Nebraska Newspapers

    THE NEBRASKA. ADVERTISER
W, W. 8ANDER8 L BON, Publishers.
NEMAHA, - - - NEBRASKA.
SOUTHLAND'S WINTER.
33v'ry morn nnd ivo Ih mlcty
Till tlu' market tower Htundn
Look 1 11 (? like n. far cathedral
WroiiKht wllli uiihcom fnlry hnnda,
Anil tllu clty'H like a picture
Woven on n dreamland loom,
And t ho nlr l licavy weljjbted
With a faint and HWeet perfume,
And the mint Ih warm atid coaxlnt;
Ah ii Hoft IIhh on the month,
And the roscH ntlll are blnomliiK
Whon It'H winter In the Honth.
And the bnyoiiH neem to Hlnmher
Where the cypreHH treeH are tail;
And the mockblrd croonn an anthem,
Like the nhadow of a call
Krom an ani;el eholr to llnten,
Anil enoiiKh leaves eddy down
JuhI to make a liroir.e-lmcd earpct
In the by.wnyn of the town;
And the red tone KlenniH all winter
Through the perfnme-laden mist,
Like the llpn your own HpM yearn for,
lied, red HpH your own have klftned.
There are morning i;lory hloHHomH
And the four-o'cloekH uncloxc,
And long pearl-robed welm are Htrramlnfj
From the htiHh where llameH the rowe;
And the air Ih opaleneent,
And the Know Hhlnen mlwly throiiKh
All the whlteneHH of the morning
Like a green world dipped In dew.
And the red and yellow roncH,
And the twlnty hayoiiH gleam:
"When ii'h winter In the Southland
Llfe'H a Hwect and perfumed drenm.
J. M. LewlH, In Houston I'ot.
GUILEFUL & & & I
PEPPAJEE JIM.
How the Indian Won the Ked Tot
Until.
PEPPA.112I3 JIM drew his gay, scur
k'l, and yellow blanket fluscr
about IiIh athletic person and "topped
from the glare of yellow sunlight. Into
tho eool shade of the eatalpa tree by
the gate. II la black eyes roved rest
lessly over tho Hlletit yard. Keno roso,
stretched hlniHolr lazily and wagged a
languid greeting, Generally speaking,
Keno hated Indlaii.s oven worse than
ho did tho gaunt, gray coyotes which
sneaked through tho sage-brush back
of tho chicken yard; but ho and Pop
pajce were qld friends.
Peppajce stooped and rested a grimy
hand upon the sleek, black head of
tho dog.
"Yo' Keno, wano dog. Heap wano!"
It was tho highest pralso known to his
tribe. Their scale of approbation Is
simple. It is this: wano, good; heap
wano, very good, Indeed. On the other
hand, ka wano is bad, while heap ka
Avano Is tho worst possible. A mora
elaborate classlllcatlon of one's good
or bad (pialitles they consider supor
lluous. Pcppajeo ascended and stood upon
tho porch. Finding the door open
for the day was hot ho advanced and
Btood In the doorway, darkening the
room with his six-foot stature.
"Huh. Whoro yo' ketchum, Will?"
Will looked up from tho now boots
he was admiring. Their high, slender
heels and shiny, red tops seemed to
him tho acme of perfection.
"Hollo, Peppajce. Come on in. You
like 'cm boots? Wano?"
Pcppajeo camo closer, eying tho
boots covetously tho while. lie ran a
long forefinger critically over tho red
tops. The leather was soft and pleas
ing to the touch dlstvucting to tho
eye. His blanket slipped unheeded
from one shoulder and trailed upon tho
carpet.
"Huh. Mebbyso wano, mcbbyso ka
wano," ho replied, guardedly. "Meb
byso holes como heap quick. Mobbyso
hurt feet ouch!" Ills bronzed fea
tures mimicked tho agony of uncom
fortable foot-gear, whllo his gazo lin
gered upon the red tops. "Hcd," ho
admitted, reluctantly, "him heap wano
"Where yo' ketchum?"
"Oh, I ketchum heap long way off-
San Francisco. I pay ?S, so." Will
held up a corresponding number of
fingers "No hurt feet wano. No
holes come, mebbyso one year." Will,
when conversing with tho Indians who
came often to tho ranch, adopted, as
far as possible, their modo of speech.
Peppajeo seated himself gingerly
upon tho edge of a chair, his blanket
wrapped jealously around him. Ho
would have preferred to squat com
fortably upon the lloor but for the fact
that he prided himself upon his white
man ways. Ills beady eyes returned
hungrily to tho boots.
