The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-22
IAN INDIAN WEDDING
fEERLY CONDUCTED CEREMo.
 MES AMONG oSAGES.
D Auction First Held for the Bride
 Who Had Not Seen Her Suitors and Had No Voice in the Selection.

.ast Thursday. on the Osage Reserva- n, occurred the most elaborate we'd hg fin the history of the Osage Indians. is wedding is thought by the other dians to be about the last of It's kind ht will ever be celebrated by this tribe. is conclusion Is due to inroads civili- ton is making upon Indian customs. d is also largely due to the fact that arly all of the younger members of the be are entering schools. and the in- ence of these schools makes them drop eir native habits and customs. This edding, even, was not letter perfect. cording to the rites of the red man, Id at one time 1t looked as though the Femony would be declared off because bridegroom refused to attire himself blanket and red paint.
 The contracting parties were Arthur Pnniecastle, a full-blooded Osage, and hgie Penn. The bride has a small rain of white blood in her veins. her ther being a mixed blood. but her other was a full-blood Osage squaw De two are Of the higher type of the D race-much higher. in fact, than is ten found-and every full-blood Indian the reservation believes they are the 10 best young people of the tribe. Be- use of their general popularity, every dian attended the wedding. no invita- Pns to an affair of this kind being neces- ny for the Indian. Nearly 300 white ople. residents of the reservation and ar-by towns, were invited and were in Tendance.
 The story of the romance that leads up this wedding is a pretty one. When Fthur Bonniecastle was eight years old parents both died. leaving him with. t relatives upon whom he could call he was packed off to the Osage mis- pn in Kansas, more to get him out o1 e way than to secure for him an edu- ton. Here he started his education din few years was sent to the Car le Institute. where he was graduated tn high honors.
 NVhen the first call for volunteers in the st war was made he enlisted and saw twice in Cuba, He went to China with B regiment and was the second mar CT the walls of Peking. For this ser De he wears a medal presented to hin the United States Government. and oi 1ich he is very proud. After the trou' in China was over he was transferred the Philippines with his regiment. and rved there until nine months ago hen he was honorably discharged. and It the service as first sergeant of his mpany. Six months ago he returned the reservation, the home of his young yhood. To him all the manners and stoms of his people were new, and il quired some little time again to ac- lire the Osage language. although he eaks English, French, and Spanish like native
 lie is the ideal type of the Indian-tall
 
 < nest. In his six months residence or e reservation he has become well ac ainted with the people and has as med the management of his farm anC siness interests. which during his ab nce. had been in the hands of hi: X other and the Government agent Int Z dians. and especially the full-bloods mire the young man very much, whll, whites upon the reservation look up
 him as the brightest full-blood of the be. It seems fitting, indeed, that h' ould see and fall in love with pretty 1gie Penn, who is his equal in everJ ay.
 < She is regarded as the most progressiv, [ dian woman in the Osage country, ana r people admire her, one and all. Sht loved by all the white people whC low -her.-Her beauty is known iron e end of the reservation to the other here Is not a more beautiful Indian wo an in the country than she. She i! venteen years old, while her husband i enty-four. Her entire life has beer ent on the Osage reservation. She wa! ucated at the agency school and pos sses as good an education as any white IT who graduates from a high school After the manner and customs of tht ll-bloods, the girl has always been kep tn her mother. except when in school e Osage women never allowing theil ughters out of their sight after they ach the age of twelve years.
 When Bonniecastle came to the reser ton he was heart and fancy free. One y while at the agency at Pawhuska ht w the girl and it was d case of love d St sight with him. He told his brother < out her and informed him that he wa, Hing to call upon her. This was one O b manners he had learned while in tho hite mans country, but it doesn't g
 the Osage reservation. The brother As familiar with all of the Indian GUS ms and told the lover that would neve
 Henry Bonniecastle. the brother en explained the proper method anC Id him in order to secure the woman his choice he must buy her, and alst at he would probably have to bid d
 auction sale against any other elig ae young men on the reservation wh, anced to want the young woman. TC is plan the lover objected. and classeC procedure to being equal to purchas steers.
 Nevertheless this is the custom; anC ter some argument against it he learn
 that without going through this form would. in all probability. never be abl' talk to or even see the girl he wanted E finally agreed and left the arrange hnts to his brother. because among tn