The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-07-01
PATHETIC INDIAN TALES
RELATED BY ONE WHO HAS
LIVED AMONG THEM.

Tears came to the eyes OF many
members of the New York Indian AS
ISOLATION as Mrs. Ida Vose Woodbury.,
New England field secretary OF the
American Missionary association, told
of the burial of Beautiful Blossom, the
youngest child of the Rev. Mr.. Wach-
acwastiwm, an ordained clergyman;
of the healing of Eagle Feather de-
serted, with her three children, by her
husband, Swallow; of the burning OF
an aged Indian mother at the stake
by her son. because he said she was
too old any longer to spear the salmon
or snare the rabbit. and of the erec-
ton less than three years later. OF
church on the spot where her little
heap of gray ashes had fallen.
There is a difference between
knowing about Indians and knowing
Indians said Mrs. Woodbury.. i
don't suppose l know very much about
Indians, but | think | may say know
Indians. | can almost claim to belong
to them. for | have been among them
all my life. and have been invited to
membership in one of the tribes. In
my girhood there were usually from
one to half a dozen Indians rolled IN
buffalo robes sleeping around my
fathers open fire of night, and used
to go into their wigwams freely, max
ing them little presents and some
times buying their baskets and bead
work. | recall one day going to one
Of their tepees where two OF the
young braves looked curiousiy at me.
Him; that Vose grill said one,
make good sCuaw.
A Cause of Reproach.
1.-THE name Indian is a misnomer.
They are not Indians. They are ma
tive Americans, the only native Ameri-
cans Nor are they red men. They
may be brown. copper. or practically
white They have no pigment under
the skin, as negro has, and with civ
ilization they whiten For an Indian
to have fair skin is q cause OF re-
proach among the tiercer tribes. The
North American Indian is the native
aristocrat of this country. and he is
proud of his birth.
81 once asked the daughter of an
old chief. who had become converted
and taken new name. How many
Indians go back to the blanket? Al
most none of the second generation,
she replied; of course, OF the first
generation some go back. but | have
heard OF white people who backsilde.
However civilized an Indian family
may be, it has tepee, and in summer
for little while it likes to go off and
pitch the tepee far away from man
and play heather for a few weeks.
The Indian wants to brown himself in
the smoke of his fire, go around in the
blistering sun hatless. and have a va
cation from civilization. | have known
white men who liked to play heather
a little while.
THE new name of this girls father
was Kitto. after the author of the his
tory of the Bible. He was one of
band of hostile Indians who were i'm
prisoned as a consequence OF some
warlike raids. Father Ridge went
among them and converted them, and
when President Lincoln pardoned
"
them they marched out. 200 strong,
singing the fifty-frst Psalm to the
tune of old Hundred When an In
dian becomes a Christian and Is pap
tized, they give him a new name 10
indicate something that he is to Strug-
gle to attain to. This is simply an
adaptation Of the Indian system OF
nomenclature. An Indian father who
calls his son Shoot-in-the-Ear thereby
expresses his hope that when the boy
grows up he will be able to shoot his
foe or his quarry straight and clean
in the ear. | know one Indian who
christened himself Eli Abraham. |
suppose he admired both characters
and annexed them to his Indian name,
In the hope of attaining to their vir-
tues.
They Arc Very Religious.
Indians hate half breeds. Once |
had this same young girl with me at a
meeting in fremont Temple, Boston,
when young negro preacher who was
almost white. thinking to show his
| friendliness, said to her. I have lit
tie Indian blood in me- The girl drew
herself up, and. looking at him in
| scorn. said, You have little Indian
blood in you. Then | thank God that
| / am not like you.
Indians. according to Mrs. Wood
! bury, are pre-eminently religious. If
| il We're not for their religious wants.
they would ask very little odds of the
missionary ard Indian associations Of
the country" she said.
"Vnu cnU rpcaH how ahponf IL