The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-28

Devoted to Her Parents, She
Would Not Allow Honor of
Dead Father to Be Tarnished.
HER GREAT SACRIFICE

GUTHRIE, Okla, Dec IA daughters
unseIhsh love for parent has been proved
by the strangest of all strange transactions
that could possibly take place in civilized
America.
The other day in Kiowa village in Indian
Territory an educated and unusually at
tractive girl of Indian birth offered herself
at auction to the highest bidder, thus gain
Ing by the only means which her loyalty
and affection could devise money TO cancel
a debt OF honor which her father had died
without paying. Singing Swan" is the girls
name. and the sum for which she bartered
her liberty was SIS, 900.
The Kiowa reservation is located IN the
southwestern part of the Territory, ada
cent to the Comanches. These Indians draw
their supplies at Fort Sill They were
among the last of the wild tribes to settle
on a. reservation. Many of them are yet
little more than blanket Indians" though
some OF them, like Harry Edge" and Lone
Wolf" are partially educated. Several have
grown rich by trading in stock and leasing
lands.
Singing Swan" has always been devoted
10 the interests of her people. and they have
respect. Her blameless character and sin
certify OF purpose have won the esteem of
all the white frontiersmen, and many an OPP
portunity has been hers TO say yes to an
admirer, for there few men among the
settlers along the frontier who object to
Indian blood in a wife.
HER RADICAL STEP.
No one in the village suspected that
singing Swan" contemplated taking so
radical a step, although IT was no secret
among the settlers and her tribal folk for
many miles around that she had held her
father with an idolatrous regard, had
had crrfa
over the fact that debt which he could
not wipe out lived after him and a debtor
whose claim she could not pacify contin-
Iron Talk" the father of this remark
able girl was a great chief, and at one
period OF his career was regarded as one
rito-y. In his old age, when the country
became easy Of access through the building
Of numerous railroads. shrewd white trad
srs crowded upon the reservations and INTO
the villages.
Iron Talk" was distinguished for his
hospitality and friendly disposition toward
all enterprises calculated TO improve tho
country and elevate his people. In conse-
quence he was easily induced to embark
IN many ruin0us financial ventures. Be
fore he died he borrowed large sum from
q money lender. which he was never able
TO return, though 1t is said that the re-
lentless creditor seized upon property be-
longing to the estate which ought to have
satisfied him. He has kept his Judgment
for about 5000, alive for five years. to the
great distress OF Singing Swan and her
only brother.
On his deathbed Iron Talk tried TO
settle the debt by assigning to his creditor
a note secured by mortgage on a wealthy
Kiowa's herd OF cattle, made payable in
the next world 1T is good" said the dy-
ing Kiowa chief. when we meet at the
throne Of the Great Spirit the mortgage
Will be paid" The white money lender s
faith did not reach so far. That system of
finance possessed no charm for Shylock
He preferred to annoy the dead chief 3
heirs. Singing Swan had tried hard to
gay this claim against her fathers estate
AT last she decided to offer herself for sale
reserving the right TO reject or approve the
final bid