Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-01-31

OF the origin Of scalp taking but
little is known, and that vague and
indefinite. Nearly every tribe has
some wild, weird legend to account
for the custom, but these traditions
vary widely as to the cause. That
raising the hair of an enemy is OF
great antiquity there is no doubt, for
IN the Bible it is related how the sol
diers tore the skin from the heads OF
their vanquished foes.
With the North American savage
there appears to be some close atfili.
alton between the departed and his
hair. have often asked many a blood
begrimed warrior why he should care
for dead mans hair, and invariably
. number of reasons have been as
signed. 1t is an evidence to his peo-
pie that he has triumphed over his
enemy. The scalps are very promi-
nent factors In the incantations of
the medicine lodge, feature of re-
ligious rites. The savage believes
there is wonderfully inherent power
in the scalp of an enemy All the
excellent qualities of the victim go
with his hair the moment 1t is
wrenched from his head. II the victim
is renowned warrior SO much great
or is the anxiety to procure his scalp.
Tor the fortunate possessor then in
herits all the bravery and prowess of
Its original owner.
| never knew of but one instance in
all my experience among the Indians
covering a period of more than a
third OF a century where white man
taken prisoner in battle escaped
death, II was a great many years
ago: the party. dear friend, Is still
living. grand old mountaineer, but
the homeliest man on earth probably
He was red faced. wrinkled anc
pockmarked, with mouth as large
and full OF teeth as gorilla, and
there was no more hair on his heat
than there is on billiard bah.
He was captured In a prolonged
hight and taken TO the village of the
tribe, where theS principal chief re
sided, That dignitary gave one dis
gusted look at the prisoner and said
that he was bad medicine" and, II
not the EVIL spirit himself, closely
re.ated to 1t. The chief ordered his
subordinates TO furnish the prisoner
with pony, loaded with provisions.
provided him with a rifle and told him
to go back to his people.
For the reasons stated the Indian
OF the great plains and Rocky noun.
taius would rather take one scalp of
n famous scout or army officer who
had successfully ehastised them-for
example, Custer. Sully. Miles or Crook
than dozen scalps Of ordinary
white men
There are many instances on record
where men have been scalped and vet
survived the terrible ordeal. but In
every case the scalper supposed his
victim dead, the latter taking good
care that his foeman should not be
d'sabused of the supposed fact.
In 1867 party of Indians took up
rail- on the unIun Pacific railroad
and laid distinctions ON the track.
After dark a freight train ran into
the Trap and was wrecked The en-
sine driver and firemen We're ins
stantly killed, The conductor and
brakeman Jumped OF. To find them
selves beset by band of yelling saw
Ages. The engineer escaped In the
darkness, but the luckless brakeman
was shot and fell The Indian who
mad hired dismounted from his pony.
scalped him, striped him of his cloth.
ing and rode away.
Early in the morning another
freight train was fiagged hy a hide.
Gus looking object, which turned out
10 be the brakeman, who had been
shot through the body aud scalped
He had recovered his senses, and
knowing that the train was due.
walked some distance down tho track
to save Il from being wrecked He
was taken on board. and the train
moved up to the wreck. which. after
piundering il, the Indians left Just as
y was thrown over through their
devilish act
saw the unfortunate man some
months afterward He was perfect.
~ recovered but with horrible look.
Ing head. He stated that the bullet
although knocking him down. had
not made him unconscious. and the
greatest trial during the awful night
was the necessity of shamming dead
he not daring to even groan while
the Indian was saving at his scalp
with a very duh knife
The other instance which has come
under my own observation is that OF
Robert MCGEE. In 1864 MCGEE. a
slender STRIPPING OF lad. came to
Leayenworth Kan. seeking employ.
ment That town was the base OF
supplies for all the from
tier military posts, even as far away
as Arizona a freight caravan was