FEBRUARY 24, 1978 PAGE 3
A Continuing Investigation . . .
Spilyay Uncovers "Truth" Behind Nicknames
N icknam es. Everyone has
had one at one time or another.
Most names are bestowed upon
a person in th e ir youth while
some are given a nickname be
cause they look like the nam e
given them . O thers a re Indian
names given by an older person
years ago.
Most nam es stick for life
and in fact, some people might
have to stop and think w hat a
person’s “real” name is. Every
one knows everyone else’s nick
nam e. T hat nam e given them
years ago is almost considered a
legal nam e. But since these
nicknam es a re so well known,
why is it th a t a few people
around here won’t tell of the
origin of their nickname?
Orthelia Miller, alias “eels” ,
was one who would not tell
Spilyay Tymoo w here she got
her nam e. She giggled and
asked, “ Do you really have to
know? It’s a secret. Let me call
you b a c k .” We’re still waiting
for her call.
“Eight-Ball” , occasionally
known as Nathan Jim, received
his nicknam e m any years ago
when he first appeared on stage
while attending boarding school
here in W arm Springs. E very
year the boys dorm would have
a ta le n t show, and one year
three kids w ere intending to
p resen t an “ Amos and Andy”
radio show. “You do remember
Amos and Andy, don’t you?” he
asked: We half-heartedly r e
plied, “ Yes, but Eight-Bdll,
you’re dating yourself.”
Apparently, Amos and Andy
had a side-kick and his nam e
was Eight-Ball. Nathan was not
one of the original three kids in
the Amos and-Andy show, but
the kid who was to be Eight-Ball
was unable to perform , so N a
than gallantly rescued the show.
He sang and tap-danced, thus
becoming “Eight-Ball.”
W endall Jim , or “ W ater
melon” has a brief story behind
his nickname. When asked how
he got his name, he indicated a
humongous stom ach with his
hands. “ I was fat when I was a
kid.” Thus came “Watermelon.”
“Bunski” , sometimes known
as U ren Leonard, received his
name in grade school. His tea
c h e r’s nam e w as Branzinski.
Uren received very good grades
while in this class, in fact he was
at the top of the class. The other
kids in his class thought he was
buttering up the tea c h e r and
considered him te a c h e r’s pet.
How “Bunski” ever came out of
“Branzinski” we’ll never know,
but the “kids” probably know.
We contacted the T ribal
judges “Barnman’ and “Ham-
bone” . “Barnman” or Leonard
Scott as we know him , got his
name in 1931 during a forest fire.
“Barnman” was responsible for
the watering arid feeding of 20 to
30 horses. These horses were
kept in a barn-like structure.
When asked where his name
came' from, Greeley or “Ham-
bone” wouldn’t say. However,
“ B arnm an’ elab o rated for us.
But first, take a grain of salt. He
said th e re was a huckleberry
patch n e a r High Rock called
Hambone. According to the
story, Hamilton was born in that
patch. N eedless to say, those
judges have very interesting and
exciting beginnings.
V ictor Sm ith, or “ C hers”
got his nam e from his m other,
who was part Cherokee. To be
gin with “ C hers” w as Chero
kee, but over the y e a rs it was
shortened to what it is now. At
first, we thought it was that he
sat around a lot on chairs.
We are continuing our inves
tigation of nicknam es, so look
for m ore of the inside story
behind those nicknam es in up
coming issues. If you have any
different nam es and th e ir ori
gins just call us, Lois Lane and
Clark Kent. We’ll be more than
happy to hear your story.
Space Creatures Invade Talent Show
Completé with futuristic
lighting and a disco pulse, the
com m unity cen ter gym was
tran sfo rm ed into an elaborate
“ S tar W ars” environm ent for
the third annual Warm Springs
Talent Show Thursday, Febru
ary 16.
This y e a r’s show featu red
“Gong Show” type judging, and
once the crowd of 200 w arm ed
up to the idea they w ere quite
vocal in letting the judges know
what they thought.
Boo’s and hisses as well as
applause and cheers
rang
th ro u g h th e d a rk e n e d gym as
the audience expressed its opin
ion of the judges’ decisions after
each act.
Apparently the scores were
m et with general approval as
none of the four judges got “un
benched” . The judges were Ada
Sooksoit, M adeline M clnturff,
Cynthia Stowell and Marie Cali-
ca.
Gate receipts totaled $372.50
and, after expenses are paid, the
proceeds will go the community
Fourth of July celebration fund.
Following the Lord’s Prayer
by Aurolyn Stwyer (Miss Warm
Springs of 1077), em cee Uren
Leonard introduced special
guest D arth V ader and his
friend “ E lla-V ad er” . The two
stayed throughout the evening
and were hassled occasionally
by Groucho Marx-type charact
ers.
The audience was generous
with its applause for the serious
contestants, and the judges
gonged only one scheduled act,
Spilyay and his Dancing Dog.
Taking first prize with 32
points was Ja c k L. Smith 'of
Bend. His g u ita r picking and
yodeling ability was greatly en
joyed by the foot-stomping,
handclapping audience.
A whacky and clever pro
duction by the “ Royal Space
A liens” in Ms. C rocker’s 5th
grade class at the Warm Springs _
Grade School kept the audience
chuckling and won the kids 31
points and second place.
Third prize w ent to Lala
Delude for her trick roping and
rendition of “Daddy was a Cow
boy” . The judges awarded her
29 points.
A thoughtful and sensitive
poetry reading by Billie Jo Cle
m ent won her 28 points and
fourth place.
F ifth place was sh ared by
the “ West Hills Cosmos Mini-
creatures” and the “Year 2000
Disco Dancers” who tied with 27
points each.
The acts moved,along with a
bit less tim e-lag this year be
cause th ere w ere two stages,
something which will undoubted
ly be kept in mind for future
shows.
Door prizes, courtesy of
Kah-Nee-Ta, w ere given out a
bit differently this year. Instead
of calling out a nam e, unsus
pecting m em bers of the audi
ence w ere toped and hauled
down from the bleachers to re
ceive their prizes.
It was evident th at people
enjoyed this year’s talent show
and, as sev eral in the crowd
remarked, “It gets better every
year.”
Photos by
Sandy Rangila
With hair hanging all over her face and wailing a pitiful tune, poor Cow Bell Annie was gonged by the
judges at the third annual Talent Show last Thursday, Feb. 16. “ Star Wars” was the theme, and most
enjoyed the “ Gong Show” type judging — a new feature this year.
At the end of the final act, the curtain fell (literally!) Warm Springs
fifth graders from Ms. Crocker’s class won second place with their
whacky performance of “ The Fatal Quest” . The Cast was: Queen -
Becky Rhoan; King - R yan Sm ith; Me Too - L effert M iller;
Princess - Lena Mitts; Duke - Tyrone Ike; Curtains - Jason Smith
and Anthony Davis; and Bell Ringer - Juanita Blodgett.