The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-01-11
INDIAN SENSE OF AUMoR.
A Story 10 Indicate That II Is keener
Than That of Most Causcasians.


Than That of Most Causcasians
From The Indian and HE Problem,
by Francis L. Leupp, former Unit
ed States Commissioner of indian
Affairs.
The historians who have recorded
the achievements of our race on the
Western Hemisphere have, as rule,
done scant justice to the people
whom we supplant. Many OF the
school books furnished to our child
rem and the novels prepared for the
entertainment of their elders have
portrayed the Indian in colors which
would make him unrecoSnizable by
his closest intimates. Popular writer's
generally agree, for example, in rep
resentng him as naughty and taci-
turn. An intruder who forces his way
into an occupied home, takes posses
sion of it and establishes there new
language, new customs and new pro-
prietary relations would naturally be
regarded by his unwilling host with
some suspicion, which would hardly
fail to find expression in a certain
reserve of manner; and the most
thoughtful races are least garrulous.
As mailer of fact, among the
friends he trusts the Indian is gen
ial companion and a lively story tel
Ter, full of humor himself and appre-
ciating heartily the humor of others.
Indeed, the ability of the Indians
to see the funny side of the matter,
even when the point is against them
selves, sometimes goes to eXtraordi-
nary 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
hostilties either out of mere curiOs-
ity or with notion that the trouble
might spread till all were drawn into
II on one side or the other. During
the absence of number of members
of one band, their local agency issued
its annual call for firewood. 1t 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
fellow who always had been
treated as the clown of the tribe,
and who had stayed at home in spite
of the excitement, saw here his gold !
en- opportunity. He had never eX-
erted 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 mind
SO to the nearest cabins of the alb
sentees he repaired and deliberately |
tore them down, sawed the logs into |
cord lengths, piled these into his wa
gon and hauled them to the agency, |
where he received the standard price
for all he brought, no questions being |
asked as to where he got it. And |
how did the owners act on their re-
turn? Their first sensation was one
of amazement to find their dwellings
razed to the ground; possibly the
next was Indignation, but if they man
Tested any 1 never heard of it. All
know is that in telling ME the story
hey have laughed over it as if it
were one of the most amusing things
ma9inable-only a new item added
10 the clowns long list of comical
pranks; while the author of the mis-
chief would stand by, enjoying the
recital as much as the rest and evil
iently taking not little pride in the
novelty of his practical joke. | sus-
Dect that this is one of the cases
where most of us will admit that the
indian sense of humor is even keener
han the Caucasian.