The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-12-24
WIT OF the INDIAN
TIE niynified Fed Han has 2
t.ae7 Sense Of Humor.
STOKES OF STANDING BEAR.
Tho R.ee the Old Chief Was Willing
to Run A9,irot Government At
torney-A Gallant Er1vc and His
Mirror-.Aa Invisible Bridge.

torney-A Gallant Ercvc and HIS
Mirror-!Aa Invisible Bridge.
The Impression prevails widely that
! the Indian lacks the saving sense Of
l..mor-"t,lat most characteristic OF
al American qualities" TO the Gre.
ating and the spreading Of this lin.
prassiol many recognizable traits of
Indian character have indIsputablH
! cont:ibuted-his ancestral pride. his
exclusivcness, his gravity Of face and
&, dignity of manner in public.
Nevertheless an injustice Is done
him, for among no primitive peoples
IL the sense Of humcr keener or more
spontaneous and kindly.
Years ngo was converting with a
: group OF c!,il' of the Omaha tribe.
/ They were on their way to u reServa-
tLon school. and directly in their path
lay swamp an eighth Of u mile
! wide, ard strninht through this they
were required to wade twice day.
ut is too bad" l remarked. eau
you not so around the swamp? Your
feet will be wet, AMI you will be un.
comfortable ard possibly ill.,
"Cll,' cried 4 gil of about twelve
! years, her dark eyes dancing with
rncrri:ncat, Eve walk over the $1,000
lriT~e."
Ih>y all laughed at this. What
e'oull it Eean? saw no bridge: there
was no bridge to be seen. IT made
them merry. to see me m-stlncd, and
! l bard them laughing and emitting
us tllar w2nt through the wafer and
mud. .Aftclwa:d | discovered the hu-
mGr In the remark. Some years pre-.
! rious TO th:t time the government had
appropriated $1,000 to build Il bridge
over this swamp, but somehow the
| money had vanished into somebody's
! pocket ana the work WAS not done.
One evening I saw Il gallant young
; brave making his way swiftly over
, he ;-ai1ics Of TIC Omaha reserve.
lie was dressed in all his fnery. and
! ct his side dGngIed small mirror.
! slanicestly he was an ardent lover.
THIS should have surmised from his
dress and enger haste. even il | had
not known him. AS he was friend
Of mine. | bad inside information OF
his hopes and PURPOSES: also I VEN
tureI to step him for 4 moment, pre-
clo,,s as knew him time to lie.
"1hlt mirror at your side" ! re-
marked. is to give opportunity for
Prairie Flower to discover how lovely
she Is. is it not?" He considered a
moment. aud then, with twinkling
eye. lie replied:
NO. Maybe so she will talk too
lnuch to NE. and then I will look into
my mirror to see how tired am
This certainly was the humor Of ND-
srrtity.
Examples Of Standing Bears humor
! COIL give almost without number.
Duvin. tic trial Of his case before
Judge DunGy the contention Of the
government attorney WAS that an In
dian is net 4 person within the mean
In. of the law. This puzzled the old
Chief greatly. IT also amused hila.
One day. ut my table he was riGor-
cusly plying knife and fork when
suddenly he paused in his eating, lift
ed up his hands, and, humorous
smile lighting up his noble. storm
SCARED face. lie remarked: "The attor-
neys say am not u person. But !
can use Il knife ana fork. Does bear
! 90 that? II he, the attorney, is Il per-
sou am onc also We both eat with
knives and forks. Inleed. ! think l
can use them faster than he can. II
he wants to race rue eating I nm
| ready We all laughed at this. When
We were quiet Standing Bear added.
"That is, I will ruli an eating race
with the attorney if be will pay for
the beefsteas."
The first public address Standing
Bear ever made was given In my
church. In the course CT it While he
was plcadin: for assistance he address,
ed various classes Of people present
the men. the women. the clergy. the
business men, the children. WAcn he
was pleading with the women he said
II appeal to you because you arc brave
and patient. Whenever ycu have any.
thing hard to do ycu never rest until
It Is lcne" This was 4 gallant scnti-
mcEt worthy Of 4 chief. But Fraah
In F!csche. who was interpreting. reii.
dcrcd the sentence thus: You women
orc patient. When there is anything
hard to he done VIC men LET you do it.
THIS WAS 50 true 10 Indian custom!
that the Audience laughed.
Standing Ecar was puzzled. AS b"
etncG silent moment wondering wha:
mistake he had made bright Eyes, the
beautiful Omaha maiden. stepped for
ward IN! said. ''Nfy irothcr FRANK
HIS made mistake in interpreting The
chiefs ta0u~t!t" Then she save the
proner rendering.
The Chicago papers took liberties
with Standing Eaar's name. one OF
them referring to him constantly ~
Cpri-ht BrTin. When this vas eH.
planned to the chief he took the matter
with g"cnt Ccrd nature.
"Wlat lCcs IT lnattcr?" be remarked,
his face bcamnG. ''I am all tied W
with ramcs. I an like n pony tangled
In hls larlst Father Hamilton, the
Presbyterian, calls me elder. The
Episccpallan clergyman calls ne ward.
en-. For | am au officer In the little