Show I 1 on afe prairie the story of the most unusual celebration in american history kr au 23 k 1 V 10 TV ea A JAI aan A aa ra r J W i 1 t r rf Jt i i f is i 1 MM il 4 4 il A a far 7 t ay iy 55 az mm I 1 7 amii issow iS ariy 41 aar vs V 4 Y A J ay at iv i V 4 is ifs isaial isi ial efti old fort abraham lincoln in the wintertime from a contemporary photograph by D F barry by ELMO SCOTT WATSON released by western newspaper union T WAS the day before christmas 1875 at old fort abra IT ham lincoln on the dakota frontier in the quarters of francis M gibson of the seventh cavalry his young bride katherine gibson was struggling with the problem of decorating the bare little rooms for the christ mas tree party which they were planning to give that evening soldiers sent out to scour the neighborhood for an anything y resembling a tree had returned with a few forlorn branches of sage and cedar brush but undaunted by this poor substitute for christmas greenery the young couple set to work they hung the boughs on stout cords from the ceiling down to within a few feet of the floor beneath they placed a washtub decorated with gaily painted paper and filled with sand in the latter they buried what few gifts they had been able to purchase from the scanty stocks of merchants kilts in the crude little frontier town of bismarck a few miles away well call it a christmas piel pie I 1 cried katherine gibson with a brave laugh but the room still lacked a festive holiday appearance so they set to work on sheets of plain paper which she had saved they colored the paper with paints then cut it into long strips to serve as festoons fes to their aid came several young officers of the seventh recently arrived at fort lin oln from west point with au silver ver foil that had been wrapped around cigars these youngsters covered the few nuts available and hung them on the makeshift christmas tree other officers wives contributed old christmas cards resurrected from their trunks and they tied them on the tree with scraps of faded ribbon that had been ironed and freshened th they ey colored candles with red paint cut them in two and perched them jauntily on the branches of the tree they fashioned a big bell out of paper that had been colored red and pasted cutout cut out pictures of santa claus on its edges As tor for refreshments for the party what if the post traders store had only a meager supply of such staples as sugar coffee flour and the like somehow young katherine gibson managed to get together some sandwiches a cake a small amount of cand candy and lemonade made from citric acid crystals but her greatest triumph was ice cleaml cream 1 it was ice cream made from condensed milk whipped up gelatine and the whites of eggs the mailman had brought these eggs from bismarck and he had wrapped them in cotton and carried them inside his buckskin shirt next to his warm body to keep them from freezing by late afternoon the young officer and his bride were ready to receive their guests soon a laughing throng had gathered in their house for the festivities and but let katherine gibson tell the story of that party and its unexpected and dramatic aftermath surely one of the str strangest ang christmas eve celebrations ever held in america here is the story told in her own words christmas christinas eve dawned bright and clear and the temperature had moderated So someone brought an old banjo another had unearthed an antique guitar another a jews harp with such dance music provided we twins swung into the V clr ir linia reel with much merriment and nd then the old square dances dance had their turn what a beautiful urne time we baal finally before midnight lieutenant gibson being officer of the day had to make 2 ke his rounds of the outposts and ah shortly artly afterward the party broke up lip everyone tired but happy when the last guest had departed I 1 thought I 1 would take a peep into the kitchen now dark and deserted so with lighted candle held high I 1 opened the door As the flame dame stabbed through the darkness I 1 sudi suddenly denly gasped and gazed before roe me with startled eyes tor for on an the side aide porch appeared some strangers stranger huddled together strangers of juvenile stature one barely tall enough to see bee above the window casement in short my uninvited guests were small indian children who were staring through the glass at the tree in mesmeric entrancement for a moment I 1 was held spellbound in surprise then cautiously a so 0 as not 0 t to frighten them I 1 opened the porch do door 0 r and motioned them to enter at first they cowered and shrank away then a straight backed youngster in buckskin dragging by the hand a diminutive squaw about tour four years old stepped into the room the others following warily tingle single file how had they gamed gained entrance to the garrison I 1 wondered then I 1 recalled a slight breach in the stockade wall lust just big enough to admit the wriggling in and out of one small body at a time I 1 turned to the supposed le leader ader of 01 the party and speaking slowly asked pointing to the tree some one tell indian boy about it he be nodded as the little ho hustues hostiles stiles around the agencies picked up a smattering of english very quickly who tell indian boy horn toad horn toad was a good natured indian scout adored by all the children in the garrison oh I 1 nodded while the little frozen band huddled about the stove in stolid silence and who Is she indicating the th wee squaw sister replied the boy while the tittle little girl clung more fiercely to his bis hand my eyes ran over the tiny figure and my in heart 1 art 3 contracted the no poor tot shivered and drew across the shoulders of her calico dress an impromptu shawl made of gunny sack and a strip of the th same material served as her only headgear her sins and leggings word were of buckskin the young warriors were clad to in whole suits of it but bulb evidently when it came to the female of the species the supply had bad given out it was a miracle that the little band been frozen to death just bow where or why at this season of the year these people were abroad instead of under shelter at the agencies did not matter the tact fact remained that they and at least some of their tribe had set et up their somewhere nearby it I mentally shook myself what a unconscionable hour tor for these children to be up they must be returned to their mothers at once and yet as I 1 looked into their timid braid expectant faces pity stirred within me and my logic went woefully awry heaven only knew how long they lyv I 1 et va 1 ja 1 4 1 f ws 4 I 1 I 1 14 0 fk mrs francis 1161 gibson and baby kate who grew up to become mrs katherine therme Ka gibson fou fon gera author of with custers casters cavalry had waited out there in the cold feasting their eyes on this glittering paradise and that set me thinking quickly I 1 drew them into the living room and towards the christmas tree pio pie which I 1 was confident still held a few