The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-08-10
AMONG THE NEz PIERCE
c. K. Schafer Attends Religious
Service With Indians.
GETS INTO THE WRONG PEW

Andis Politely, But FIRMLY Taken Over
to thes Mems Side of the Church.
Interesting Letter.
sT1rEs. IDAHO, July 81 1904
DENIsoN REVIEW AND READERS
had 10 "lay over" day here so
will write little about the Indian
church which l attended. also some
lhipg about the Indians themselves
the Nez Perez tribe.
The neat frame church nestles SER
lrly in the shelter OF the pines, and |
W u never have suspected its location
If it had not been for the peal of the
| bell which called the worshipers to-
gether. | saw them go by on horse
back. a payly colored procession. Fol
lowing along the trial afterward Idrop
ped IN on the congregation as they
worshipped. You know young ladies
/
versa, and.seeing vacant seat straight
ahead among some danes and damsels
| meekly occupied it. But my lucky
star seemed TO have set One of the
deacons near the pulpit noticed the
maneuver aud bore down upon me with
dignity. He eelected seat beside
stalwart brave and babe me NOV,
The girls were not pretty. anyway
The females occupied the right and
center of the church and the brethren
on the left.
The interior of the church is finished
neatly though plainly. but the benches
are crude affairs made of boards and
would not do credit to the average
church. The rostrum was graced by
neat pulpit and upholstered chairs.
One dame who got tired OF sitting on
the benches calmly seated herself on
the floor to rest herself.
The men were mostly attired accord.
ing to American ideas, though some
wore their hair in braids and encased
their feet in moccasins. Broad brim-
med hats seemed to be in favor. The
women without exception wore gaily
colored kerchiefs Or mutfiers about
their heads. and shawls of attractive
colors were much in evidence Their
cornless pedal extremities were pcc-
oected by the noiseless moccasin
There was one | noticed who defed
the law of cluse and effect and endured
pair of patent feathers. | cannot de-
scribe their dress except to say it was
not Partisan. The children shooe in
store shoes. hats and frocks la Amer
| lcana. they were as bright eyed ana
eager looking as one could wish for
But the babies, the papooses, bless
their hearts, the2 had nothing to say
regarding their care or apparel, strap
ped and laced securely to the papoose
board, with liberty to only roll or nod
their heads, they gazed at stranger
with awe Or admiration, don't know
which. These boards were trimmed
and beaded and rovided with mos
quito net to ward off flies, for flies were
plentiful and hungry. We read that
Indian babies do not cry, we'll all can
say is that these must be getting Am, r.
icanized.
The service seemed to be Sunday
school, The leaflets were in English,
and we alternated with the specialized
superintendent reading the lesson and
answered few questions thereon
Afterward the lesson was gone over in
Indian and the superintendent and two
assistants expounded, concluding with
a genial talk by the superintendent to
the school and assisted by couple of
brethren. Afterward the collection
was taken up. A little girl waited on
the women and a little boy on the men.
There must be little rivalry in this,
for the treasurer counted each basket
and whispered something to the collect
ors who then got up and spoke few
words. The boy spoke longest and
needed frequent promptings, so judy
ed that he was the winner. There was
a liberal amount of singing done
tn oughout the service, and every once
in a while you could tell what they
were singing as they were mostly ia
miliar airs. But the vocal artists
seemed strangely absent, but then one
could understand most of the words,
though the pronunciation was not
smooth and easy as with US.
The Lords prayer was used for a
; benediction and then everyone sal
down agair. Pretty soon one man gets
up and shakes hands with his neigh:
Dor. the process is repeated in differ
, ent parts of the room and l infer the
+, exercises are terminated. They let me
] get out in peace. All are soon mount.
, ed, men women and children riding