Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1851-07-03
A NOBLE EXAMPLE.

About the year ITO, circumstance oc'
CURED which deserves 10 be written on ada
mani. In the wars Of New England with
the Aborigines, the Mohegan tribes Of Indi
ans early became friends of the English
Their favori,e ground was on the banks o
the river, (now the Thames) between New
London and Norwich. A small remnan, oil
the Mohegans still exist, and they are scarce
ly pro,ec,edin the possession and enjoymen,
Of their lavorite domain on the banks. Of the
, Thames. The government, this tribe had
become hereditary in the family Of the eel
ebraied chief Uncas. During the lime o.
my fathers mercantile prosperity, he had
employed several Indians Of this tribe in
hunting animals, whose skins were valuable
for their fur. Among these hunters was one
named Zachary, of the royal race, an ex'
cellent hunter, but as drunken and worthless
an Indian as ever lived. When he had
somewhat passed the age of so, several
members of the royal family who stood be.
tween Zachary and The throne Of his tribe
died, and he found himself with only one
life between MIN and the empire.
In this momen, his bitter genius resumed
It's sway, and he reflected seriously.
How can such drunken wretch as am
aspire TO be the chief Of this honorable racel
Wha. will my people sayl And how will
the shades of my noble ancestors look down
Indignant, upon such base successorl Can
| succeed 10 the grea, gDcas? lwill drink
no morel aI .t
He soIemnly resolved never again TO
taste any drink but waler, and kept his reso'
luton.
l had heard this story, and did not entirely
believe il; for, young as | was, already
panook of the prevailing con.empt for lndi'
ans. In the beginning Of May, the annual
election of the principal officers Of The Chem
colony, was held a, Hartford, the capital
My father a,lendel officially, and twas Gus.
,omary for the chief OF The Mohegans also
to attend. Zachary had succeeded 10 The
rule of his tribe. My fathers house was
situated about midway on the road between
Mohegan and Hartford. and the old chiel
was in the habi, Of coming a few days be.
fore the election, and dining with his brother
Governor. One day the mischievous thought
struck me TO try the old mans temperance
The family were seated a, dinner, and there
was excellent home.brewed beer on the To-
BILE. addressed the old chief
Zachary, this beer is excellenl--wil you
taste il? ..t..
The old man dropped his knife and fork
leaned forward with stern intensity Of ex.
pression-his black eye sparkling with in
dignaIion, was fixed on me. Ag
John, said he, you do no. know what you
are doing. You are serving the devil, boy
Do you not know that | am an Indian?
tell you that am, and that, if should bul
taste your beer, could not stop until goI
TO rum, and become again the drunken con-
temptible wretch your father rem mbers me
to have been. John, while you live, mover
temp. any man TO break good resolutionl
Socrates never uttered a more valuable
precept-Demos,henes could no, have giver
il in more solemn tones Of eloquence.
was thunderstruck. My parents were deep
" affected; they looked a. each other, a
me, and at the venerable Indian, with deer
feelings of awe and respect. They after
wards frequently reminded me Of the scene
and charged me never 10 forget il. Zachary
lived to pass the age Of 80, and sacredly
KEEP. his resolution. He lies buried in ihl
royal burial place Of his tribe, near the bea
tiful falls Of the Yan,ic, the Western brancl
Of the Thames, in Norwich, on land nov
owned BY my friend, Calvin Goddard, Esq
I visited The grave Of the old chief lately
and repeated 10 myself his inesIimabl'
sson.-Col. nambulrs Autobiography.