"Huh. Holes come, bimeby, yo
Elmmo red?"
B ItV ItKKTIIA ni().,V ItOWF.K.
Yes, I'll glvo you red when holea'under him and sprang straight into
ic It'll be a long time, though tho air. then dashed off down tho trail
bbyso ono year." tho boys following.
come,
mebby
"Yo' cat dinner plenty quick, mob
byso?" asked Peppajce, Insinuatingly,
as certain savory odors llouted out to
his nostrils from tho kitchen.
"Yes. You stny, eat dinner with us."
Peppajeo nodded acceptance of tho
Invitation, nnd Will produced a box of
villainous cigars, bought from a ped
dler and kept for the delectation of
such guests.
"Como out on the porch, Peppajce.
Wf smoke."
Peppajeo rose, gave his blanket a
hitch, and followed his host.
"Whcro f adder? Where boys?" ho
asked, politely, as tlicy seated them
Bclves. "They went for horses. They come
hack soon."
Pcppajeo smoked In luxurlotm hlleneo
for a time, then began, suddenly: "Mo
got heap wano pony. Mo trade him
yo'. Htm wnno heap wano. Him go
fas' Ink dat." He drew a hand rapid
ly through tho nlr. "Him no buck, him
no keeck, him go all places name.
Mebbyso rocks lava bed him go
s-l-o-w him no fall. Mebbyso wano
road, him go, go, nil samo deer. Meb
byso heap dark no moon, no star
him no los', him go all tlmo home.
Mebbyso ride all day, no stop for cat,
for drink, him go all tlmo fas'. Heap
wano pony. Yo' trade?"
Will applied a mntch to his newly
rolled cigarette and puffed vigorously.
Ho knew something of tho way of tho
red man ; he Is full of guile as when
ho rode rampant tho plains, seeking
whom he might devour that la to say,
scalp.
"What for you trado wano pony?"
he demanded, suspiciously. "What for
you no keep him?"
Pcppajeo shifted his position un
easily; his eyes narrowed. "Virile,
sho rldo all tho time. Vlnlc heap lazy.
I lick. She no care, sho rldo all tlmo
same. Vlnlc no stny wickiup no cook
no make moccasin for sell. Mebbyso
mo keel deer, me como home, Vlnlo
gone. Mo lmf skin deer haf cook.
Vlnlo como back bimeby, mo lick. No
good. Sho go ncx' day all same." He
paused, dramatically, then continued.
"Mo trado pony. Ale git nodor pony,
mobbyso mo make buck a little. Vlnlo
sho see, sho no ride Vlnlo heap 'frald.
No walk heap lazy. Vinio stay home,
cook deer, make moccasins for acli
nic no lick. Wano."
The explanation was logical and con
ducing. Will, more trustful then than
ho Is at present, smothered any 1 In
goring doubt, and Inclined his ear to
Poppiijcc's specious reasoning.
"All right. Wo eat; then I go look
at pony. Mobbyso I trade."
Tho eyes of tho Indian sparkled.
"Yo' got wano pony mobbyso make
buck a little?"
Will nodded. "You saw him out In
the corral. Little black pony, wano.
You spur him, ho buck. You rldo him
to wickiup, you spur him heap scare
Vlnlo."
Peppajeo looked down at his. mocca
sins. "Huh. Mo no got spur."
"Oh, well, there's an old pair In
tho blacksmith shop I'll glvo you,"
said Will, tiring of the "lingo." Pcp
pajeo grinned; evidently the prospect
pleased him. Still, ho clung to his In
dian caution.
"Mo go look; mobbyso me trado.
Mobbyso me want ten dollah, so." lie
raised both hands, the fingers and
thumbs extended, nnd tho negotiations
wero postponed until after dinner.
"Mobbyso, me rldo yo pony. Wano.
Mebbyso me trade."
"All right," said, Will, and led tho
fiery llttlo black from tho corral, and
held him whllo Peppajeo transferred
his saddle. Tho horse was a beautiful
creature to look upon, but lacked
stamina for a hard gallop over tho
rough, surrounding country, so Will
considered tho trade all in hls favor.
Peppajee's pony was a plump llttlo
pinto, kind-eyed, sure-footed, and
sound.
Tho black throw back his head and
eyed his prospective owner askance.
