The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-07-25
INDIAN BRAVES
GIVE WAR DANCE
Gaudy Spectacle Entertains Great
Crowd at Liberty Park.
JOSH DAVIS IS SCALPED
EXHIBITION OF DARE DEVIL
BARE BACK RIDING.
JOSH DAVIS IS scALPED

Civilizations representatives to the
humber Of $500 or 1900 looked on at
Liberty Park yesterday afternoon while
the Bannock Indians to the number of
1'9 went through the contortiOns of the
war dance. The sight was one to ap-
peal TO the imagination. For hours men
women and children gathered about the
open space in the park south of the
band stand until a natural aplfft heat re
was formed with this background Of
Into this circle at O'Clock in the aft
ernoon the Indians were ushered. decked
horns, metal trinkets of all kinds and
blankets and clothes OF the most bril-
liant hues- A scrambled rainbow would
have seemed duh and tame in COMPARE
son.
The colors Also Ran.
A number Of the younger braves wore
breech ctOuts, head ornaments and weap-
ons. Their limbs and bodies were paint
ycllOws. Under the brOiing sun these
colors ran, making combinations that
were anything but artistic. The faces
of all the warriors were daubed with
paint The souaws, some of them at
rated. squatted about in the center of
the circle and cheered on their lords
and masters with approving glances.
with singing the war songs and beating
the tOm-toms. The Indians had the field
20 themselves for their evolutiOns. The
Biittering mass OF gaudy colors moving
about over the green and surrounded
by. the thousands of well dressed whites
presented picture not soon to be for
The braves were preceded into the cir
Gle b. the Indian band which rendered
music at intervals. The band boys We're
dressed in uniforms and took no part
In the dances. These lasted for more
than an hour They included all the
features of the war dance. the Cree or
peace dance and q procession around the
entire cree a the enc; Almost con-
slant cheering greeted the warriors as
they DranCed about in all the glory of
their accoutrements. Their sharp. shrill
war cries could be distinctly heard above
Bl the confusion. Occasionally an am
bilious buck with more personal pride
than his companions could be seen sur
Veying himself in a hand mirror as ne
kept time to the unearthly music.
Daring Bareback Riders.
No feature of the entertainment called
out such hearty applause the Eorse-
back riding, of four OF the braves under
the leadership Of Jack Hoyt, who WIS
In charge Of all the dances. Z hese four,
on nimble-fOoted horses, dashed about
the circle swift as arrows. There were
no saddles TO bother them: occasionally
they would Jump TO the ground while
the horses We're at full speed and spring
back TO their seats again. One of the
younger Indians showed how easy 1t was
TO spring astride of the horse behind
The rider while all were going at fun
Josh Davis had a serious time. He
terrain the children. He persisted in
breaking into the circle until he was
With a blood-curdlinE whoop they
descended upon Josh In vain he tried
to break through and escape; in vain
he ran like a rabbit that feels The breath
Of the hounds at his heels: in vain he
lodged and twisted He was caught
thrown TO the ground and dragged to
the camp fire in the center of the circle
There he was placed in the custody of
two Of the oldest of the squaws. Watch
Ing his chance. he broke loose from his
Cautors and make a. break for liberty
Again he was run down and caught just
as he was breaking through the crowd.
Again he was dragged to the center. and
here with a cry Of triumph one Of his
captOrS with dCNtrOuS swing Of his
knife lifted the scalp Of the Inflated
Josh. A wild cry went up from every
Indian throat this trophy was held
Bl0ft.
Break Camp and Depart.
At the close of the dance the Indians
formed in line and. headed by the band,
made the circuit of the crowd Every
where they We're greeted with cheers and
cries of Good bOysI' Their enterIain-
ment had made the hit of the day. 1t
was with difficulty they extricated them
selves from the crowd and worried their
way back to their camp. This was their
last performance in the city. after in
The evening they broke camp and took
up their march to the Oregon Short Line
depot. There they took the II O'Clock
train for their homes on the FO-t E!aH
reservation ia Idaho.