The Washington herald., 1915-09-19
By GEORGE R. MINER.

TT WAS almost dark in the dining car
when I went in for luncheon. The
i half light that came In filtered
through a series of snow sheds that we
happened to be creeping through just
then as we crawled over the Canadian
Rockies. zigzagging our way along the
sides Of snowclad mountain peaks.
The head waiter showed me to small
table on one side of which a man was
already seated. As I took my seat.
gave him a quick "once over" but in the
dim light 1 could only make out that he
was a large and rather impressive-look-
ing person.
Then we burst out into the open. and
when the smoke clouds cleared from the
windows and the brilliant mountain sum
shine flooded the car. looked again and
saw that my vis-a-vis was full-blooded
Indian.
To be sure, he did not have on war
paint and feathers, nora Dreaded deer
skin Jacket, but he looked as though he
should have had them on and could
easily imagine them. He was the most
Indian looking Indian l ever saw in
white mans clothes. BY the way. they
were such clothes as would have done
credit to any white man. too; even In the
most 1aSnlOHdOlc CiuOS Va ANS" AoAA VI
London they would have passed current.
They were of fine material, in perfect
taste and showed the handiwork of an
expensive and high-class tailor. His lin
en-, too, was immaculate. showing a thin
black line on a white background In per-
feet harmony with q quiet gray scarf and
a dark gray travelling suit.
Only in jewelry did the savage instinct
for beads and ornaments and feathers
crop out. His hands were decked with
rings. Every finger was loaded with
them set with stones of every color.
shape and size. There was also displayed
across his ample waistcoat a gold watch
chain that was some chain. The links
suggested a log chain and the charm
dangling from it was a blaze of dia-
monds.
But you did not even notice all this
gaudiness in looking at the man. his
physique and personality SO overshadow-
ed it. He was at least six feet three.
massive, but still we'll proportioned
Probably he weighed $50 pounds. and not
an ounce Of fat on him. He had shoul-
ders like an OK and such a head as you
only see stamped on coins. His straight
black hair was clipped close. Under his
broad, bronze brow his brown eyes
seemed to look right at you without see
ing you at all, as though you were a
messmate in the air. or something that
was too insignificant to notice. 1t was
rather disconcerting. 1t made me feel
sort Of creepy. As I did not fancy being
looked at like that in a silence that was
almost tense. I broke the spell with some
banal remark about the altitude
Instantly the digniied and expression
less mask of the Indians face broke into
a kindly smile. His eyes lit up with in
terest and he answered in q low-pitched
voice that was absolutely gentle. More
over, he used perfect English and Bos-
ton accent. His as were as broad as the
platform Of the Progressive party.
The conversation developed the fact
that he was a full-blooded Siwash. was
a college graduate, and had made a for
tune each in lumber. fish and mines
Moreover, he did not make the fortunes
and lose them. He still has them. He
had travelled extensively in Europe,
while America is as familiar to him as
the palm of his hand.
Lo, this poor Indian Is q shining ex-
ample and he enjoys the benefits of CIV
ilization to the utmost His wife is a
French woman and he speaks French as
we'll as he does English or his native
language. but for his people" In gen.
eral, as he unhesitatingly referred to the
Siwash Indians. he sees but little hope.
They learned to drink and to lie from
the white man." he said, "and that Is
their great trouble. The only real good
thing they got from the white man Is
religion. and I am happy to say that
most Of them are devout Roman Cath
olics"
1t was easy to believe this statement
as we sped along the Fraser River and
across the mountains, as in nearly all
the little enclosures around the one-story
log houses of the Indians was placed a
big white cross. indicating to all that
passed that the occupant was a Chris
tian. The priests. he told me. have a
wonderfully strong hold over them and
can make them amenable to the law
when the civil authorities are practical
ly helpless.
Incidentally. I want to state that all
the way across Canada noticed that
among the loungers around the station
platforms the Indians were quite the
best-dressed and most prosperous look
ing.
Then watched my Indian eat.
had been more than interested in the
order he gave the waiter, as 1t indicated
how much food fuel 1t required to run
that full-sized human machine. This was
lunch. mind you. He ordered a thick
soup, boiled salmon. boiled potatoes, a
porterhouse steak. string beans, green
corn, caulihower. cucumber and tomato
salad. English plum pudding, fruit,
crackers and cheese and coffee. And he
ate every scrap of 1t.
Tt IN an old-f shioned m wing that table