INDIAN PAYMENT--MRS. WASHINGTON.
There were two divisions of the Winnebago Indians, one of which was paid
by the Agent, at the Portage, the other at Prairie du Chien, by General
Street. The first, between four and five thousand in number, received,
according to treaty stipulations, fifteen thousand dollars annually,
besides a considerable amount of presents, and a certain number of
rations of bread and pork, to be issued in times of emergency throughout
the year.
The principal villages of this division of the tribe were at Lake
Winnebago, Green and Fox Lakes, the Barribault, Mud Lake, the Four
Lakes, Kosh-ko-nong, and Turtle Creek. Messengers were dispatched, at or
before the arrival of the annuity-money, to all the different villages,
to notify the heads of families or lodges to assemble at "the Portage."
When arrived, the masters of families, under their different chiefs,
give in their names, and the number in their lodges, to be registered.
As, in paying, a certain sum of money is apportioned to each individual,
it is, of course, an object to the head of a lodge to make the number
registered as great as possible. Each one brings his little bundle of
sticks, and presents it to the Agent to register. Sometimes a dialogue
like the following occurs:
"How many have you in your lodge?"
The Indian carefully, and with great ceremony, counts his bundle of
sticks--"Fifteen"
"How many men?"
"Two." The Agent lays aside two sticks
"How many women?"
"Three." Three more sticks are separated.
"How many children?"
"Eight" Eight sticks are added to the heap.
"What is the meaning of these two sticks that remain?"
The culprit, whose arithmetic has not served him to carry out his
deception, disappears amid the shouts and jeers of his companions, who
are always well pleased at the detection of any roguery in which they
have had no share.
The young officers generally assisted in counting out and delivering the
money at these payments, and it was no unusual thing, as the last band
came up, for the chiefs to take a quantity of silver out of the box and
request their Father to pay his friends for their trouble, seeming
really disturbed at his refusal. In this, as in almost every instance,
we see the native courtesy and politeness, which are never lost sight of
among them. If a party comes to their Father to beg for provisions, and
food is offered them, however hungry they may be, each waits patiently
until one of the company makes an equal distribution of the whole, and
then, taking his share, eats it quietly, with the greatest moderation. I
never saw this rule violated, save in one instance.
Our friend, Pawnee Blanc, _the Old Dandy_, once came with a party of
Indians, requesting permission to dance for us in the open space before
the door. It was a warm, dusty afternoon, and as our friends grew heated
and fatigued with the violent and long-continued exercise, a pitcher of
raspberry negus was prepared and sent out to them. Pawnee received the
pitcher and tumbler, and, pouring the latter about half full, gave it to
the first of the circle, then filled the same for the next, and so on,
until it suddenly occurred to him to look into the pitcher. What he saw
there determined his course of action; so, setting the tumbler upon the
ground, he raised the pitcher with both hands to his lips and gave a
hearty pull, after which he went on, giving less and less, until he was
called to have the pitcher replenished. All present agreed it was the
only instance they had ever witnessed, of an Indian's appearing afraid
of getting less of a thing than his share.
During the payment a good many kegs of whiskey find their way into the
lodges of the Indians, notwithstanding the watchfulness of both officers
and Agent. Where there is a demand there will always be a supply, let
the legal prohibitions be what they may. The last day of the payment is,
invariably, one of general carousing.
When the men begin their _frolic_, the women carefully gather all the
guns, knives, tomahawks, and weapons of every description, and secrete
them, that as little mischief as possible may be done in the absence of
all restraint and reason. I am sorry to record that our little friend,
Pawnee Blanc, was greatly addicted to the pleasures of the bottle.
Among the presents for the chiefs, which Shaw-nee-aw-kee had brought
from the East, was a trunk of blue cloth coats, trimmed with broad gold
lace, and a box of round black hats, ornamented in a similar manner. All
who are familiar with Indians, of whatever tribe, will have observed
that their first step towards civilization, whether in man or woman, is
mounting a man's hat, decorated with tinsel; ribbons, or feathers.
Pawnee was among the happy number remembered in the distribution; so,
donning at once his new costume, and tying a few additional bunches of
gay-colored ribbons to a long spear, that was always his baton of
ceremony, he came at once, followed by an admiring train, chiefly of
women, to pay me a visit of state.
The solemn gravity of his countenance, as he motioned away those who
would approach too near and finger his newly-received finery--the
dignity with which he strutted along, edging this way and that to avoid
any possible contact from homely, every-day wardrobes--augured well for
a continuance of propriety and self-respect, and a due consideration of
the good opinion of all around. But, alas for Pawnee! late in the day we
saw him assisted towards his lodge by two stout young Indians, who had
pulled him out of a ditch, his fine coat covered with mud, his hat
battered and bruised, his spear shorn of its gay streamers, and poor
Pawnee himself weeping and uttering all the doleful lamentations of a
tipsy Indian.
