The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-03-19
savAws UNDER THE HAMMER.
Features OF the Annual Sale Of Brides by
the Coiuanche Indians.

geatures OF tho Annual Sale Of Brides by
the Coiuanche Indians.
The annual distribution of Conan.
che Indian brides has just occurred Mt
the Saddle Mountain mission. In 7outh.
ern Oklahoma. Fifty of the prettiest
women of the tribe we're 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 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 is calleI. 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
os the tribe. Their parents, refusing
to keep them any longer, the girls
naturally needed homes somewhere.
and IL was deemed best by the medi-
cine men to auction them of as wives,
the highest bidders to take their
choice. Big Bow, monstrous fat and
ugly redskin, acted as the auctioneer.
He was assisted by number of me1i-
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 30 miles direct.
ly south of Mountain View, and on the
range OF the Wichita mountains. The
girls who we're sold had been confined
in n lodge for three weeks prior to
this meeting. and we're well fed and
extremely well groomed. They were
all clad in gay colors. and their nair
arranged in perfect Indian fashion. II
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
q 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 white man, and a cowboy at
that. so Parker decided that the best
, to do would he to sell her at auction.
. This is the first time Parker, who is
counted by his white neighbors a 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 bill was
; IL ponies. Jack Wild Horse. a well
, known scout of the tribe, was the bid.
der. He was Immediately raised by a
| rival, likewise scout. This latter
claimant bid Is. Others then cut in.
, and Miss Parker was run up to 80 po-
MES. Her face grew pale when she
| saw that Wild Horse was determined
, to get her, as he is known as the most
I desperate savage on the reservation
when drunk and angered. 1t Is said
v that he has killed three wives when
:. drunk. Wild Horse, however, won the
young squaw for 6S ponies. The stock
was turned over to Parker. and a med
icine man married Wild Horse ana the
squaw according to the Comancht
: rites. The couple then went to II
Reno, where regular marriage license
> was issued to them and the ceremony
performed by paleface minister Al
though the marriage took place only
3 three days ago. dispatch from Law.
: ton says that she attempted to commit
u suicide after failing in an attempt to
kill her new husband.
y Other young women objected quite
: as strongly as Miss Parker did to be
ing auctioned off but II did them NJ
good whatever. Big Bow went ahead
with the sale until every one of then
: was sold. The lowest bid made for any
OF them was 20 ponies. This was tn,
= price paid for half breed woman wht
had been married to a white man, bu
>. the latter having died, she reverted
e back to her parents again.
In ALL over 1900 ponies changed
7' hands in the three days of the biz
bridal auction. Not for many year,
have the squaws commanded such spir
. ited bidding and big prices as in thi
/" latest event of its kind among IT,,