The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-25
THIS WAS UP.TO.DATE
INDIAN WEDDING
Also Back to a Very Much Ear.
Iier Date Than the Pres
ent.

Last Thursday, on the Usage reser-
walton, occurred the most elaborate
wedding in the history of the Usage In
dians. This wedding is thought by the
other Indians to be about the last OF
its kind that viii ever be celebrated by
this tribe. This conclusion is due to
the inroads civilization is making upon
Indian customs and is also largely due
TO the fact that nearly all of the young
er members of the tribe are entering
schools, and the influence of these
schools make them drop their native
habits and customs. This wedding
even was not letter perfect, according
to all the rites of the red man, and at
one time it looked as though the cere-
mony would be declared off because the
groom refused to attire himself in
blanket and red paint
The contracting parties were Arthur
Bonniecastle, a fullblood Usage, and
Angie Penn. The bride has small
strain OF white blood in her veins, her
father being a mixed blood, but her
mother was a fullblood Usage squaw.
The two are of the higher type Of the
red race-much higher, W fact, than is
often found-and every fullblood In
dian on the reservation believes they
are the two best young people of the
tribe. Because of their general popu-
larity every Indian attended the we'd
ding. no invitations to an affair of this
kind being necessary for the indian.
Nearly 800 white people, residents of
the reservation and nearby towns, were
invited and were in attendance.
The story of the romance that leads
up to this wedding is a pretty one.
When Arthur Bonniecastle was eight
years old his parents both died, leav-
ing him without relatives upon whom
he could call. so he was packed off to
the Usage mission in Kansas, more TO
get him out of the way than to secure
for him an education. Here he started
his education, and in a few years was
sent to the Carlisle institute, where he
graduated with high honors.
When the first call for volunteers In
the last war was made, he at once en-
listed and saw service in Cuba. He
went to China with his regiment, and
was the second man over the walls Of
Pekin. For this service he wears a
medal. presented to him by the United
States government, and of which he is
very proud. After the trouble in China
was over he was transferred to the
Philippines, with his regiment, and
served there until nine months ago,
when he was h0norably discharged, and
left the service as first sergeant of his
company. Six months ago he returned
to the reservation, the home of his
young bOyhood. To him all the man
ners and customs of his people were
new. and it required some little time
again to acquire the Usage language,
although he speaks English, French
and Spanish like a native.
He is the ideal type of the Indian,
tall, straight as an arrow, and is alb
solutely honest. He has picked up no
bad habits in his travels to different
parts of the world. and his associations
and experiences have given him wide
and correct knowledge of things out
side of Me ordinary. In his six months
residence on the reservation he has be-
come well acquainted with the people
and has assumed the management OF
his farm and business interests, which,
during his absence, had been in the
hands of his brother and the govern
ment agent. The Indians, and espe-
cially the fullbloods, admire the young
man very much. while the whites upon
the reservation look upon him as the
brightest fullblood of the tribe. 1t
seems fitting, indeed, that he should see
and fall in love with pretty Angie Penn,
who is his equal in every way.
She is regarded as the most progress
sive Indian Woman in the Usage coun-
try, and her people admire her, one and
all. She is loved by all the white peo-
pie who know her. Her beauty is
known from one end of the reservation
to the other. There is not a more
beautiful Indian woman in the country
than she. She is seventeen years old,
while her husband is twenty-four. Her
entire life has been spent on the Usage
reservation. She was educated at the
agency school, and possesses as good
an education as any white girl. who
graduates from high school.
After the manner and customs of
the fuilbloods, the girl has always been
kept with her mother, except when in
school; the Usage women never al
lowing their daughters out of their
oh rf
years.
When Bonniecastle came to the res
ervation he was heart and fancy free
One day while at the agency at Paw
huska, he saw the girl, and it was
case of love at first sight with him.
He told his brother about her and in
formed him that he was going to call
upon her. This was one of the man
ners he had learned while in the white