* * * * *
Among the women with whom I early made acquaintance was the wife of
Wau-kaun-zee-kah, _the Yellow Thunder_. She had accompanied her husband,
who was one of the deputation to visit the President, and from that time
forth she had been known as "the Washington woman." She had a pleasant,
old-acquaintance sort of air in greeting me, as much as to say, "You
and I have seen something of the world." No expression of surprise or
admiration escaped her lips, as her companions, with childlike, laughing
simplicity, exclaimed and clapped their hands at the different wonderful
objects I showed them. Her deportment said plainly, "Yes, yes, my
children, I have seen all these things before." It was not until I put
to her ear a tropical shell, of which I had a little cabinet, and she
heard its murmuring sound, that she laid aside her apathy of manner. She
poked her finger into the opening to get at the animal within, shook it
violently, then raised it to her ear again, and finally burst into a
hearty laugh, and laid it down, acknowledging, by her looks, that this
was beyond her comprehension.
I had one shell of peculiar beauty--my favorite in the whole
collection--a small conch, covered with rich, dark veins. Each of the
visitors successively took up this shell, and by words and gestures
expressed her admiration, evidently showing that she had an eye for
beauty--this was on the occasion of the parting visit of my red
daughters.
Shortly after the payment had been completed, and the Indians had left,
I discovered that my valued shell was missing from the collection. Could
it be that one of the squaws had stolen it? It was possible--they would
occasionally, though rarely, do such things under the influence of
strong temptation. I tried to recollect which, among the party, looked
most likely to have been the culprit. It could not have been the
Washington woman--she was partly civilized, and knew better.
A few weeks afterwards Mrs. _Yellow Thunder_ again made her appearance,
and carefully unfolding a gay-colored chintz shawl, which she carried
rolled up in her hand, she produced the shell, and laid it on the table
before me. I did not know whether to show, by my countenance,
displeasure at the trick she had played me, or joy at receiving my
treasure back again, but at length decided that it was the best policy
to manifest no emotion whatever.
She prolonged her visit until my husband's return, and he then
questioned her about the matter.
"She had taken the shell to her village, to show to some of her people,
who did not come to the payment."
"Why had she not asked her mother's leave before carrying it away?"
"Because she saw that her mother liked the shell, and she was afraid she
would say, No."
This was not the first instance in which Madame Washington had displayed
the shrewdness which was a predominant trait in her character. During
the visit of the Indians to the Eastern cities, they were taken to
various exhibitions, museums, menageries, theatres, etc. It did not
escape their observation that some silver was always paid before
entrance, and they inquired the reason. It was explained to them. The
woman brightened up, as if struck with an idea.
"How much do you pay for each one?"
Her Father told her.
"How do you say that in English?"
"Two shillings."
"_Two shinnin--humph_" (good).
The next day, when, as usual, visitors began to flock to the rooms where
the Indians were sojourning, the woman and a young Indian, her
confederate, took their station by the door, which they kept closed.
When any one knocked, the door was cautiously opened, and the woman,
extending her hand, exclaimed--"_Two shinnin_."
This was readily paid in each instance, and the game went on, until she
had accumulated a considerable sum. But this did not satisfy her. At the
first attempt of a visitor to leave the room, the door was held close,
as before, the hand was extended, and "_Two shinnin_" again met his ear.
He tried to explain that, having paid for his entrance, he must go out
free. With an innocent shake of the head, "_Two shinnin_," was all the
English she could understand.
The Agent, who had entered a short time before, and who, overhearing the
dialogue, sat laughing behind his newspaper, waiting to see how it would
all end, now came forward and interfered, and the guests were permitted
to go forth without a further contribution.
The good woman was moreover admonished that it was far from the custom
of white people to tax their friends and visitors in this manner, and
that the practice must be laid aside in future.
Another instance of the disposition of the Indians to avail themselves
of all the goods that fortune throws in their way, was the following:
Upon the same trip, while passing through Ohio, one of the party
inquired of the Agent,--
"Do you pay for all those provisions that are set before us at the
hotels?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing: I thought you perhaps paid for just what we ate of them."
At the next stopping-place a fine breakfast was set upon the table, of
which, as usual, they partook plentifully. Just as they had finished,
the horn sounded for all to take their places in the stage-coaches. Each
sprang to his feet. One seized the plates of biscuits and poured them
into the corner of his blanket; another the remains of a pair of
chickens; a third emptied the sugar-bowls; each laid hold of what was
nearest him, and in a trice nothing was left upon the table but the
empty plates and dishes. The landlord and waiters, meanwhile, stood
laughing and enjoying the trick as much as any of the spectators.
Upon another occasion, their Father had endeavored to impress upon them
the unseemliness of throwing their refuse pieces, bones, and fragments
of food about on the table-cloth, pointing out to them the orderly
manner of the whites at table, and the propriety of keeping everything
neat and nice around them.
At their next meal, they were served first with a chicken-pie, of which
they ate very heartily, and the accumulation of bones on their plates
was very abundant. Presently another and more favorite dish appeared,--a
fine, large, roasted turkey. A gentleman sat near, and was evidently
preparing to carve it. No time was to be lost. What was to be done with
the bones? They looked around in some perplexity. A large apple-pie was
standing near. The most eager drew it towards him, and quick as thought
all the bones were deposited upon it, while, with a triumphant laugh at
the happy idea, he coolly transferred the bird to his own dish, and
proceeded to distribute it among his companions. The amazed stranger
soon joined in the laugh at the unceremonious manner in which his share
of the dinner had vanished.