The Harlowton news., 1911-02-03
Wit OF THE indian
The Dignified Red Man Has a
Keen Sense of Humor,
STORIES OF STANDING BEAR.
The Race the Old Chief Was Willing
to Run Against q Government At.
torney-A Gallant Brave and His
Mirror-An Invisible Bridge.


Mrror-An Invisible Bridge.
The impression prevails widely that
the Indian lacks the saving sense Of
humor-"that most characteristic Of
all American qualities" To the Gre
ating and the spreading Of this im-
preston many recognizable traits of
Indian character have indisputably
contributed-his ancestral pride, his
exclusiveness, his gravity Of face and
dignity Of manner in public.
Nevertheless an injustice is done
him, for among no primitive peoples
Is the sense of humor keener or more
spontaneous and kindly.
Years ago was conversing with q
group Of children of the Omaha tribe.
They were on their way to a reserva.
tion school, and directly in their path
lay a swamp an eighth Of mile
wide, and straight through this they
We're required to wade twice a day.
1T is too bad," I remarked Can
you not go around the swamp? Your
feet will be wet, and you will be un.
comfortable and possibly ILL.,"
"Oh," cried girl Of about twelve
years, her dark eyes dancing with
merriment, 1--WE walk over the $1,000
bridge"
They all laughed at this. What
could 1t mean? I saw no bridge; there
was no bridge to be seen. 1t made
them merry to see me mysti6ed, and
heard them laughing and chatting
as they went through the water and
mud. Afterward I discovered the hu-
NOR in the remark. Some years pre-
y1ous to that time the government had
appropriated $1,000 to build bridge
over this swamp, but somehow the
money had vanished into somebody's
pocket and the work was not done.
One evening I saw a gallant young
brave making his way swiftly over
the prairies Of the Omaha reserve. |
He was dressed in all his f1nery, and |
at his side dangled small mirror. |
Manifestly he was an ardent lover. |
This should have surmised from his |
dress and eager haste, even If had |
not known him. AS he was q friend |
of mine, I had inside information of |
his hopes and purposes; also l ven
tured to stop him for moment, pre-
cious as knew him time to be.
THAT mirror at your side," I re-
marked, "is to give opportunity for
Prairie Flower to discover how lovely
she is, is 1t not?" He considered
moment, and then, with a twinkling
eye, he replied:
mo. Maybe so she will talk too
much to me. and then I will look into |
my mirror to see how tired am"
This certainly was the humor Of alb. |
surdity.
Examples Of Standing Bears humor
could give almost without number.
During the trial of his case before
Judge Dundy the contention Of the
government attorney was that an In
dian is not person within the mean
ing Of the law. This puzzled the old
chief greatly. 1t also amused him.
One day at my table he was vigor-
ously plying a 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, he remarked: "The attor-
neys say l am not a person. But l
can use knife and fork. Does a bear
do that? If he, the attorney. is a per-
son l am one also. We both eat with
knives and forks Indeed, I think l |
can use them faster than he can. If
he wants to race me eating am
ready" We all laughed at this. When |
we were quiet Standing Bear added,
That Is, 1 will run an eating race |
with the attorney If he will pay for |
the beefsteak."
The first public address Standing
Bear ever made was given in nv
church. In the course Of It while he |
was pleading for assistance he address.
ed various classes Of people present.
the men, the women, the clergy, the |
business men, the children. When he
was pleading with the women he said:
Il appeal to you because you are brave
and patient Whenever you have any
thing hard to do you never rest until |
1t is done" This was a gallant senti-
ment worthy of chief. But Frank
La Flesche, who was interpreting, rem
dered the sentence thus: "You women
are patient. When there is anything
hard to be done we men let you do it."
This was so true to Indian custom
that the audience laughed.
Standing Bear was puzzled. As he
stood silent moment wondering what
mistake he had made Bright Eyes the
beautiful Omaha maiden, stepped for.
ward QpI enid aNfu r. |
has made mistake in interpreting the
chiefs thought" Then she gave the
proper rendering.
The Chicago papers took liberties
with Standing Bears name, one Of
them referring to him constantly as
Upright Bruin. When this was ex-
planned to the chief he took the matter
with great good nature.
"What does 1t matter?" he remarked,
hfu Paca hoo ON oil <ioa ~,