The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-12-02

| be celebrated by this tribe. The con
| clusion is due to the inroads civiliza
ton is making upon Indian customs
and is also largely due to the fact tha
nearly all of the younger members o.
the tribe are entering schools, and til,
Influence of these schools makes then
| drop their native habits and customs
| At one time it looked as If the cere
| mony would be declared off because
the groom refused to attire himself ir
blanket and red paint.
The contracting parties were Arthur
Bonniecastle, full blood Usage. and
Angie Penn. The bride has small
strain of white blood. Nearly 300
white persons and the Indians of the
district were there.
When Arthur Bonniecastle was eight
years old his parents died. and he was
sent to the Usage Mission in Kansas
and later to the Carlisle Institute,
where he was graduated with high
honors.
When the first call for volunteers in
the last war was made he enlisted and
saw service in Cuba. He went to
China with his regiment. and was the
second man over the walls OF Pekin.
For this service he wears q medal CIV
en- him by the United States Govern
ment. He was transferred to the Phil
ippines with his regiment and served
there until nine months ago, when he
was honorably discharged and left the
t1t ~ hic
pany. Six months ago he went to the
reservation, the home of his boyhood.
To him all the manners and customs
of his people were new. and it required
some little time for him to again ac-
quire the Usage language, although he
speaks English. French and Spanish.
He is the ideal type of Indian-tall,
straight as an arrow and is absolutely
honest.
Angie Penn's beauty is known from
one end of the reservation to the other.
There is not more beautiful Indian
woman in the country than she. She
is seventeen years old and her husband
is twenty-four. One day, while at the
agency at Pawhuska, he saw the girl,
formed him that he was going to call
upon her. This was one of the man.
ners he had learned in the white mans
country but 1t is not the custom of the
Indian. Henry Bonniecastle, the
brother, explained that in order to se-
cure the woman of his choice he must
buy her, and also that he probably
20 1Nf oA l.
against other eligible young men on
the reservation. The young man said
this was like purchasing steers, but he
left the arrangements to his brother.
Among the Osages the lover never en-
ters into the trade, but some relative
makes the purchase, under the direc-
tions of the lover, and then draws up
on him for the expenses Of the trans
action.
The brother in this case went to Sas-
sy Calf. near relative of the girl. and
told him of the desires OF his brother.
Sassy Calf at once assumed the role
Of matchmaker and sent out word
that upon certain day he would re-
ceive bids for the hand if not the
heart. of Angie Penn. Upon the day
set four young bucks, all accompanied
by their relatives, appeared at the
home of Sassy Calf. A feast was
served and the relatives of the young
men squatted in circle, in the centre
of which stood Sassy Calf. ready to
conduct the sale. Previous to this, the
young men had been allowed an op-
portunity of taking look at the girl,
but not allowed to talk to her. Each
made up his mind just how much a
wife of that kind was worth to him
and notified his relative how much to |
bid before dropping out of the game.
Bonniecastle told his brother that he |
wanted the girl and to outbld all the |
others.
The bidding was spirited, but Bon
Necessities brother was declared the |
successful purchaser. The proceeds |
of the sale went to the girls relatives
and toward defraying the expenses of |
the wedding. The amount finally |
agreed upon for this girl was $500 in |
cash for the wedding feast. a race
horse, known as HoodoO, and valued |
at $3.50, and fifteen good Indian ponies, |
valued at $3.50. The horse Hoodoo was |
to go to Sassy Calf, the matchmaker, |
and the fifteen Indian ponies were to |
go to the guests at the wedding.
The bride was not even told who was
to be her husband. All she knew was
that she was going to be married, and |
that Is considered enough for any In
dian woman. The order for the brides
lronsseau was given to the Delaware
Indians. who live east of the Usage
reservation, and who, are adopts at |
Indian needle and fancy work. 1t was
the most elaborate ever worn by an
Usage bride, and its cost was nearly |
$500
During the preparations the bride
was not willing to be married. She
feared she was to be married to some
blanketed buck, and such husband
did not in the least suit her progres i've
ideas. Her objections were not taken
Into consideration by the relatives, and
little attention was paid to her.
The day for the wedding arrived.
and all the Indians were in attendance
at the Indian camp near Pawhuska.
They had arrived several days before
the date, and were enjoying a season
OF feasting. Upon the morning Of the
wedding day all the Indians attired
themselves in their gaudiest blankets.
put on their best paint and brightest
faofbarc Tho hriIa rvac tokau frn,,, |