The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-01-08

tune. but suffice il to say that II
am inclined to believe that It was
not imported from Paris. I in
formed a friend who had been in
the west a great many years that
I didn't believe the Indian Of my
youthful fancy existed. He re-
piled that the only Indians I had
seen were those who had adopted
the ways of the white man and
were civilized. I thought at
the time that if the Indian woman
whom [ have just described was
civilized lady the wild one must
be cuckoo.
Puyallup valley in the state of
Washington is one Of the greatest
hop growing countries in the
world. The hop growers COM
mence to harvest their crops in
August, and my friend, of whom I
have already spoken, told me the
season would open in ten days.
He had worked in the hop fields
every season for several years and
knew all the ropes. I was anxious
to visit the fields with my friend,
but before we started he delivered
himself of the following advice :
for my special benefit: "In these
hop fields" he said, "there will
be assembled Indians from all the
adjoining states, British Columbia
and far away Alaska. You will
probably be approached by about
one hundred Indians every day
who will offer you money and ask
you to buy them fire water. These
Indians" he went on, "are hum
ming birds in the employ of U. S.
marshals, and for every arrest that
is made their rake-off amounts to
quite sum in the shape of mile
age and witness fees. Now be
sure and buy them no whisky, no
matter what the inducement may
be, and don't get too friendly with
any of them who wear the white
mans garb. for they have all been
inoculated with the germ Of CIV
ilization and will swear that white
is black in order to make q dol
lar."
I afterwards learned that this
was sage advice. It was advice that
fell from the lips Of a man whose
wisdom teeth had been cut ON the
ring Of experience. I not only
followed his advice to the letter,
but / went him q few better. I
took ell the money the Indians
gave me and some that they didn't
give me and with tho money thus
obtained l bought great deal
of whisky, but I always drank it
myself. The noble red man never
tasted it.
The more civilized an Indian
becomes the moro he hates work.
The only labor I ever saw him
perform in the hop fields was to
draw his wife's wages and gamble
it away playing cards with his
white brother. It was against the
law for a white man to gamble
with an Indian, but this law is
openly violated, as the Indian
police are not very vigilant, es-
pecially when there is little hush
money in sight. Their palms be-
come just as itchy as do those of
their palefaced brothers who patrol
the streets of our large cities.
During my stay in the hop
fields I had many opportunities to
observe the manners, habits and
customs of the Indian, but [ don't
possess the education, the flow Of
language or enough natural ability
to paint a good pen picture of my
observations. I did see enough
to convince me that Pontiac was q
true prophet. This great Indian,
who was chief of the Ottawas more
than hundred years ago, warned
the people of his race to renounce
the ways of the white man, his
goods and his whisky. He tried
to impress on their minds that the
Great Spirit never intended the
Indian to be anything else than a
ah:ll of tha forocf Ha told than