The Indianapolis journal., 1903-02-08

were worth double the value OF the white.
and are now proportionately still more
precious 1t is a curious fact that all
strings OF wampum made by Indians meas
ure exactly eleven inches in length The
little cylinders, or beads. are of unequal
length. but whatever the length or number
OF the individual beads composing the
string. the strings were made to measure
eleven inches.
No Indian has made cylinder OF wam-
pun Tor a hundred years. White men
who had learned the trick continued TO
make them for fifty years. but half a
century ago the last white man died who
could do IL. Many have tried, and failed.
To hle out and Derforate one little shell
cylinder takes more labor than the prod
uct would be worth The supply, for that
reason, was totally cut off fifty years ago.
For good while after that wampum was
plenty and cheap. IL had long since ceased
TO be used currency. but IL was priced
by almost all Indians for ornament and as
characteristic native treasure. Women
often possessed such quantities of n. be-
slowed by their fathers or husbands that
IL hung with almost burdensome weight
aro1nd a .s d1 their necks S And when they died
on being buried. wherever il still exists
among the Indians. Ii can be found here
and there. Looking at the matter from
their point of view, why should il not be?
Ihelr arts and industries are gone. Their
children are ceasing to be Indians They
care more for sentiment than they do for
money, ana sentiment prompts them to
cherish the old ideas first OF all. One OF
these ideas Is that the dead like TO have
their dearest possessions with them on the
path that they follow beyond the grave
So the wampum grows scarcer and more
scarce.
Many of the beautiful old Navajo blank
cts went IN this way. Now they make
blankets In Navajo land of Germantown
yarn and aniline dyes, but they are not at
all the blankets OF old Some good people
are trying to get the Navajos TO make the
blankets in the old way. but IL is 10 be
feared that they have lost the knack and
their taste has become corrupted The coll
lectors Of Indian basketry are doing a good
thing in gathering In the fine old specimens
But the baskets are now being cleverly re-
produced by white people. and there seems
to be no good reason why the basket-col-
lecting rage should not be replaced by a
basket-weaving rage.
The art OF bead-working Is not Yet lost
by any means In certain tribes the women
and girls make as beautiful work as they
ever die. But there Il a decided tendency
away from the less bright and glittering
colors that were once employed. while Tire
knack OF free, broad. graceful designing is
passing away. There is no reason why
their work should not be redeemed from
this tendency. II the right personal and
commercial influences are brought 20 bear.
To employ these influences Is one OF the
tasks OF the Sequoya League. which has a
particularly strong and influential branch
in this city.
Meantime the serious and understanding
collector OF Indian things Is reaping a har-
vest nowadays which may make MIN rich
some day. New characteristics genuine and
beautiful articles which find their way here
are snapped up very promptly by vig-
liant connoisseurs. while the tawdry things
limitations and examples OF corrupted In
dian work. are left 10 the multitude Ii is
a happy circumstance that 5efore the
rage set In our museums were fairly well
furnished with a great many OF the really
illustrative and typical objects OF Indian
art.