Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-16
saUAws UNDER HAMMER.
Features of IN Annual sale of Brides
by the COmancho Indians,

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Features Of the Annual sale of Brides
by h COmanche Indians.
The annual distribution Of Comanche In
dian brides has Just occurred at the Saddle
Mountain mission, in southern Oklahoma.
Fifty Of the prettiest women OF the tribe
were sold at public auction as the wives of
tribesmen who bid them in. This barbaric
custom was to have been discontinued by
the Comanches last year, but 1t went on
more boldly than ever this season, being
conducted under the very eyes of the white
settlers.
The festival Of the Comanche pony
smoke" as this ceremony lie called, is Of
more than passing interest. Seldom are so
many young squaws auctioned OF as was
done this year. but the surplus was great
and needed thinning out, according to the
head men of the tribe. Their parents, re-
fusing to keep them any longer, the girls
naturally needed homes somewhere, and 1t
was deemed best by the medicine men to
auction them of as wives, the highest bid
ders to take their choice. Big Bow, a mon
strous fat and ugly redskin, acted as the
auctioneer. He was assisted by a number
of medicine men, who performed the mar
riage ceremonies after the sales had been
made.
Five hundred Indians gathered at the
Saddle Mountain mission last week. This
mission Is located thirty miles directly
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 we'll fed and extremely well groomed.
They we're all clad in gay colors and their
Aaa, .-~on@a1 Nu noHfaCt Indian faahfnn- II
was plain to see that their parents had pre-
pared them to bring fancy prices. The
girls were In various moods; some hyster-
zeal, others calm, and not a few delighted
with the experience
Among others was q daughter Of the ia
nous Quahnah Parker, the noted Comanche
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 thing would be to sell her at auction
This is the first time Parker, who is counted
by his white neighbors a highly cultivated
red man, has ever allowed any of his relR-
tives to be sacrificed 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 nrst bid was eleven
ponies. Jack Wild Horse, a ~well-known
scout of the tribe, was the bidder. He was
Immediately raised by q rival. likewise a
scout. This latter claimant bid fifteen.
Others then cut in. and Miss Parker was
run up to fifty ponies. Her face grew pale
when she saw that Wild Horse was deter
mined 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
sixty three ponies. The stock was turned
over to Parker. and a medicine man mar
ried wild Horse and the squaw according
to the Comanche rites. The couple then
went to Ell Reno, where a regular marriage
license was issued to them and the cere-
mony repeated by a pale-face minister. Al
though the marriage took place only three
days ago, a dispatch from Lawton says that
she attempted to commit suicide after fail
ing In an attempt to kill her new husband.
Other young women objected quite Al
strongly as Miss Parker did to being auc-
toned of, but It did them no good what
ever. Big Bow went ahead with the sale
until every one OF them was sold. The
lowest bid made for any OF them was twenty
ponies. This was the price paid Tor a half
breed woman who had been married 60 8
white man. but the latter having died, she
reverted back to her parents again.
In all over $500 ponies changed hands IN
the three days OF the big bridal auction
Not for many years have the squaws com,
manded such spirited bidding and big prices
as in this latest event OF it's kim among the
Comanches.