The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1911-12-28
BROTHERHOOD OF
indian TRIBES
Especial to the Silver State.)

ering of Indian chiefs from all sections
of the country where the red man still
has a foothold, and the organization
by them in Washington of the new
Brotherhood of the Indian tribes, is
one of the most picturesque and inter
esting events that has recently taken
place in the capital.
Most of the aborignes who journey
ed to Washington on this occasion
were men great among their fellows,
men adhering to the customs and ira
ditions of their tribes or nations, and
they wore the garb of the plains In
dian, or of the particular tribe to
which they belonged. Not in war
paint, but in the everyday dress they
had always worn, with mcccasned feet
toeing in, they walked along the prin-
eipal streets with the peculiar totter-
ing gait of those unaccustomed' to the
hard pavements, the wonderment of
the shopping throngs who doubtless
looked as queer to the bronzed Indians
as the latter did to the so-called civil
1ized persons who rudely stared at and
commented about them.
The idea of an Indian brotherhood
has appealed strongly to the red men.
Tn answer to the call to organize,
there have come to Washington repre-
sentatives of the Blackfeet, Sioux,
Apaches, Comanehes, Walla Walas,
Cherokees and many othr tribes or
"nations. The Indians have gather
ed in secret council, where they have
been addressed by various chiefs and
others. So diverse are the Indian
tongues that at no gathering were
there many Indians who could under
stand the speakers. Consequently
there was need for interpreters. As the
speakers of the moment rolled out his
periods, the interpreters, all talking at
once, repeated to little groups around
them what had been said, and then the
orator delivered himself of another
sentence. So the proceedings went on
from day to day. An interesting fea-
ture of the session was the attendance
of the "braves' at mass especially fol
their benefit. Once they were enter
tanned at ''buffet luncheon, "and the
Indians, true to their customs, carried
with them under their blankets cooked
maize and other food.
Several white men have been made
honorary members of the brotherhood.
Among the first to be so honored were
Col. ID. G. Collier president, and Percy
H. Goodwin, director, of the Panama
California international exposition, to
be held in 1915 at San Diego. They
were introduced by +. S. Curtis, the
celebrated photographer of Indians,
who has lived among them, and whose
lectures about them have made him
famous, and by DR.. +. w. Kelsey, pres
ident of the Archaeological Institute
of America, which is taking deep in
terest in the plan to hold at the San
Diego exposition a great congress of
all the native tribes Of the Western
Hemisphere. This will be the only
time that this will have been done,
and there win probably never again be
such a gathering of aborigines, dwell
ing in the fashion of their forefathers,
following native customs, clothed in
motive garb. practicing the handicrafts
and occupations that their ancestors
had developed and perfected. Were
there no other feature in the San Die.
go exposition, this alone would serve to
draw to the beautiful city whose ca
pacious hay always reflects summer
skies, and whose ancient calm has
yielded 10 the onslaught of commerce,
such throngs Of scientists, students
and seekers after the new, the curious
and the interesting, as would tax its
far-famed reputation for hospitality.
One could hardly be wrong in prophe
swing that the San Diego Congress of
Aboriginal reoples will be one of the
great events Of the new century.
Dredging for Gold.
One of the important means of re-
covering gold is by dredging. The
geological survey reports that in 1910
Ia to the amount of nearly $l0000,-
000 was recovered in this way by lib
drcdges, most of il coming from Cali
fornia.
Graphite From Coal.
The lead pencil you use may have
leen made from coal. Large quaint
ties of graphite have been manufactur-
cd n the crucibes of nature by intense
heat applied to coal beds by the intru.
sion of liquefied igneous rock. Now
graphite is made artifcially by heat
ing coal, and from this graphite, mixed
with clay, is made the 'lead' used
in pencils.
Spread of Irrigation.
Ii is not so many years since the
average farmer even in semiarid re-
gons thought irrigation impraeticable
on large scale. 1t is hardly necessary
to say that things are vastly different
now. The reclamation Of vast areas
of fertile land by the application of
water has added tremendously to the
wealth Of the nation. At the San
Diego exposition the practice and pro
gress Of irrigation science will be IL
lustratcd in u manner that will inter
est every intelligent person.
Congress Resting.
After starting number of things
and really doing good deal of work,
congress is taking a recess over the
holidays. There are many indications
that the work of congress will be use
full notwithstanding many predictions
that this would be a do-nothing'
and "political" congress.
LOST-Small white Japanese poodle,
answering to the name of "Dewey.'
A liberal reward will be paid for in