The Washington herald., 1920-07-27
OUTFIT INDIANS
IN NEW YORK
War Paint and Beads from
Broadway Bedeck
Braves.
EAGLES OUTWTTTED
Puppy Dog Used as Decoy
To Give Chiefs Needed
Phmes.
EAGLES OUTWITTED

New York, July 26.-Fifty years
ago A. S. Frost was an Indian
trader on the Western reservations.
In his general store he trained his
clerks and sent them. out among
the Indian tribes to trade and his
business prospered. But when Gen.
Grant was elected to the Presidency,
he had a law passed forbidding
traders to barter with the red men
unless they were married and lived
on the reservations with their
families.
Then Frost hit upon the plan OF
dealing with the Indians through
traders who conformed with the
new law and his business OF sup
plying traders prospered.
However. his son, Dan Frost, pos
sibIy imbued with more modern
ideas, continued to carry on the
business with Offices in New York.
Here it is possible for him to i'm
port from all parts of the world
beads, shells and other ornaments
dear to the heart OF the Indian.
In his shop down town there is an
assorted stock OF beads, feathers.
shells and ornaments with which
the trader separates the redskin
from his money. 4 ready market
can always be found on the reser-
Aa ant
laws have deprived the Indian of
his old methods of obtaining his
decorations.
In the olden days when a redskin
bit the dust" his conqueror would
remove the long bone from his
finger and use it as a hair ornament
or fasten many OF them together
TO make a breastplate. But the
laws of Uncle Sam forbid the Indian
to obtain his hair decorations at
the expense Of his enemy's life, so
Dan Frost supplies them in the
form of cleverly cut whale bones.
How 10 Get Eagle Feathers.
a few years ago the Indians were
forbidden to kill eagles, which were
being slowly exterminsted. But as
/ every lHuld CHltl HluSI " tdl olt
eagle feather as a symbol of au-
| thority, this law had to be evaded
in order that the customs OF the red
mans forefathers could he con-
formed to. Heretofore. the eagle
was killed for its feathers, but the
cunning brain of the Indian con-
ceived of a better plan. He would
take a puppy dog or small animal
to the top of a hill over which
eagles hovered, and. tying the puppy
TO a pile of brush, he would hide be-
meath It. When the eagle swooped
down and fastened it's talons on
the securely tied pup the Indian
would pull the eagles tail feathers.
I Thus he achieved his purpose with
[ out killing the eagle or breaking
/ the white mans law. Dan Frost
carries eagle feathers in stock for
red men who are not fortunate in
! ambuscading an eagle.
Among his curios he has the eagle
feather of Red Cloud, a famous
chief. upon which there is a small
red spot indicating that he killed
a man with a bullet Other feathers
are cut and stained red, signitying
that the owner had knitted his
enemy.
Tiny colored beads are traded to
the Blackfeet. while a different size
of bead is sold to the Sioux, who
could not use the same bead of an
other tribe. The IroQuois buy small
shells, which were originally used
for wampum but are now utilized
as ornaments. Brightly colored
shawls are sold to the Osages. who
have recently made a fortune by
selling their lands in Oklahoma
which were rich oil fields.
The Navajos are a self-support-
ing tribe, receiving no money al
lowance from the government. since
their wool growing industry brings
in large profits. They have d
penchant for coral beads, for which
they trade their famous Navajo
blankets. Mr.. Frost also carries 8
large stock of face paint which the
warriors once used to embellish their
bodies in battle, but are now used
for decorative purposes only.