Weekly Chemawa American., February 08, 1907, Page 8, Image 8

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THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
enemies, as is proved by the fact that he succeeded in
pursuading life-long political enemies to turn their
strength to him and send him to the Senate.
Adams Monroe Dyrd, a representative from Mississip
pi, is also of Indian blood. He traces his ancestry throu
gh along line of distinguished Cherokeejehieftains. He
has the high cheek bones, copper skin and straight
hair which indicate the blood of the original American,
and he has often been taken for a "dressed up" repre
sentative of some Western tribe to the "Great Father
in Washington."
The foremost Indian in public life today is Quonah
Parker, chief of the Comanehes and a political power
in the new State of Oklahoma.whose star is just rising
into the blue firmament of O'.d Glory. Chief Parker
is a' Democrat and there are many political prognosti
cates who say he will come to the Senate from the
nuwly admitted commonwealth. He was opposed to
the union of Indian Territory with Oklahoma, and
was the leading spirit in the convention which met to
frame a constitution for the proposed State of Sequo
yah. Chief Parker's mother was a white woman,
Cindy Parker, who was captured by the Indians when
a girl and later became the wife of Quonah, a Com
anche warrior. Her chieftain son is a man of great
ability and has a strong belief in the future of the In
dian. In the list of prominent Indians of today might be
included Dr. Charles Eastman, a Sun tee Sioux, who is
a prominent student of both medicine and law; Dr.
Carlos Montezuma, an Apache, who was rescued from
a battlefield when only 6 years old, and who is now a
jnomiuent physician in Chicago; Francis La Flesche,
an Omaha Indian, now a fellow of the American As
sociation for tlie Advancement of Science, and a Gov
ernment employe distinguish d for good work in
scientific research ; Ilonore Jackson, a. successful iaw
ci' in Chiiago; Miss Angel De Cor;., a U' in nH ye. f:i
i.ilit who hts mei w.tli much sa..ccas in il.L.sii.u.ng
Indian life; and Miss Zitkala Sa, a Yankton Sioux,
who is contributor to the Atlantic monthly.
The main effort of Indian education today is to
make him competent to earn a white man's wages.
The agent on the Pine Ridge Agency in South
Dakota, advertises to supply Indian laborers for work
on railroads and irrigation ditches. Employers of la
bor who are using them for ditching or grading say
they are reliable and steady. Many Indians are mak
ing their mark as business men. Colonel Soi McLisk,
a rich Chickasaw, and a number of his wealthy tribes
men, ha ve established a banking and real estate firm
in Oklahoma near the Chickasaw boundry, in ordor
to handle the affairs of their people and prevent them
from being cheated by unscrupulous whites. The
necessity for some such protection is shown by the re
cent utterance of a pioud, full-biood -Creek chief
tain, who said : "What do the full-bloods care about
the character of their lrnd? They only want it to
walk over."
The Indian has already attracted considerable at
tention in athletics, and it is claimed that he is de
stined to make a permanent place for himself in the
sporting history of our country. The Carlisle foot
ball team ranks with the best and won nine of the 12
games played last year. The various Indian baseball
teams that tour the country dining the summer
months, always give a good account of theinselve
when matched against high-class and semi-professional
teams. In Canada there is an Indian boy named
Thomas Longboat, who is said to be the greatest luiif;
distance runner living today. He is only 19 yesrs old,
and has not much experience, but Shcrring, who is
the world's champion since the Olympic games, says
the Indian lad will eventually beat the world, lied
Cloud, a full-blood Cherokee Indian, is receiving con
siderable mention as a promising pugilist.
Fondness for Many Wives.
The Government has experienced considerable
trouble in trying to break up the practice of polygamy
among some of the Indian tribes in the West. There
was one Indian who haa seven wives, and yet was an
excellent officer and very necessary to the administra
tion. He was takan to task for his many marriages,
but at last the department compromised on his prom
ise not to marry any more. Two or three years
later the department heard that he had taken unto
himself two more squaws. When called up on the
carpet his naive explanation was: "One squaw run
away, one squaw die, marry two more; just got seven
now, same as when Government say all right."
Many people who attended the St. Louis Exposition
will remember the strong voice at the entrance to the
Indian building calling through a megaphone; "Step
this way, ladies and gentlemen, and see great Gcro
nimo, the most desperate Indian chief who ever lived.
See the old warrior who has cost the United States
Government millions of dollars. He will write his
name for you for 10 cents: Step this way ladies
and gentlemen." The "barker" who thus hailed. the
passing throng in the merry jocular fashion of the
professional showman, was a. full-blood Indian boy, a
product of the new dispensation of things, just as Ger
ouimo was of the old. Oregonion, Jan. 1907.
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