Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-11-09

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! hand and was an object of much in
/ terest to the ladies Of the capital, who
gave him considerable attention. He
saw all the sights Of Washington and
( was taken to New York, Philadelphia
/ and other cities, seeing their forts,
: guns, balloons, steamships and hun
/ dreds of other subjects Of interest.
/ Astonished at first, Wijunjon gradual
ly grew accustomed to all the wonders
Of the white man and finally took
everything as a matter of course.
Returns to wilderness
Catlin, who had seen him on his
way to the capital was also in St.
Louis when the party returned there
on their way west and the artist &C
companied them on their way up the
river on the Yellowstone, the first
steamer TO ascend the Missouri to the
mouth Of the Yellowstone river. The
following account of Wijunjon on his
way back to his tribe IS given by
Through the politeness of Pierre
Chouteau of the American Fur Co.,
I was admitted (the only passenger
besides Major Sanford and his In
dians) to a passage on the steamboat,
and when I had embarked and the
boat was about to depart, Wijunjon
made his appearance on deck in the
full dress costume Of q colonel in the
American army. He had In Washing
ton exchanged his beautiful native
costume for the military uniform,
which was presented to him by the
president. 1t was broadcloth Of the
finest blue. trimmed with lace Of gold.
On his shoulders were mounted two
immense epaulettes. His neck was al
most strangled with a shining black
stock, and his feet were pinioned in
a pair of waterproof boots with high
heels, which made him step like a
yoked hog. On his head was high
crowned beaver hat with broad sill
yer lace band, surmounted by a huge
red feather two feet high. His coat
collar, stiff with lace, came higher up
than his ears, and over it flowed his
long braidS, stuck up in rolls with
plenty of red paint. A large silver
medal was suspended from his neck
by blue ribbon, and across his right
shoulder passed a wide belt support
ting at his side a broadsword. On his
hands he had drawn pair of white
kid gloves, and he carried in one hand
a blue umbrella and in the other
large fan"
Clad in this costume the Indian
chief was limping painfully up and
down the deck, whistling Yankee
Doodle, which had become one of his
accomplishments.
Finally arriving at Fort Union Wi
junior was greeted by the members |
of his tribe, who gazed with some
awe at his new costume. A council of
the tribe was held and he began the |
simple narration of scenes he had |
passed through and of things he had |
beheld among the whites These were /
considered so improbable that the /
tribe refused to believe anything he
said. For time he sank rapidly in
disgrace in the tribe. His claims to |
political eminence among the Indians /
vanished; he was reputed to be worth
less, the greatest liar of the nation /
The chiefs Stunned him and passed !
him by. Nevertheless the ears of the
goSsiping portion of the tribe were
open, and the campfire circle and the
lodge fire gave silent audience to his .
tales.
The next day after he arrived among
his friends the superflous part of his
coat-the tail-was converted into a
pair of leggings for his principal
squaw, and his hatband of silver lace
furnished her a magnificent pair of
silver carriers. The remainder of the
coat was soon seen buttoned about
the shoulders of his brother, and Wi
junior was parading about among his
gaping friends with a bow and culver
sling over his shoulders, wearing his
linen shirt with studs and sleeve but
tons. His broadsword kept its place,
but about noon his boots gave way
TO moccasins. Under his arm he car
ried a small keg of whisky, which he
had brought the whole way from
Suspenders Go Next
The following day one of his squaWs
fixed her eyes on his beautiful silk
and he lost those forth
with. Soon his white shirt lost most
leggings and the remainder of his
had vanished He still re-
tanned only his umbrella, the only
evidence of his greatness.
In a few days he returned entirely
to his Indian costume and began to
repeat to his people again in honest
and simple narrative the things he
ders of the towns and cities, the huge
warShips, the great bridges, the won
derful council house at Washington.
He was listened to, and gradually he
began to acquire another kind of
than he had enjoyed before.
He was denominated a medicine man,
but one far above the ordinary sort
Of human being, whose mind could
conjure an ingenious fabrication of
novelty and wonder. He steadily and
persisted in telling
his stories.
Finally the chiefs accepted him as
a medicine man, but only because they
thought him such an extraordinary
liar that they considered him super
natural. At last his medicine became
so alarmingly great that they decided
1t was no longer safe to have him
alive.
But they did not believe that an
ordinary bullet would kill him, so one
young man of the tribe took it upon
himself to find way of taking his
life. After considerable thought, he