"Him uo buck heap?" he queried, ap
prehensively. Tho belligerent, back
ward glance of Mohawk filled his In
dian soul with misgiving. Peppajeo
was a victim of civilization. He had
allowed most of his accomplishments
to grow rusty from disuse while ho
tarried long at wine or, to bo explicit,
cheap whisky. Ho no longer rode a la
Centaur. 1 doubt If ho could oven
properly scalp an enemy; I am Inclined
to think ho would have botched the
job disgracefully. Will hastened to
reassure him.
"Ho never bucks with me. unless 1
spur him," ho said. "I don't know."
he added conservatively, "how he'll
act with you. Ho never had an Injun
on top of him. He don't seem 'to tako
to tho idea."
"Huh," grunted Poppajeo, stung by1
the distasteful epithet. Ho mounted,
and settled himself and his blanket
firmly in tho saddle. "Yo' let go him
head. Mebbyso, Injun ride fo' yo'
bawn!"
Ned and Dick, who wero watching
tho trade, sprang upon thoir horses,
expectantly. Will turned loose the
umeiv ami swung into tho saddle. "Wo
go with you," he explained. "Wo soe
how ho go."
"Huh," said Peppajce, but got no
farther. Mohawk gathered m foot
" - tViV
Tho scarlet blanket loosened and
streamed cut behind, like the danger
signal It was. Peppajeo turned in tho
saddle to readjust it, and Inadvertently
drove a spur deep Into tho llauk of
Mohawk. Ho winced perceptibly, low
ered his hoad between his knees and
bucked off the trail and Into the sngo
brush. Will had neglected to warn
.Poppajeo that Mohaw.U had a disagree
able habit of bucking backward It
might luivo spoiled tho trade. How
ever, Peppnjeo was not long discover
ing thin peculiarity. Backward went
Mohawk, nearer and nearer to a deep
waah-out whcro a placer claim had
onco been located. Will, comprehend
in tho danger, shouted, warnlngly.
Poppajeo, clinging tightly to the sad
dlohorn, looked behind him and shout
ed also.
"Mebbyso, yo' ropo heap quick!"
Will unfastened his rope, galloping
closer tho whllo. Tho nooso circled
overhead, nnd Mohawk backed from
Itn threatening swirl. Now he was on
the brink. Twenty feet straight down
Pcppajeo leaned forward, panic
stricken. Swish-sh! Will's faithful Oypsy
braced hursclf for the strain. Mohawk
dodged too late. Tho noose settled
relentlessly over his shoulders.
"Darn it all, look at that blamed
Injun! Ho might have had sense
enough to dotigo that rope!"
Peppajrio lay prone upon tho neck
of Mohawk, held fast by the pitiless
ropo which gripped horse and rider
alike. Will turned Gypsy's head and
drew tho maddened black and his
thrlce-maddcncd burden back to com
parative safety.
"Throw your ropo, Dick!" cried Will.
"Catch him by a foot and throw him.
I'm breaking that blamed Injun's
neck."
Dick obeyed. Another loop circled
overhead; another ropo swished
through tho sultry air. Mohawk strug
gled fiercely; then fell heavily In tho
loose sand.
Peppajeo, freed from bondage, roso
sillily to his foot, assisted by Will.
"Huh!" ho snorted, In a tone of
deepest disgtiBt, gathering his blanket
about hia outraged person. Will sat
suddenly down In tho hot sand, and
covered his faco with his gloved
fingera. Ilia whole body shook with
what may have been sobs, but which
boro auspicious resemblance to violent,
tmcontrollabio mirth. Poppajeo evi
dently so Interpreted tho emotion. Ho
stood up, straight and tall, ono trem
bling', sinewy nrm outstretched accus
ingly, und regarded 1dm wrathfully.
"Huh. Yo' heap laugh now. Bimo
by yo' no laugh mebbyso yo' heap
cry. Yo' link for keel me. Yo' do
dat for mean! Mo go for town; mo
toll sheriff-man yo' try for keel me.
Him como, tako yo. Mo go co't, mo
toll yo try for keel mo. Me putuni In
jail, ono two free year! Yo' bet yo'
life! Mebbyso yo' quit laugh. Me no
trado. Mo no want cayusc! Huh."
Turning majestically upon his heel, he
scowled vindictively at tho black and
stalked haughtily albeit with a limp
through tho sage-brush and up tho
hill, not onco turning his head to look
back.
"He's so mnd ho forgot his pony and
saddle!" said Will, when ho recovered,
and stood up. "I'll go after him and
loll him I'm sorry. Poor old heathen,
ho did have a hard deal that time. I'll
offer him my new boots that ho had
his cyo on; that'll case his temper,
maybe."
