Show courtship among the utes the utes bein being 9 the natives of this valley and our near neighbors in the pioneer days tho the subjoined sub joined from the field and farm denver will be interesting the ute nation consists of fifteen distinct tribes but for many years have been divided into three greater divisions of these the southern utes ates have retained their residence in colorado with the white river utes and the have lived in the uintah since 1880 the very interesting custom 3 and laws of the utes we ae common to till all th 03 divisions divi sous sons they practiced iced polygamy fort formerly whon warfare kept the braves thinned out and the females were in ill excels three to 0 one the young marry early and if a ute ule squaw is unmarried arrid at twenty she is treated as a pariah riah and ia liable to be put to d death at li as a witch before she is fa forty when a girl reaches marriage i agg able age her parents shut ber up in in a tepee W where bere she sh e is compel compelled ted to fast four or five days at the end of that time lime invitations are sent out to tile the friends who gather about the tepee where they are feasted asted ie and then all engage in ill a wild weird dance skating I rattles attles blowing on reed pipes and singing incantations tile the parents feign disgust and frequently go 90 to the door and bid them did dia porse perse A common practice is to place the maiden on oil it a couch of boughs over heated stones water is poured upon these stones and the victim is given a thoro sweating after that she is led to the river for plunge and is then considered worthy of a hiss husband baud the courting time is during the harvest tinie time of the utes greatest crop all the 3 mesquite bean the young atti me itar to tile the indi maiden dell and humbly usla Q the hand of tile the daughter dzuglo er the father simulate rage and orders hira him away the youth obel obe a but yet urt b S shortly ducked decked in in hid 9 gaudiest gau diest 1 feathers bead and p lints 6 it always I 1 happens that the maiden is alone n they become acquainted mid and then hen ir if favorable to LO his hey go out tor for a long walk a k or ride together tog effier in the boods buds when they return they are arecton considered married and at once begin housekeeping in the ahe hene of the bri brideie deit mother where they remain until tile llie fl first child i io zi born the young brave then thell sets up his tepee divorces unions among tile the utes is is an easy and informal process find and consists simply in lie husband mounting his horse wid and deserting his hio hii w fe e and ud a family for liis bis own elan clan but there is a disgrace attl attaching tell ilig to buch pl proceedings jigs and the buck is is not to r narry marry again without the sanction of his ln ube hier mid and thi is generally grall granted Led oil only ay after tle tile petitioned has perfo perform rui ed ome tome t leal feut of bravery or durance among the most barbaric aud and ccuen of tile utes cua toina la that of infanticide ute parents are alle ordinarily kind to their but crippled and sickly ones are killed shortly after aalt r bi birth 0 ii whon when dwina are born tile the least it is put to death sud aud should one be a girl tier her fato fate is strangulation A ute uie squaw who does not bear male children is looked upon with diada ii I 1 and suspicion it is recalled thai tile the wife of chief gray rabbit killed herself because she could not bear the sneers and ignominy r of being pointed out as the mother of seven daughters and no ito sons |