Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-17
WIDE AWAKE RED MEN
Striking Effects of Civilization
 In Indian Reservations.

Striking Effects of Civilization
 In Indian Reservations.
 OHEYENNEs TAKE TO TELEPH0NEs
 Sioux Indians Whirl Into Town II
 Family Automobiles Pianos ant
 Organs Popular-Hearses Used tt
 Serve ns Carriages-some ''Prog
 ress" Made In the Line of Divorces
 How can it be said that the Indian:
 are not becoming civilized? Even ii they have habit of celebrating theil
 feasts with fat dogs or wolves as tht piece de resistance, even if they are
 taking advantage of the recent ruling of the supreme court to absorb the out put of several brewertes, impressive evidence that they are taking on the
 ways of the white men is to be found in the reports of assessors who while going over the Rosebud and Cheyenne
 River reservations took occasion to lis, the property of the Indians. says spe cial dispatch from Chamberlain, s. D.. to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
 These reports show the following
 luxuries are possessed by the Sioux Indians of these two reservations:
 Three hundred and twenty tele- phones.
 Eighteen automobiles.
 Nine hearses (used as carriages).
 Twenty-eight pianos.
 Sixty organs.
 Add to these the forty-seven divorces secured by Indians in the past year in the courts of Chamberlain and Oaco- ma, and it cannot be denied that the naughty Sioux who a few years ago were the terror of settlers and even soldiers have become apt pupils of the white man.
 It is only recently that the rural tele- phone industry has reached cut to the red men. Most of the instruments are to be found on the Cheyenne River res ervation, for line has been run west from Pierre Barbed wire is employed as conductor, and the lines serve all the big ranches in the. country west of Pierre. The Cheyennes were greatly interested in the building of the tele- phones, and when they found out that they could talk through space they were wild to secure instruments for themselves. AS they are excellent GUS toners, due to their lavish manner of spending money, they were promptly accommodated by the company. Now if the ranchmen find the line busy it is usually buzzing with gossip in the orig inal Sioux tongue.
 Last summer when the Rosebud res ervation was thrown open for settle ment visitors at Bonesteel were amazed to see Sioux Indians whirl into the town in family automobiles. squaw in the front seat and red skinned young sters in the rear. One enterprising red, Black Cloud, made a handsome sum hauling prospective settlers about the reservation in his automobile. These machines have from the first appealed to the Indians. They have a veritable passion for machines painted in bright colors. Often when they have received S2.000 or more for allotted lands Indi- ans will go to Omaha or Sioux City, see a striking automobile and spend their entire fortune for one like it. Hollow Horn Bear, leading tribes man on the Yankton reservation, went to Washington in March to attend the of President Roosevelt. He came back with big machine. and the pompous manner in which he dis played his new possession to the others caused such furore that the agency had to take hand to restore order.
 The same love of display on the part of the Indian leads them to make some purchases. A few days ago a big Indian from the Rosebud reserva- ton, Shouting Horn, went to Yankton to buy a family carriage. The dealer be visited showed him every vehicle In his house, but the Indian was not i'm pressed. He went out disappointed. Just at that moment an undertaken was passing on his hearse. With a grunt Of admiration the buck ran out Into the street and stopped the driver.
 How much?' he inquired. pointing grandiloquently to the high polished black wood and waving plumes. The John Hanley. laughed at first. but when he found the red man was In earnest made him an outra- yeous price. The Indian produced the money. crawled on to the seat and drove back to his reservation. the proudest Indian in the west.
 If the Indians continue developing the divorce fad as they have done in the last two years Sioux Falls will be displaced as the divorce center of the United States. In the past year tor ty-seven divorce decrees were issued there and at Oacoma. a gain of seven. teen over the last year. County Attor- 1eT Dartos favors some sort of legis- lation restricting the Indian divorcees. in measure. however. the divorce is teaching tho Indians that marriage bonds are somewhat binding.