Poppajeo made no sign as Will clat
tered up behind him.
"Hold on, Jim. Como on bade."
Thero was no nnswer, though tho face
of tho Indian lost an atom of Its stern
ness. It was balm to his soul to be
called .11m. Will went on, conciliat
Ingly: "Como on back. 1 heap sorry.
Mebbyso you trade; I give you boots."
"Huh." Peppajce relaxed hiifiiclent
ly to grunt sarcastically. "Mebbyso
holes come heap quick."
"No, no; heap wano boots. You
trade; I glvo you boots."
Poppajeo stood still and considered.
When ho apoke It was as an emperor
commanding his vassal.
"Yo" glnimo boots, yo' glmmo ten
dollah, mo trado. Yo' no trade, me go
toll shorlff-nian. Mo rldo cayuse. me
no spur. Him buck, mebbyso mo break
yo back!" Thus the ultimatum was
pronounced, and Will consented, re
luctantly, to tho terms.
A week later a travel-worn old In
dian, who disclaimed any knowledge
of tho white man's language, skulked
Into the shadow of the catalpa-trcc.
and was Immediately set upon by
Keno, who would have done serious
damage to the dirty gray blanket had
not Will appeared opportunely and
-called him back. Tho Indian, after
scanning the young man's counte
nance sharply, handed him a .soiled
fold or cheap letter-paper, and skulked
back into tho sago-brush whence he
had come. Some ox-student of one ol
tho mission schools had evidently act
ed as amanuensis for Peppajeo .'Urn,
who dictated the letter. Will read,
and his soul was filled with bitterness.
Yo", Will Holter. yo' heap big fool.
Long time ago, yo' glmmo big bottle,
yo' say heap wnno whisky. Me take
whlflky home, mo drink, drink, whisky
nil gone. Heap ka walio! Me heap si'k
mo link all time mebbyso me die. Me
mad, nil name Ink for keel yo'. Me no
keel. Mo watt one, two year; me bring
jmny; mo tny wano pony. Yo' glad for
trade. Pony him not my pony; hltn John
Ltttto Knbblt pony. Yo' gimme boots, vo
gtnime ten dollah; yo' gimme black pony,
Wano. Mo Helium boots, sellum p-jny,
heap dollah. John Little Habblt. meb
byso hltn come tako him pony. Yo' try
for keep, yo go for Jail. Mo go heap
long way yo' no can find. Mo got heap
doltalt. yo got nottlnjr. Wano!
- JIIs
Peppajoe X Jim.
Mark'.
San Francisco Argonaut
TUB ANT AND
'
1'liul Woman of yoiiKC.
An Ant, nimbly running about in the sunshine in search of food,,
came across a Chrysalis that was very near its time of change. The
Chrysalis moved its tail, and thus attracted the attention of the Ant,
who then saw for the first time that it was alive. "Poor, pitiable animal !"
cried the Ant, disdainfully: "what a sad fate is yours. While I can run
hither and thither at my pleasure, and, if I wish, ascend the tallest tree,
you lie imprisoned here in your shell, with power only to move a joint
or two of your scaly tail." The Chrysalis heard all this, but did not
try to make any reply. A few days after, when the Ant passed that
way again, nothing but the shell remained. Wondering what had be
come of its contents, he felt himself suddenly shaded and fanned by
the gorgeous wings of a beautiful Butterfly. "Behold in me," said
the Butterfly, "your much-pitied friend! Boast now of your powers
to run and climb as long as you can get me to listen." So saying, the
Butterfly rose in the air, and, borne along and aloft on the summer
breeze, was soon lost to the sight of the Ant forever.
THE INDIAN PROBLEM.
Chief Kuetoi'H in Its Solution Arc In
(IiiHd'inl Kiliicntlon null Dixpei'
nIoii Anion;:, Whites.
Miss Estclle Reel, superintendent of
Indian schools, was recently telling a
Washington Post reporter a good deal
of what was being done for the young
boys and girls of that race through
out the United States, reports that pa
per. "There is no sort of doubt," said she,
"of the good progress the young gen
eration of Indians is making toward a
higher civilization. Not long since I was
out in South Dakota, inspecting the day
schools on the Rosebud and Pine Ridge
reservations, and was gratified to see
how well the young Sioux are doing.
The boys are getting not only a fair de
gree of book learning, but they are be
ing taught in a practical way that old
est of occupations agriculture. There
Is a garden connected with each school,
and they are si nvn how to plant and
cultivate potatoes, beans, cabbages and
various other vegetables. Wherever Ir
rigation is feasible they are shown its
application.
