The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-07-05


expecting to fca Wild Indians en-
camped 3pon every plain will have
his disappointment for'his pains. The
truth is that DO wild" Indians now
live in Indian Territory proper, and,
in fact, but email sprinkling of the
full.bloods. Of the 100000 people
inhabiting Indian Territory, no more
than $4,000 are Of Indian blood; and
of the $4,000 nearly two-thirds are
only in part Indian.
The "blsnket" Indians, or so-called
wild Indians Of the territory, III
live in Oklahoms, on reservations set
apart by The government. These tribes
embrace the Kiowas, Comanches,
Apaches, Wiohitas, Caddoes, Sioux
and Cheyennes. The writer has just
returned from long trip through the
Apache, Kiowa and Comanche resenva-
tions. The result Of this trip has
been to convince me that the savage
Indian, 60 far as this territory is con-
cerned, is feature Of the past. Only
here and there did We come upon 3
typical camp, one reminding us Of the
old barbarous days. Enlightened by
the missionary, encouraged by the
government, the Indian is fast taking
to himself the white mans ways and
the comfort Of the white man 8 home.
Even on the Apache reservation-the
Apaches are now looked upon as the
lowest stratum Of Indian life in the
territory-tho home Of civilization is
the rule and not the exception. One
seldom sees now the. oonical-shaped,
picturesque tepee, with its plume of
poles at the top and it's primitive
windward fat for controlling the
smoke. Eight years ago, when the
government ceased issuing rations, it
also ceased to issue cloth for tents.
Hence the white mans tent, which
can be bought ready-made, is very
much in evidence. Approaching an
Indian tert-village of today one would
readily take it for camp Of United
States engineers. Yet here and there,
throughout the village. is seen the typi-
cal rudely constructed hgrst. arber of
the old savage days under nhich the
Indian family lives for most or the
summer.
Strange to say that while large
majority Of the men among the ''blan-
ket" Indians have now adopted civil
lized dress, and stalk about in trous.
ers and sack coat with the ease Of
thoto born to them,. only in isolated
cases have the women taken to mod.
ern feminine gear. Throughout the
length and breadth Of the Apache,
Comanohe and KioWa reservations, /
never saw a single Indian woman in
dress skirt and shirt waist! They
complain vigorously Of the length snd
fullness cf our skirts, and declare it
is impossible to do their camp wosk in
the garb that we affect. A strip OF
calico with circular opening in the
centre, through which the head sis
thrust, with an opening left for each
arm between the edges Of the cloth,
which dis tackled together. under the
arm.pit and wideued BY a v-shaped
gore, is the Indian woman's universal
garment for the upper portion of.the
body. For the lower portion she wraps
sheet about herself, then shawl or
alight blanket for . skirt, and how
she ever twists and rolls them and
tucks them in5st the edges so that
they hold is one Of The mysteries
known only TO herself. q 5.5$ S.
These women still carry their babies
upon their baoks in buckskin and
board cradles, or tucked; in the folds
Of blanket or shawl. j have twice;
recently knelt Of the altar Of our In.,.
dian mission churches with Indian
women who had come to the eons,;..ii
muniop bringing their babies In this:
manner. Two Sundays ago j aun-;
ming little papoose was prssensed 10
be ohristened which was wrapped IN
buckskin thongs tightly bound;
around ice clothipg from the shoulders:
down.
Another sad feature "a: me of this
lndian home life 81 that while the
men are fask learning to speak Eng
llsh, and many of them oan read and
speak IL fairly veil, tbe Indian so.E
men, with but few excepti ions, per-.
aistently eling 70 the gustsral jargon.
ef barbaroIs days. ia The church and and
government school throughout tho
reservations, The rnleE 10 enforced Sof
Compelling the ohil ldren, oven iii CON:
vsfsationi 20 ase only English. hen
.hey return Is thesr camps, however,
Il x