treasures and digging into the sand myself I 1 fished out a jack ln in the box which I 1 presented to the little lady her black eyes leaped with surprise and joy oy and her wee hands trembled as she clutched the toy then making a motion for the them to continue I 1 flew to the kitchen to heat heat up what cocoa still remained the striker was lust just leaving for or his barracks when I 1 called to him oh alkorn I 1 instructed go to the nearest bastion and tell the sentinel to relay to other sentinels that in the event of any indians hanging around and looking tor for children they are at lieutenant Gib gibbons gibsons sons quarters and will be along soon during my absence my guests had bad certainly explored the entire contents of the tub the appearance of the jack anthe an ln the box had dissipated their last vestige of hesitation atlon and thoy they plunged feverish feverishly into the a sand an d and with each rag doy doll toy pistol or other treasure exhumed they became in fact wild indians wild with delight the boys boy voicing thele emotions in short grunts the wee ones in squeals of rapture it was upon this scene of oozing scattering sand band that I 1 entered bearing a pot of steaming cocoa but bur the children refused to abandon the magic tub until the very last toy had been salvaged then they drank long and thirstily of the re tre freshing shing beverage and soon color returned to their pinched cheek and warmth crept back into their little chilled fingers noting all this I 1 communed with my sell self thoughtfully I 1 should have sent them home right away I 1 told myself severely yet I 1 continued to heap their laps with goodies popcorn nuts and candy besides there was some lee ice cream left over and cake too that were begging to be eaten and what was a party without them so before they knew it mounds of pink and white concoction were whisked in front of 0 the little savages who immediately plunged small eager fingers into the pretty fluffy stuff only to recoil from the sudden chill chall the tiny squaw was the first to experiment with it by cautiously licking some off her palm and her cherubic smile would have inspired a masterpiece from raphael they needed no further urging and attacked the ice cream stuffing themselves with all the abandon of healthy hungry children while they were thus engaged I 1 ran upstairs looking lor for old blankets woolen stockings and socks I 1 found i a short coat of my own some mittens and galoshes galos hes and warm mufflers suddenly queer sounds coming from below sent me scurrying halfway half way downstairs where I 1 paused the noise started with the clapping of hands accompanied by a weird chant this was followed by the tha sound of softly muffled feet and short sharp whoops at first taint faint but growing 10 louder bo der and louder I 1 sank upon the stairs stair and d peered through the bannis into the living room and what I 1 behold beheld kept me rooted to the spot my eyes dilated before a picturesque phase of barbaric expression the straight backed boy evidently wishing to do his part and that of his tribe toward the entertainment was staging a performance of his own and was directing the others la in some kind of of a dance one boy and the diminutive squaw stood at the side clapping their hands and chanting monotonously the latter moving her hips and body la in imitation of the older squaws squads while circling the stove in single file the young braves stamped upon the carpet with the firmness ot of buff buffaloes aloes combined with the whirlwind lightness of the wildcat their lithe frames swaying like the prairie grasses and with a rhythm as perfect as a set measure backwards and forwards they flung themselves as though made of elastic rubber bending pliant heads and necks and emitting long drawn out whoops ot of joy the crunching into the carpet of ruinous sand mattered not for on the step I 1 sat like petrified wood lost in wonder at the wild beauty and the cadence of that native dance why I 1 pondered ponder d did white children have to spend money money to attlein anything like the grace of these aborigines to whom it seemed as inborn and as natural as a spring of cool clear water the dirge changed and the little redskins red skins swung into close group formation each executing fast f fantastic a n steps followed more insistent h band and clapping and droning the young bucks quickly flung back into single file whereupon the dance became fiercer the whoops louder and longer and with a frenzy that almost shook the floor boor they fairly leaped 1 bout about the stove until the leader held u up p his hand and stopped the droning ceased the embryo braves threw themselves gasping upon the carpet and the tha wee we one slid down beside the young chief I 1 drew a deep breath hurried back upstairs and brought down an armful of clothing and blankets then I 1 bundled up the wee squaw like a bale of cotton tied my too big mittens on her warm little hands and gave the rest of the blankets mufflers and galoshes galos hes to the boys boy after that I 1 stripped the tree of Us tu remaining gifts put candy and cake in a bag which I 1 consigned to the care car of the straight backed boy and very reluctantly luct antly let my guests out again into the night I 1 glanced up at the clock in the hall already it was christmas the snow crunched crisply beneath light retreating steps while again and again the happy children clutching their cherished toys turned radiant faces over their shoulders for one last look and smile finally the small straight backed indian boy bringing up the rear with his bis christmas burdens patted hit his mouth with his slim film hand and emitted the farewell call of his tribe which seemed to linger on the air even after the little band had faded from view I 1 smiled to myself blew out the kerosene lamp in the hall and trudged wearily up upstairs s 1 bairs while drifting through the still gull ap approaching p ro aching dawn and echoing from bastion to bastion came the comforting call of the sentinels one and alls w well e U so that is the story of the christmas eve celebration at old fort abraham lincoln on the dakota frontier a traditional observance of the birth of the prince of peace which came to an unexpected climax in a barbaric war dancel dance I 1 tod find the story in a book published recently by the caxton printers ltd of cald caid well idaho with custers Ou cavalry by katherine gibson fou 9 gera era the daughter who was born bom a few years later to the young seventh cavalry officer and his hia wife at fort meade in the black hills of south dakota and it is reproduced here tor for your enjoyment by special permission of the copyright owners it is one of the most unusual and at the same time one of the most charming yuletide sto stories ries that has appeared in many a year it is a strictly american addition to the literature of christmas for nowhere else in the world except in america could this incident have taken |