The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-06-02
TRAITS OF THE RED MEN.
Curiosities of Character That Puzzle
the Pale Face Stranger.

the Pale Face Stranger
Few white men know how to trade
with an Indian remarked c. E. Ward.
of this city, who has made a study of
Indians for ten years past. L once met
an Indian with a magnificent mountain
lion skin. He was willing to part with
the ornament but his price was too
high. 1 offered him $3.50. but ne in
dignantly refused. Later. on the same
day, after I had learned to trade with
an Indian, l bought the skin for 81 So"
The secret Of trading with the Indian,
different. The most successful trader is
the one who goes with a supply of the
same article he is most DESTROYS of buy
ing. The Indian sees that the stranger
has had experience and negotiations
are carried on upon strictly business
basis. An Indian refused $40 for a bow
and arrow. 1t was bought for 81 By
man who carried several bows and ar
rows in his hand. This willy Individual
leased the supply from store in order
to impress his copper-cOlored fried, ana
he succeeded.
The Indian" said Mr. Ward, in
speaking of traits of character he has
observed in his red friends, lis one OF
the most faithful followers In the world
if he has confidence in you. II ne taxes
q liking to you there is nothing YOU can
the less you have to do with that Indian
the better.
The indian is a very much abused fell
low, and he has never been treated as
he deserved to be by the white man His
vices are largely the fault of his white
neighbors and one Of the greatest dan
gers that threatens the, Indian race is
! the travelling shows. The government
reports declare that the Indians who
went to Europe with Wild West aggre-
cations We're a lasting menace to the
+ people when they returned home. They
/ had contracted all the vices and none
of the virtues Of the white men.
The nature Of the Indian cannot be
learned from books. tt must be studied
BY actual contact. So far as I have OBJ
served. all the Indians are Catholics.
They graft their own ideas onto that of
the Roman Catholic religion. and it is
indeed q peculiar mixture. You can't
I eradicate the Indian nature by any
educa ton, and it is a mistake to send
Indians away to school. They should
be educated at home among their own
gradual, otherwise the whole race viii
soon disappear. Our government mas
been in too greet a hurry. Let the In =
dian develop along lines c0ngenlal to
his nature. and something may come
out of all the expense and time devoted
to the solution of the Indian problem
I NV idea is that the Indian IS all right
but his ways arc not our ways Let US
give him a chance and give him time
to work out his salvation. A Carlisle
/ Indian gets the sweled head, and one
such Indian may spoil an entire village
/ He is overeducated. but in the end ne
/ is worse off than ut the beginning.
Mr. Ward says his investiga tons SHOW
/ that 90 per cent of the Indians die OF
tuberculosis Whether the disease was
/ introduced by contact with the whites
he does not know This IS a subject that
is receiving the attention Of the auth
critics at Washington and is regarded
4 as one of the most important subjects
! of investigation by those who are IN
terested in the survival Of the race that
once dominated the continent.
1.-The customs of the various tribes IS
a never ceasing topic of interest, said
( Mr. Ward After a white man lives
/ awhile among the Indians he IS gradu-
4 aIlv taken into their confidence enl
shown many curious performances. All
/ of which have a meaning to the scien-
4 fist One summer down among the
] Apaches was invited by the CHIEFS 70
/ be present at their great medicine dance.
/ This ceremony has from time immeIn-
orial been performed on the banks Of a
stream that flows into Sinking lake p
miles from Dulice. N NJ. Two large
brush arbors are built. one on each baak
of the stream The women take their
( places in one arbor and the men IN ths
other The ceremony lasts two days.
1T begins at sunrise. when the men
and women are seen lying on the ground
with their feet in the water They ne
perfectly still. the water moving past,
and, according to their belief, carrying