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Frances E. Totty
Box 677
Silver City, M.
itords 860
July 2, 197
Subject Indians
PICHARD ;ND —ILWM H. FEISLE'S—
Indian Relic Collection
illiaTn t1 Eeisle was lam at bhawnee Mission, Kansas in 18420 the
first white child to be born in li-ansas. Mr. eisle is now the oldest Odd
Fellow in the world.
In 1862 he first entered as Vegas driving d yoke of oxen. Mr. Leisle
had dealt with the Indians ever since, and can give some remarkable facts.
He has never had been in any conflicts with the Indians either in a party
or alone, which he attributes to the fact he had red hair which wac. held
sacred by the Indian tribes. lie has smoked the peace pipe with different
tribes of Indians among them the Pappajo and Crow Indians.
Onee he was without water and the Rappajo's were ctmped by the only
water near him when his water supply gave out. Mr. Eeisle say's "I
thought I'd just as well give my scalp to the Indians as my body to the
coyotes and desert. "I grabbed my canteen and went to the water. A large
brave raked up and motioned me to follow. I followed him trembling thinking
ay day's were past. The brave vent in his tent kot out his pipe took three
puffs and gave it to me. I now knew I was safe bectute he was offering me
the peace pipe. I made signs to the brave that the pipe would make me sick but
would accept their sacred fruit the plum, which he gave me. I met different
tribes of the Rappajo Indians after that which I was never afraid of but
looked on them as friends.
Mr. eisle was friend of Scout Eridgiers' who raised him about his
Indian friend's as he was a great alley of all Indian.
Mr. Eeisle started the collection of his treasured dear to his Indian
friend's many years ago and he claims is unsurpassed by no private instution.
His son Ficherd is a close companion in his collection. At present the
Eeisies are touring Cplifornis with their Interesting collection.
The most valuable of the collection for historic age is a piece 0
material, resembling burlap, and a moccasin of tho eane material and weave,
but much coarser. These two pieces were gotten from a c,,ve which authorities
say is a prehistoric cave and material.
"Mr. Eeisle," I asked, "Did you collection cost you much r "Not much
in dollars and cents", wee the answer, "but year's of patient searching.
You think thing's are high now, but I remember in Ohama I sold a ton of
coal for one-hundrel sixty-five dollar's. In Denver i paid fifteen dollar's
for two rackls of flour and one dollar a pound for salt at Prives Virginia,
Montana, and twenty dollar's to ride from ilelena to Virginia ‘'ity a distance
of one -hundred miles."
"Won't you tell me about your relics?" I asked. "Well, could talk all day
about them. 7e have over seven,.hundred pieces alike, all designs having a
meaning. In all of this pottery not. to are alike. You will notice many
resemble our modern art the lines are very simple, but clearly signify their
meaning. Many of these pieceF are of prilhistorid value, others aren't very
old. We have collected them from caves, old digging's, and graves."
"Lee this piece that resembles 8 pig with his mouth open, when sitting
on its leg's now turn it up we have a jug which same from the Tonto basin.
There is only one other piece in history known like this. It is also from
the Tonto basin".
"This string of shells loo!,: the smallest the size of a pin head, the
largest size of s bean. There are over three -thousand shells on this string.
To those who can read them they tell a story, probL-c1:: 4'
8
"We have a great weber os skulls, notice the formatien of the bones,
we surely can't say from these formations that the Indiens weren't smart
alert tribes of people. Some were more ambitious than others just as we
find today in the Causcian race. They were ramblers, but neither the less
some made their crops, and it toek smart swift people to hunt and succeed by
their method. ae aren't cepable of succeeding in their art."
"This is e basin of =man bones. The Indians have had a form of
ereenation not like ours but the building of e funeral pyre, end after the
fire burned don they collected the bones which they nut in the besin, and
either buried or closed up in 6 cave."
"This basin contains eolething like one hundred bone bracelets some well
preserved others nearly decayed or worn out."
"These are moccasins",
look like roots or twisted tobaece,"
I remarked. "Yes, they are queer, er thsp They represent different
age, and tribes, look at these made of cloth, other's were made of skins,
and other's we can hardly say whet they are made off."
",Whet do you think- of the corn?" I as asked.
"The ears are so small," I remerked. "Yes tut look they become lerger,
look at these older one's now at the one's of later years even the Indians
improved in their agriculture. This is their protection, and weapon to
obtain meat --arrows end Tommy Reeks. There is over one -hundred arrows
some are small ethers large. How would like to handle that rude instrument
resembling our
"It looks very heavy and clumsy to me," I quickly replied.
"These are to sew and mend with, bone meedles, they would be useless to
lei, but think as some of the beautiful Indian rugs- you have seen and
Jimagine them being made with suck crude equipment in this modern lay of quick
machinery."
"This statue probably resembled a god. Fey close attention to the lines
in his face maybe he is the medicine man. How do you like this snake which
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forms the handle for this basin."
"This is the high lights of my collection. I could talk for day's
telling stories of the Indians and their deeds and I'm thankful to say all
of them good.*
One could not spend a more delightful day than listening to grandpa
Esisle if you can get him to talk, I spent three day's getting acquainted
but then I went into his use car and storage room and ms shown his relics
and told about them, it was time well spent.