The Idaho Republican., 1919-07-22

Continued from page one

Continued from page one
factory, besides getting more out Of
It than when they waste time dick
ering with others. The word has
passed along among the Indians that
Henderson Is . good scout to deal
with, both from the point of satis-
faction and profit.
The Indian has often been made
to feel Hike the doughboy in France.
that he is q fair target for higher
prices than Others pay. He likes to
walk up to q counter and buy what
he wants, but he likes to know that
he Is paying just what others pay,
and whatever suggests anything diff
ferent, shakes his confidence and
makes him hesitate. He is naturally
slow Of thought and slow in reach,
ing conclusions, but when he thinks
he is considered q mark, he hesitates
more.
Our Indian friend mentions hav-
ing gone into bank and rendered q
check to be -cashed and the paying
teller delayed, and told her to come
back in three or four days. II there
was reason for the delay it was not
made clear to her, and she wondered
why her business had to be held up.
She wondered, too, why she could
not be given full information. We
consulted the bank about such cir
cumstance, and while they did not
remember her case, they said good
many stockmen issued checks out
in the hills when making sales or
at shearing time, and there were not
enough funds in the bank to match
the checks issued, but perhaps the
man was on his way in to deposit
q big check to cover them all, and
bv waiting a few days such checks
as the Indian girl mentioned would
be redeemed and it was not always
advisable to act either way until
there was time to see what the man
was doing in his finances.
A friend of hers went into the
bank to make payment on his
Victory, bonds and the one who
waited on him did not extend him
the same greeting as to the white
person ahead Of him. The Indian
bond buyer felt just a little touched
but tried to conceal it. She caught
his slight change of attitude, his
stiffening of the spine and raising
of his shoulders and she knew she
had been at fault, but she could not
think of any way to square herself
at the moment. He is still harboring
the thought that his people were ac-
climated here and passed as old
timers in America when her ances-
tors were trying to figure out what
country they could go to to adopt
as their residence, and he resents
the memory of her.
Whenever one sits in a group
where Indians are being discussed,
If anything is said about their edu-
cation, somebody invariably remarks
that after the graduate they again
take to their blankets and mention
it as if it were evidence that the
schooling was thereby all undone.
Apply a parallel circumstance to
yourself. When our white boys
come back from overseas, don't they
soon shed the uniform and adopt
the garb like their fellows wear? |
Haven't we see our western men for
a generation, furnishing themselves
with fine fedOras or other uncomfort-
able hats while visiting in the east,
and then on arriving home put on
a slouch hat and feel about so per
cent better? When the farmer gets
home from a meeting in town, if he
has worn a linen collar, doesn't he |
slip on his hickory or woolen shirt |
and feel fine for the change? You |
know it!
An Indian girl, who graduated at
famous school for Indians, re-
turned home in perfectly fine tailor
made suit and as she walked the
streets of her home town, people
merely starred at her. None of
them stopped her and said, "Well,
Miss - am glad to see you
back. How long have you been away
at school, and, what are you going
to do now?" Wherever she went
they merely sized her up. When she
went among her own people they
did the same job of sizing her up,
altho they were friendly and a little
reticent, wondering if she would still
associate with them. Some of them
seemed to consider that she must
necessarily feel above them, and
gave. her slight opportunity to be
friendly, so she did not feel at home
with her own people and the others
did not associate with her at all.
She found herself lonesome, resumed
her blanket and shawl, and felt fine,
like the western man with his slouch
hat.