The Nez Perce Spend Their Windfall

Farmington special, April 28: The town presented a gala appearance Monday after the bank officials had cashed checks to the amount of $600,000 for the Nez Perce people. Every hitching post was surrounded by ponies. Those already possessing vehicles drove directly to the livery stables. Much curiosity was felt as to how the Indians would spend their gold. Their first purchases were made at the fruit and confectionery stores. One squaw quietly bought a generous allowance of candy, fruits, nuts, crackers, and 50 cents worth of chewing gum. Every Indian, large and small, was soon seen eating or carrying oranges. In a short time many of the men had bought and donned new suits of clothes. They exhibited a marked preference in these selections for navy blue. The squaws, meanwhile, were fast reducing the merchants' stocks of blankets, calicoes, etc. By noon the agricultural implement houses had sold every style of vehicle in their possession, and one merchant had orders enough for a carload of spring wagons or 'hacks.' Harness men soon found their stocks nearly cleaned out by the Indians. Several of them paid high prices for horses in the morning, and during the afternoon many farmers brought horses to town, which they disposed of at terms far beyond their expectations. At noon the Indians eagerly sought the hotels for dinner. The squaws seemed to retain complete control of the purses. One old squaw selected a new cart, paid $160 for a horse. She then purchased a new harness and stored away numerous packages under the seat, after which she tied the poor, little, fagged cayuse pony (on which she had come to town) behind, spread a new blanket over her lap, and turned her high-checked, spirited horse toward the mission. By 4 o'clock a long line of new buggies, wagons, and carts well laden with every conceivable article of use wound its way over the mountain to the mission. One man was arrested charged with selling liquor to an Indian. The Indians were quiet, orderly, and dignifiedly polite.