The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-07-05
The Last of an Extinct
Tribe Found.
His Language Unknown to Lin.
gusts and He Knows Moth
ing Of Civilization.

.
Is a scientific prison,r of the Univcr-
sity Of California. Every day he Will
be investigated as the learned soien-
lists investigate bugs and tlwers and
things of which we know little.
Ishi Is probably the last of his tribe.
He speaks language of which there
Is no record. For fifty years me has
lived in the Sierra Nevada mountains
never letting white man got q
glimpse of him. and knowing nothing
of the progress Of the world. One dav
fires broke out in the mountains AMI
forccd lsh to go to Orvillc. Gal,
where he tried 10 steal a calf to keep
from starving. He was caught AMI
put In the town Jail. The first civil
lied thing he learned was ciyare: te
smoking. THIN came the professors
who look Ishi away. tlEst they might
learn his language and something Of
the tribe. which was practically wiped
out in battle with early sttsers.
Already the scientists have had TO
shoe away "A horde of vaudeville ana
side-show agents. They looked upon
this simple. primative man as their
legitimate prey.
Ishi Is no fairy story-no dream ut
the dime museum press agent. lie Is
/ 1. h., Ll
He looks like many other Indiana.
but he is unlike any other. His chin
is little sharper and his profile -
delicate. His hair is short. for dre IL
in mourning for his"mahala.' or wife.
When she died and the coyotes fought
over her body he singcd his long
hair with red hot coal and pulled
the WHISPERS from his chin. one by
one. That is the way this Indian
moums.
He propitates the gods of storm
and lightning and sings incantations
to THE fish of the rivers. He wears
a piece of a thong In his nose and ears
to take him to the Indian heaven when
he dies.
He was naked save for n sack when
Trey found him. They olothcd him
in blue shirt and a pair of Ovcra;!s
and gave him hat. which was con
stantly falling off or tipping over one
, ear. Shoes he could not wear.
They gave him little whistle AMI,
he chung to it with all the joy of a
5-year-old blowing 1t at intervals and
Laughing.
1t was with the grsatest difficulty
that he was persuaded to undress and
get into bed. He made 1t understood
he also would wear them and that he
would never take them off again.
Ishi does not Sit down. He squa,s
on his ankles by the hour, his aittle
brown eyes under the shock of black
hair going in wonder from one thing
to another.
Ishi is a child with all a ohild's
wonder over new things-not muir
derous savage. He Is afraid and tries
hard not to show 1t. He was fright
ened badly at locomotive.
Prof. Waterman of the University
of California. the only man who mas
succeeded in making Ishi understand
even a few words. thinks that lhe Is
the hast member of his tribe, but Prof.
Krleber thinks that there may De
others hidden away In the bush.
Just what Ishi thinks of God he
has not yet told. He has severfi gods
evidently. During storm he s'aoters
offerings In four spots around tile tree
which shelters him. 1Nhis Is 20 bribe
the god of lightning not to- strike the
| tree.
He has eaten with his fingers all
his Mfe, but in five days he has learned
to mse the knife. fork and spoon
Before that he ate tiin soup With
three fingers crooked. and thick soap
with two fingers.
About 800 words of his languaese
have been noted by THE scdentlsa'
There is no word that rs like any
other indian language.
He has not shown any signs of being
homesick and laughs whenever 'ma'i-
mi, or woman Is mentioned.
When he sp'aaks his tones are thnoa's'
high-keyed and musical. something of
the plantiveness of chad In ". he
Is not very strong. His muscles ane not
developed and his grip on the testing
machine is of low record.
| 1.-THE capture of this man Is of the
utmost Importance" said professor
Kraeber. He represents new ani
supposedly extinct dialect He says
he is of the Yahi tribe. He Is more
of AN aborigine than any of the IN
dams We have been working with COR
ten years. lie knows nothing of the