Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 288, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 December 1910 — NEW USE FOR PANS [ARTICLE]

NEW USE FOR PANS

RED MEN FIND A SOURCE OF AMUSEMENT. Indian Agent Wonders at Sudden Demand for Frying Pane—Finds Earthen Toboggan Slide on Mountain Side. - The Indian, however averse he may be to any kind of useful labor, is not slow to avail himself of a new source of amusement. This was shown some years ago, when among the supplies sent by the government to a certain agency In the west were several hundred large frying pans with long handles. These the Indian agent found in stock when he took possession, and at the end of the year the number had not been diminished. Thinking that perhaps he had not discharged hls whole duty in the matter of supplying Uncle Sam’s wards with these culinary utensils, the agent began making special efforts to induce the red men to use them. At first, says Harper’s Weekly, it was hard work, but by the time he had given out about two dozen there came a sudden change. Not a day passed in which the agent did not have applications for at least a dozen and some days he disposed of twice that number. , When the supply was nearly .exhausted he noticed among the applicants some to whom he had previously given pans, and naturally enough he became a trifle curious to know what use they were making of them. He questioned several of the men to no purpose, but at length a young buck more communicative than the rest gave him to understand that if he would visit a certain part of the reservation not far away he would find hls inquiry answered. The next day, therefore, the agent rode out in the direction Indicated. About two miles from the agency he noticed on the crest of a narrow spur of the mountain three or four Indians who suddenly disappeared on the opposite side of the ridge. At the same time he heard faintly the cry of many voices. On turning the point of the ridge he saw a crowd of several hundred Indians who were shouting as if greatly excited. He noticed also several objects, which he at first supposed to be boulders, descending the side of the mountain toward them with tremendous rapidity. Instead of fleeing from these moving objects, the Indians simply applauded and shouted. Soon he saw other objects like the first descending and in a short time the whole situation was plain to him. Having elected a long, smooth slope of the mountain where there were no stones, the Indians had converted it into a sort of earthen toboggan slide and were utilizing the frying pans as toboggans. Seating themselves in the pans they grasped the handles with both Hands; then crossing their legs over their arms they went spinning down the slide with great rapidity. The agent let them have the few pans that remained in the storehouse, but did not order a new supply.