Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-01-07
WIT OF THE INDIAN
The Dignlfied Red Man Has a
Keen Sense of Humor.
STORIES OF STANDING BEAR.
The Race the Old Chief Was Willing
TO Run Against Government At.
torney--A Gallant Brave and His
Mirror-An Invisible Bridqe.

the Indian lacks the, saving sense Of
humor-"that most characteristic Of
all American qualities" To the Gre
ating and the spreading Of this i'm.
preston many recognizable traits OF
Indian character have indisputably
CONFERENCE.-The ancestral pride. hk
excIusiyeness, 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 kecner or more
spontaneous and kindly.
Years ago | was conversing with n
group Of children OF the Omaha tribe
They were on their way to a reserva.
ton school, and directly in their path
lay swamp an eighth of mile
wide, and straight through this they
were required to wade twice a day.
1T Is too bad" ! remarked Can
you not go around The swamp? Your
feet Will he wet, and you will be I'M.
comfortable and possibly III"
"Oh," cried girl of about twelve
years, her dark eyes dancing with
merriment, I'VE walk over the 81 200
bridge"
They all laughed at this. Whm
could 1t mean? | saw no bridge: there
was no bridge to be seen. IT made
them merry TO see me mystifed. ana
i heard them laughing and chatting
as they went through the water ANA
mud. Afterward discovered the hu
NOR In the remark. Some years pre-
vious to that time the government had
appropriated $1,000 to build a bridge
over this swamp, but somehow the
money had vanished into somebody's
pocket and the work was not done.
One evening | saw gallant young
brave making his way swiftly over
the prairies of the Omaha reserve
He was dressed In all his finery. and
at his side dangled small mirror.
Manlfestly he was an ardent lover.
This should have surmised from his
dress and eager haste. even II | had
not known him. As he was a friend
or mine. had inside information of
his hopes and PURPOSES; also ven.
tured TO stop him for moment pre-.
cions as | knew him time to be.
y THAT mirror at your side" | re-
marked, lis to give opportunity 70,
Prairie Flower to discover how lovely
she Is, is 1t not?" He considered n
moment and then, with twinkling
eye, he replied:
u, NO. Maybe so she will talk toe
much to me. and then / will look info
my mirror to see how tired ! am"
This certainly was the humor of ali
surdity.
Examples of Standing Bears humoi
1 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 whel
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 | am not person. But
can use knife and fork. Does a bear
do that? If he, the attorney. is per
son l am one also We both eat with
knives and forks. Indeed | think !
can use them faster than he can. II
he wants 10 race me eating ! am
ready" We all laughed at this. When
we We're quiet Standing Bear added
THAT Is, | will run an eating race
with the attorney if he win pay for
the beefsteaE"
a The first public address Standing
Bear ever made was given in my
church In the course Of Il 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
it 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 hC
stood silent a moment wondering what
mistake he had made Bright Eyes. the
beautiful Omaha maiden, stepped for
ward AMI said. My brother Franz
has made mistake In Interpreting The
chiefs thought" Then she gave th'
proper rendering.
The Chicago papers took liberties
with Standing Bears name, one %
them referring to him constantly al
Upright Rruiu. When this was eX
planned 10 'he chief ne took the matte
with great good nature.
'What does II matter?" he remarked
his face bcaming. 81 am all tied nj
with names. | am like pony tangled
in his lariat Father Hamilton, tn
Presbyterian, calls me elder. Tn
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