The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-11-03


6 the delegation. He dwelt ON the
qualification he experienced at seeing the
Great Father. 1t was the proudest and
most important event of his existence.
Had he been familiar with the Neapoli-
tan proverb, "See Naples and then die"
he would doubtless have paraphrased 1t
to suit the occasion. There was, how
ever, cloud in the otherwise clear sky
of his enjoyment. He had an apprehen-
sion that when he returned to his people
in the far West, they might not believe
that he had seen the Great Father and
talked to him face to face as it was his
great privilege to do then and there.
Hence he would like to return to his
people laden down with presents
"shining all over like a looking. glass"
to prove to them the friendly relations
which existed between himself and the
Great Father.
There was 10 resisting this, and there
was some good-humol ed laughing, but
tre faces of all the Indians remained
serious and reserved.
"Mr. President" said the interpreter,
"the chiefs would be glad to hear you
talk"
To which Lincoln intimated that he
would endeavor to do so.
"My red b,ethren," said Lincoln,
"are anxious to be prosperous and have
horses and carriages like the pale faces.
/ propose to tell them how they may get
them"
At this the dusky men were all at
tention, and manifested their satisfac-
ton by the usual Indian cultural sounds.
"The plan is simple one," said the
President, as the interpreter turned his
words into the tongue OF the red men.
Their curiosity was fully aroused. Even
the spectators looked inquiringly at Lin
coin, to know how he was going to PRO
vide horses and carriages for those who
thus bluntly asked for them.
"You oil have land" said Lincoln.
eve will furnish you with agricultural
implements, with which you will turn
up the soil, by hand, if you have not
the meanss to buy an OK, but think,
with the aid which you receive from the
Government, you might at least plir-
chase one OK to do the blowing for sew
eral. You will plant corn, wheat and
potatoes, and with the money for which
yal will sell these you will be able each
to buy an OK for himself at the end of
the first year. At the end of the second
year, you will each be able to buy per-
laps two oxen and some sheep ind pigs.
At the end of the third, you will
probably be in condition to buy a
horse, and in the course Of few years
you will thus be tie possessor of horses
and carriages like ourselves"
This plan for becoming proprietor of
horses and carriages was not relished,
for it meant work, and the faces of the
Indians bore disappointed expression
as the President unfolded it.
II DO not know any other way to get
these things" added Lincoln. 1t is
the plan We have pursued-at least those
of us who have them. You cannot pick
them off the trees, and they do not fall
from the clouds"
Had it not been for the respect whic b
they owed to the speaker as the Great
Father, it was plain that they would have
exclaimed against his words with the un-
tutored energy of their Indian nature.
AS he was well acquainted with that
nature, having served as Captain in the
Tippecanoe war and spent his early hfe
on the frontier, a suspicion entered my
mind that he was blending with the ad
vice little chatting. To change the
subject and restore them to good humor,
he requested one OF the attendants to
roll up large globe of the world which
stood in corner on three, legged sup
port on wheels. The President placed
his hand on the globe and turned it
round, saying:
"We pale faces believe that the world
ia round, like this.
At this point Lincoln caught the in
curing eyes of the Indians fastened like
note of Interrogation on the legs of the
globe.
Without the legs" continued Lin
coin, i answer to the mute interro-
cation, with twinkle in his eye. ave
pale faces can get into a big canoe,
showed by steam-here, for instance, at
Washington, or Baltimore near by--go
round the world, and come back to the
place from which we started"
With due respect to the Great Father,
they evidently thought, to give it q
mild term, that lie was given to exag-
geration. He started off again to tell
about tho North Pole, the torrid zone,
the length and breadth Of the United
States, and how long it would take
man 10 walk from one end of it to the
other, in which he got somewhat en-
tangled then, seeing n well-known man
of science on his right, Lincoln placed
his hand on his shoulder, gently urged
him forward to position in front of the
Indians, TO whom he said:
But here is one of our learned men,
who will tell You oil about it,"
. Saying this, Lincoln bowed and with
drew, and the savant, taken by surprise,
underworld to extricate himself from the
difficulty as best he could, by continu-
ing the theme where the President left
off
One 'omher event followed tie In
dian reception. Big Wolf, who had ex-
pressed the desire to have sausages lilse
white mon, satisfied his appetite in the
hotel on this food without stint, and it
was thi7 product of orr civilization
which was his bane. In word, saus-
age killed him.-Aibcrt Rhodes, IN ST.
Nicholas fJr November.
MR. SOMMERBECK'S DOG.