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.


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. I once met
an Indian with a magnificent mountain
lion skin. He was willing to part with
the ornament, but his price was too
high l offered him $3.50, but he in
dignantly refused Later. on the same
day. after I had learned to trade with
an Indian, I bought the skin for $3.50
The secret Of trading with the Indian,
according to MI Ward. is to appear in
different The most successful trader is
the one who goes with a supply of the
same article he is most desirous of buy
ing. The Indian sees that the stranger
has had experience. and negotiations
are carried on upon a strictly business
basis. An Indian refused SO for bow
and arrow. It was bought for 81 by
man who carried several bows and ar
rows in his hand. This willy individual
leased the supply from a store in order
to impress his eopper-eolored fried. and
he succeeded.
The Indian said Mr. Ward, in
/ speaking of traits OF character he has
observed in his red friends. is 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
ask he Will not do. If he dislikes You.
I the less you have to do with that Indian
the better.
The Indian is very much abused fell
I low and he has never been treated as
he deserved to be by the white man. His
kvices 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 were 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. 1T 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 1t is
Indeed a peculiar mixture. You can
eradicate the Indian nature by any
| education. and it is q mistake to send
Indians away to school They should
be educated at home among their own
people, and their progress ought to be
gradual. otherwise the whole race will
soon disappear Our government has
been in too greet a hurry. Let the In
dian develop along lines corgenial to
his na ture. and something may come
out of all the expense and time devoted
| to the solution of the Indian problem
NV idea is that the Indian is all right.
but his ways are not our ways Let US
| give him 2 chance and give him time
to work out his salvation a Cariisie
Indian gets the sWelled head. ana one
such Indian may spoil an entire village
He is overeducated. but in TIE end ne
is worse off than at the beginning.
Mr. Ward says his investigations snow
I that 80 ner cent of the Indians ole 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
as ore of the most important subjects
( of investigation by those who are IN
4eresfed in the survival of the race that
once dominate the continent
THE customs of the various tribes Is
a never .ceasing topic Of interest. SAID
Mr. Ward after white man lives
awhile among the Indians he is gradu-
allv taken into their confidence end
shown many curious performances. al
of which have O meaning to the sclen-
fist one summer down among the
Apaches I was invited by the chiefs 10
be present at their great medicine dance.
This ceremony has from time immeln-
orial been performed on the banks Of 2
stream that flows into Sinking lake =
miles from Dulice. n. NJ. Two large
brush arbors are built. one on each paah
of the stream The women take theii
ulaces in one arbor and the men IN me
other The ceremony lasts two days
1T begins at sunrise, when the mel
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