"The young girls are instructed in all
the branches of housekeeping, cooking,
sewing, mending and the like. They
take to these arts readily and are much
cleverer with their fingers than white
children. The sewing of some of the
girls is really beautiful. While excelling
in manual dexterity, the Indian children
are slow to comprehend abstract ideas.
They can be taught to cipher very well,
but mental arithmetic puzzles them sad
ly. This, in my opinion, is additional
reason for emphasizing their need of
training along practical lines. It Is far
better to teach the rising generation
how to make a crop and keep tho house
decently than to employ them In pars
ing sentences or studying history. They
take Interest only in the tanciblo and the
concrete, something they can perceive
with the eye. and to which they have In
a' way been used from Infancy.
"There Is no longer any opposition to
tho children attending the government
schools on the part of the parents. In
fact, the old folks now gladly bring their
offsring to tho schoolhouscs and are
proud of their scholastic attainments.
Tho solution of the Indian problem may
not be easy, but In time it will be ac
complished. The two chief factors to
that end Is this Industrial education and
after that the dispersion of the Indians
among the white people throughout
every part of the United States."
To Tool 111m Town.
Frank Leldgen, who lhes northeast
of town, came In one day In search of
green eye-glasses lor his cattle. of
( course our men who deal In glasses wero
orced to give It up iw a hard proposi
tion. When asked why ho wanted. his
cattle to wear them, Leldgen replied
i "Whon Jn the pasture the green glasses
will make the grass look green and tho
; sattlo will think It Is spring and tlie pas
turo green." It Is true that it has not
rained -in .that part of Oklahoma for
some time ami me grass Is very dry. Wft
have patentH on everything wo can think
Df but patent eyo-glnisetf for cowb.
Can't nome ouo accommodate tho gon
tloman? Frederick (Okm.) Free Press.
THE5 CHRYSALIS.
COLORS IN BIRDS' EGGS.
A Secret of Nature Which In n I'oncr
Ivun in .Men of Scientific
IOil neat ion.
"If you are interested in national
problems," said a man who likes to
pore over cases in the Museum of Nat
ural History, according to tho New
York Sun, "here's a very simple one,
but you can find in it all the food for'
speculation and theory you want, as
scores of eminent thinkers have done
already.
"What is nature's reason for the color
and marking of birds' eggs, and in the
process of evolution how has it worked
out There must be a reason for their
infinite diversity, and It can hardly be
an aesthetic one.
"That looks simple enough, yet the.
most advanced naturalists haven't been
able to puzzle It out. All they can say
with any confidence is that the all-pervading
instinct of distrust and need for
protection is exhibited In eggshells as
in more important things, and the main
idea in their color scheme has been to
secure safety in harmony with their'
surroundings. But even that has ex
ceptions.
"Tako the doves. Their eggs are white
and are plainly visible in the ilimsy
nest, though the nest is built in a tree,
and the eggs should be of a darker
tint, to follow the general rule.
"Now, that, I believe, has been rea
soned out in this way: The original;
doves were rock doves, and they laid
white eggs in conformity with tho nat
ural law which ordains that color for
most specle3 of birds nesting in the
dark, so that the female might read
ily see them when she comes Into the
gloom.
"You find traces of this early Instinct
In the fact thnt wherever there is a de- .
serted rabbit warren you Avill find doves
taking advantage of it to build their
nests in tho abandoned burrows. But
whether in holes or trees, the nests still
contain white eggs, which nature or
dained for their rock dwelling ances
tors. "Owls lay pale eggs for the same rea
son. They breed In the dark.
"On the other hand the ducks, which,
so far as anybody knows, have always
trequented the most open places, also
lay pale eggs without markings. But.
uii mem you will find a greater tend-
unej io revert to olive browns or sandv
tints, the very color of the sand anil
shingles on which the eggs are laid.
he eggshells of the plovers and'
similar beach breeders are exactly
ground color, just as tho partridge and
pheasant eggs nro the color n( fnl,en
eaves And grouse, quail and moor
iovl have eggs matching exactly in
color with the brown stems of heather
and tho pine tree scales among which
they lie.
"Rut there arc blue and white nnd'
spotted eggs y cnn.t oxplflin AL
loast I can't satisfactorily. Anybody
may start his own theories on the sub
ject, and find tho problem endless. Solve
it correctly, and 1 think you will solvo
at the same tlmo half a dozen other
mysteries which have puzzled great
scientists oh this queer iroblem-fillcd
planet."