Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-08-29
Communication
ELK HORN BOW.

"
Editor, Bismarck Tribune: Pass
ing through your city recently. the
| writer gave your reporter a short ac
count of the purchase OF an elk horn
bow for the American Museum OF Ma.
tural History. The bow was made
by Wolf Chief, of Fort Berthold Res.
e%rvatlon, who requested that an &C
count be printed that "Otners might
know about it," adding that he mad
taken the Tribune for many years.
Hence the writer's appeal to the edi.
tors courtesy.
The reporter has made a slight
error in the account. 1t was not
wooden bows that had to be softened
Elk horn is brittle and hard to work
and was made pliable by boiling. AS
the Indians possessed no large ves'
sells in old times, they boiled or
steamed the horn rather ingenious.
ly by burying in a shallow trench, IN
soft mud, on which a fire was kept
burning for some days.
The writer notes the paragraph In
the Tribune of August Is giving a
short interview with Mr.. Fish OF the
Historical Society; and he wishes to
congratulate the curator of the so.
ciety upon his acquisition of another
specimen of the elk horn bow. Its
possession, however, is not a sur.
prise. The specimen in question
was offered to the writer by Wound
ed Face, a year ago, for $50. 1t was
declined partly because the Museum
wished a two.horn bow bow, not one
of a single antler; and partly be.
cause it developed that the bow had
been made upon an implied contract
with the curator, Mr.. Fish.
The Curator's remark that the His.
torical Society is loathe to have out
siders come in with an unlimited sup.
ply of money and buy the sacred
relics of the Indians" is unfortunate,
butretectsitne attitude of the society
under is present Secretary's manage.
ment. The American Museum of Ma
tural History does not however pos
sess unlimited means. It's income is
large, but it must be divided among
scores of reservations. The Mus.
Gums work is legitimate, and is
mainly concerned with comparative
tribal studies, not usually possible
by local organizations. The work OF
the Historical Society of North Da-
kota is valuable and no n gives
it heartier approval than the writer;
but the ethnology of the state cannot
possibly be done by one organization
alone.
Scientific societies, like churches,
are organized for unselfish ends, but
being made UP Of human elements,
are not always free from friction.
TO what extent such friction may be
carried, the writer had had painful
experience in your state; and that a
complete vindication was had from
the Indian Department., does not re.
move the sting of a wanton attack.
The facts in the case could easily
be made public by atiidavits from
whites and Indians alike, now in the
writer's possession; and were the
need to appear, he would readily
furnish them to the columns of the
Tribune. But such matters, while
they make spicy reading-like church
squabbles-add no dignity to the pub
lie conscience.
The writer is working, an humble
amateur, under direction of the Mus.
cum of the Anthropological Depart
ment Of the University of Minnesota,
in hope of earning a Doctors degree
from the latter; he is interfering
win no one, and is entitled to cour-
tesy and a fair field.
He wishes kindlies success to the
officers OF the State Historical So
ciety of North Dakota.
Thanking the editor in advance
for his courtesy, ~
Very sincerely yours,
GILBERT L. WILSON,.
Pastor, Shiloh Presbyterian Church,
MINNEAPOLIS, ,t