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Show INDIAN CTJRIOS. (Correspondence Intermountain Catholic.) Helena, Montana,. , April 24. The State HiiSitccJcal Society has just received a valuable addition to its collection col-lection of curios and relics in t'.ie t'hape of part of the -famous "collection of the late Major Ror.'an! for many years the agent of the F.&theiad Indians. The new acquisition Ja a gift from Senator William A'. Clark. ;' Mr. Clark, besides making this gift, has promised to donate $200 toward the $800 required o purchase for the society the famous Allen collection of Indian relic? now on exhibition in the society rooms, which :t ia desired should be secured by the state. The articles which Senator Clark purchased pur-chased from the Ronan collection are being installed for exhibition by Librarian Librar-ian Howey. They form a. part of the magnificent collection of; Indian curios that Major Ronan exhibited at the Wonld's Fair in Chicago, and which came near taking the first prize. At fc'ome future date it. is hoped the eocietv Will be able to acquire the balance cf the' Ronan collection, w hicih is generally admitted to be very fine. ' The society has been trying to secure the set of. Major Catlin's Indian books, owned by the late Indian agent. These are very valuable, containing some very fine prints of Indians and much interesting inter-esting Indian data. The Ronan family have thus far declined to part with them. In the collection donated by the senator sen-ator te a pair of enow shoes that were worn by General John C. Fremont, the famous "pathfinder," in his journey acrcias the continent over half a century ago. These snowshoes are in good sta te of preservation. Parties who are familiar fa-miliar with such means of locomotion niy they 'are good ones. They are of the webfooted sort. There Is al'S-o an Indian hat made from- a brown bear's head, ornamented with bean?' claws. This hat was once the property cf Eagle of the Llgfot, a famous Nez Perce cihief, who refused to Join Chief Joseph in his bold raid Into Montana, but who lived with the whites after Chief Joseph an'd his. band were I captured by Genei'al Miles. . There Is al.o an Indian gun cover of unique deaign, a Hudson bay flint lock rifle, Indian bows and arrows made of elk horn; Indian whips, a "decorated Saddle, a child'i saddle, a beaded buf-fal'o buf-fal'o robe, moccasina such as were worn leng ago, an undergarment of deer skin worn by Indian! women and made by the Flathead-3, . four styles of - Indian bags- for carrying different articles, and other curlct. . The generosity of Senator Clark w ill, it 1s hoped, lead others to do likewise and aiTisitiin 'the acquisition, hot only cf the Allen collection, buit the remainder re-mainder of the Ronan ccttlection before these have been acquired by the Smithsonian Smith-sonian Institute or eastern colleges or museums. |