical, others calm, and not
few delighted with the experience.
Among others was a daughter OF the
famous Quahnah Parker, the noted Co.
manche Indian chief. This daughter
whose name is Amy, had displeased
him by attempting TO run away and
marry a white man, and a cowboy at
that, so Parker decided that the best
to do would be to sell her at auction.
This is the first time Parker, who is
counted by his white neighbors high
ly cultivated red man, has ever al
lowed any of his relatives to be sacri-
feed at the auction block. But the
wrath of an Indian parent knows no
bounds
Sad and silent, Amy Parker was led
to the block for sale. The first BID was
IL ponies. Jack Wild Horse, q well
known scout of the tribe, was the bid
der. He was Immediately raised by a
rival, likewise a scout. This latter
claimant bid Is. Otners then cut in,
and Miss Parker was run up to so po-
MES. Her face grew pale when she
saw that Wild Horse was determined
to get her, as he is known as the most
desperate savage on the reservation
when drunk and angered. 1t is said
that he has killed three wives when
drunk Wild Horse, however, won the
young squaw for 63 ponies. The stock
was turned over to Parker, and a med
icine man married Wild Horse ana the
sGuaw according to the Comanche
rites. The couple then went to Ell
Reno, where a regular marriage license
was issued to them and the ceremony
performed by paleface minister. AL
though the marriage took place only
three days ago, a dispatch from Law
ton says that she attempted to commit
suicide after failing in an attempt to
kill her new husband.
Other young women objected quite
as strongly as Miss Parker did to be-
ing auctioned off, but it did them no
good whatever. Big Bow went ahead
with the sale until every one of them
was sold. The lowest bid made for any
of them was 20 ponies. This was the
price paid for half breed woman who
had been married to white man, but
the latter having died, she reverted
back to her parents again
In all, over 1900 ponies changed
hands in the three days of the big
bridal auction. Not for many years
have the squaws commanded such spir
tied bidding and big prices as in this
latest event of its kind among tic
Comanches.-Chi Inter Ocean.