The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-12-21
GLUTTONOUS SIOUX.
INDIANS SAID TO BE HATIN0
THEMSELVES TO DHApH.
The Once Great Tribe Reduced TO q
Remnant and Very Largely
Through Inordinate
Appetite.


IL Thomas A. Edison referred TO
the American Indians when he said
that people we're eating themselves to
death, he could find plenty Of cor.
roboration of bis theory on the reser-
vations. Overeating is doing more to
bring about the extinction of the Sioux
and Yankton Indians than race sui
eide, fire water and all the diseases
which haunt the wigwam OF the red
man.
The great tribe of Sioux Indians is
disappearing. The members, Il is de.
clared. are literally eating themselves
to death on account of the plenty
about them.
With the new railroad being built
through the White river valley the
Indians will be enabled to secure sup
plies with greater ease. They are
likely to become greater feeders than
they are now, and thus to hasten the
time of their disappearance from the
reservations in South Dakota.
IL corroborative evidence was not
easily obtained, 1t would scarcely be
accepted as true that in the course
OF a night of feasting. dancing and
story telling the average Indian will
consume from 10 to Is pounds of meat
and IL he has an abundance of food
and can make his own selection of
the parts to be eaten, he will swallow
without inconvenience not less than
20 pounds OF meat in single night.
Carloads Of canned meats are con-
sumed by the overfed Sioux Indians,
and some canned goods have become
almost as sacred a dish with the red
men as the fat dog stew of old, for
which the Sioux tribe is famous.
Among the varieties OF canned goods
eaten to excess. the oyster holds first
place. A hungry Indian will eat half
a dozen cans and drink the liquor.
Besides the harm cone by eating ex-
cessive amounts Of food. the fact that
It is not properly prepared makes II
the more Injurious. There Ia no va
riety or style about Sioux Indian
cookery, no French methods, no ne.
cessity for titillating appetites already
over keen.
A rot full Of meat and water is pu,
on the fire by the squaw and allowed
to heat, but there is no definite time
for the meal to cook and no point In
the cooking process when 1t is done
The dinner is ready whenever her lore
comes in and grunts about beinl
hungry.
IL the Indian is especially hungr,
he may begin on tho contents of tn,
kettle by the time the meat is fairl!
warm. There is never any faul, find
ing about the way in which the foot
is prepared, and whether II is half
raw or done to rags, no objection Il
made by the head of the family.
The Indians know the choicest It'd
bits of every animal and how L
cook them. The hunt at this time o
the year gives the Sioux Indian tn
fullest enjoyment OF his appetite, an,
during the next three months tn
average buck will devour enough mea
to satisfy four ordinary men.
Condiments are in great demand b.
the Indians, and the Sioux Indian
probably consume more black an
red Pepper per capita than any othe
people in the United States. Thei
former favorite condiment was tn
gall OF an elk.
The Sioux Indians are responsible
for the reputation which nearly a.
tribes have Of eating dog meat, bu
, there are few other tribes which eve
: served dog meat, even at the feas
OF important ceremonies. The Chey
ennes, Shoshones and Arapahoes neve
touch dog meat.