The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-08-21
Bargaining With
a Navajo

/
the transport quartermaster who con
Quoted the recent cruise OF the Sum
ner to Cuban ports with the Santiago
! battlefields commission, has spent
much time among the western Indians
| and has a fine collection of blankets,
which have attracted much attention
/ since he has been stationed at Wash,
| ington. Many of the blankets were
secured from Indians whose names
have place in the history OF the
army.
One of the finest saddle blankets
In my collection" said Major Baker
10 New York Tribune reporter the
other day, lis saddle blanket which
once adorned the war pony OF Black
Horse, a Navajo chief who never be-
came very friendly with the whites. |
was out in Arizona holding powwow
with bunch OF drifters whom the
government wanted corraled on a res
eryation when | met Black Horse. He
would not come within the circle or
smoke the pipe OF peace but hung
around on the outside, sullen, ultra
dignfied and unapproachable.
"One afternoon | saw his saddle
blanket-one of the most beautiful |
had ever seen--and great desire to
possess it overcame me. Through our
Interpreter | sent him an offer of $25.
to which he would not even reply. |
raised the offer to $780, but the answer
was only a grunt. Finally he Informed
the interpreter that the white captain
did not have enough money to buy his
blanket.
Knowing something OF the Indian
character ! thought out way of get
ting the blanket and at the same time
winning the friendship of the chief
which was important in the official
matter we had on hand. | sent word
to Black Horse that the white captain !
at last realized his great worth and |
Importance; felt that he was the |
greatest of all great Indians, and that
he was more than worthy OF being my |
guest at a feast which | wished to |
prepare for him. told him that he
might bring friend if he knew one
who was worthy enough, or that he
could come alone If 1t suited his dig
nifty better. | asked him when he
would accept such an invitation
The vanity of the old chief was
tickled. He said he would come the
next night, which would give him time
n 70 "a |
Justice to the white captains dinner.
Il prepared q feast which | knew
le would like. There was a stew OF
potatoes and beans and onions and
neat All Indians like stew better (.
han anything else. and they detest /,
dishes. | found in the
stores several cans OF apples and had
hem opened up. Then brewed a
punch, favoring it with the apple
uice This was poured out in great
in cups holding fully pint Before
We began | intimated to Black Horse :
hat at the white captains table he
hould sip the punch no faster than
lid the white captain
THE dinner progressed famously
III the while Black Horse kept his
we on me and never missed an oppor- i
unity to sip from the tin cup when | /,
i'd. lie slipped little harder and
resently his cup was empty.
cached over and poured into his cup
lore than half of the punch which
In mine. An Indian can UNI
erstand your giving him half of any.
hing you have. but the man who will
i've you more than half is generous 4
eyond belief.
AT last the moment came for
nal play for the blanket | arose and c
ade a speech. Finally / took off the
inform blouse. which was about as 81
a looking one as an Off
sr ever wore. had worn it three
onths in the brush, and It certainly
iowed It. This blouse. I explained Al
him. was made for the father OF n
Ie white captains father many, many .,
ears ago. II was old, and it was near
the white captains heart. But so
as Black Horse. and the blouse was
be his
He took II with more eagerness
an an Indian usually shows about
Iything, and then he made his
,eech. He spoke principally about
msslf and maze himself out very
eat man. Then he muttered some.
ing and left the tent for a moment.
hen he returned he had the saddle
anket. which with a fine bow he