The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-05-06
WHITE MANS VEHICLE
KILLS INDIAN Chief
Was Keeper Of the Fire Of the
Quapaws Which Has Been
Burning For Ages.
From the Oklahoma city oklahOman.

ures of his fast disappearing tribe
after having passed through the cen.
fury that saw both the greatest rise
and the almost total determination OF
his tribe, Plus Quapaw received In
turies In a recent automobile accident
that resulted fatally. to him.
Up to the time OF the accident, Plus
Quapaw, In spite of his greatly ad.
vanced age, was perhaps the
In a tribe of men noted for their
strength. For many years Plus had
lived In the wild country not Tar from
here near that section called "DeviIs
Promenade" and for more than halr
a century he had been the keeper OK the
fire of the Quapaws, a fire that mas
been kept burning no one knows now
long-neither does any white man
know the object Of the Jealous guard
ing Of the fire and the reasons Tor its
continual burning.
Mysteries concerning h origin, de
velopment and customs Of this oncs
great tribe will doubtless be buried
forever with their last survivors, who
are becoming more and more scarce as
the years go by. Where they came
from, the secret Of the fire, and many
other things that would be Of tremend-
interest TO any white man, Will
perhaps never be known, for the Qua-
paws are a peculiarly secretive tribe.
The legend of the tribe, which In
cludes many unique features, was once
told by Plus Quapaw, the old hre
keeper. who suffered the ignominious
death of being conquered by one or
the inventions of the invading pale
face. In substance, the legend Of the
tribe, as told by him, Is as follows:
Women Dominated,
Many, many years ago, the land OF
the Quapaws was a wondrous
where the women dominated every
thing. In this tribe, which was OF
the most exclusive, n at the same
time most powerful of h American
Indians. maternity counted for every
thing and paternity virtually nothing.
The mother was the head of the fam
lily and the recognized ruler. Quapaw
women were proud and strong. They
scorned wounds and weakness or all
kinds. Physically. they were the near
est to perfection e any race in the
new world. They were graceful. hand
some, agile and brave.
ga. Girls were desired by all families.
They chose their husbands who came
to live with their motherinlaw, to be-
come q part Of the family and obey
her rule. With them, the freedom Of
the women began with marriage. Un-
til a girl was married, she was moth
ing; but upon marriage, which ire
quently occurred at the age Of 10, she
at once attained complete liberty. She
could dismiss her husband at once II
she SO chose, but she remained a mar
ried woman m was permitted to do
as she pleased.
The rule OF the mother and the vir-
tual ignoring Of the father was the
last survival Of a system asserted to
have been once the general law of the
world-the recognition of the mother as
the real creator of the races and the
rightful ruler. Brothers unquestion-
ably obeyed their elder sister and re-
spected their younger sisters. Sons
were not obliged to remain under the
roofs Of their mothers tepees, but
were permitted to set up wigwams OF
their own. taking with them one OF
their sisters who. by that act. became
the ruler of the new household. II the
son married, the wife owed obedience
to her sisteIinlaw. II domestic trouble
arose, the husband stood by his sister.
and his wife. in her turn. gave up her
husband or sacrificed him in any way
for her own brother. Contugal life
was q light thing, but brothers and
sisters remained steadfast to each
other until h end.
Adverse TO Work.
Old Plus Quapaw was perhaps the
strongest Indian in a tribe noted for
stout, healthy braves. Up to the day
of his death he a the strength OF
the ordinary Indian Of 80. The tribe
which bears his name, holding to the
traditions of old, will not stoop to any
kind OF work other than fishing and
hunting. in both Of which they are eX-
perts. but not in the way of the white
man.
They do most Of their fishing with a
strange poison, the secret of which has
never been learned. Uncle Bill' Tib-
bans. who has lived among them for
many years, a " he lived with them
more than a year before the secretive
Indians took him into their confidence
| aIlffiPfQnfIU IN naFrntf him IN foin thapn
on n Of their fishing excursions. That
was more than 20 years ago. and at
nat time the streams were filled with
fish Of many varieties.
The party went up the Neosho river
a few miles above what is now Miami,
to where II spread out into a pool so
feet or more across. The men divided
into w parties. n going up n the
other down the stream so or so yards.
hen they entered the stream and,
thrashing the water with their feet and
with sticks, returned, driving all the
fish before then into the pool.
In the meantime one of the men had
been grating some mysterious kind of
roots, resembling horseradish, together
with a handful Of small red berries nto
about a gallon of water. This was
thrown into the pool at various points.
In a couple Of minutes minnows came
to the surface. belly up, remained a few
seconds and then disappeared. In 10
minutes all the small fry we're on the
surface. apparently dead. The larger
ones soon began to go through the
same performance. With q long.
handled scoop net. one Of the Quapaws
nearly filled a bushel basket with Ash.
from Is to "a inches long. within 20
minutes.
Some Of the fish were cooked on the
spot. but Uncle Bill" hesitated about
eating them. The Indian surmising his
reason. took several %spoonfuls of the
poisoned mixture. and. mixing 1t with
a cup Of water. drank it down. 1t had
not the slightest effect on him. To all
appearances. the fish remaining In the
stream were affected by the poison
only through their respiratory organs,
and experienced no lasting injury.
These Indians killed their game by
means OF arrows tipped in this mystic
r1ous poison. which seems to render
the animal truck by one Of them
senseless or unconscious for the time
being.
n n..:.- A