Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-21
SENSE OF HUMoR IN INDIANS
story to Demonstrate that 10 ~
Keener Than In Most
Caucasaians.

The historians who have recorded the
achievements Of our race on the western
hemisphere have, as a rule, done scant
justice to the people whom we supplanted.
Many Of the school books furnished to our
children and the novels prepared for the
entertainment of their elders have por-
trayed the Indian in colors which would
make him unacceptable by his closest
intimates. Popular writers generally agree,
for example, in representing him as
naughty and taciturn. They simply ignore
human nature. An intruder who forces
his way into an occupied home takes pos
session Of 1t and establishes there a new
language, new customs and new proprietary
relations would naturally be regarded by
his unwilling host with some suspicion,
which would hardly fail to find expression
| In certain reserve OF manner; and the
/ most thoughtful races are least garrulous.
As matter of fact, among the friends
whom he trusts the Indian is a genial com
panion and lively story teller. fun Of
humor himself and appreciating the humor
| OF others.
Indeed. the ability of the Indians to sec
| the funny side OF the matter. even when
the point is against themselves, sometimes
goes TO extraordinary lengths In the
Sioux outbreak of 1890. not a few Indians
belonging to the usually peaceable element
left their homes and went to the arena
OF hostilities either out OF mere curiosity
or with a notion that the trouble might
spread till all were drawn into it on one
side or the other. During the absence OF
members of one band, their local agency
| Issued its annual call for firewood II was
the custom Of the government to buy from
the Indians all the fuel they would cut by
way OF encouraging them in this useful
industry. A weak-mnded fellow who al
ways had been treated as the clown of the
tribe, and who had stayed at home in spite
OF the excitement saw here his golden op.
portunity. He had never exerted himself
before to earn his own living because the
timber expeditions involved too much hard
work; but what could be easier than a plan
which had just entered his mInd2
80 to the nearest cabins of the abseute
ne repaired and deliberately tore them
down, sawed the logs into cord lengths.
pied these into his wagon and hauled them
to the agency, where he received the stand
ard price for all he brought, no questions
being asked as to where he got IT, And
how did the owners act on their return
! Iheir first sensation was one of amaze.
, ment to find their dwellings razed to IN.
ground; possibly the next was Indignation
, out II they manifested any 1 never heare
OF IL All l know is that in telling me tn,
story they have laughed over II "a n #
/, were one OF the most amusing things iuaR
, inabie-only a new item added to tn,
> Clowns long list Of comical pranks; whlI
h the author OF the mischief would stand by
d enjoying the recital as much as the res
: and evidently taking not a little pride fl
?. the novelty Of his practical joke. suspec
/" that this Is one Of the cases where mos
Of us will admit that the Indian sense o
i humor Is even keener than the Caucasian.
d Francis e. Leupp in The Indian and Hi
q Problem"