The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-03-24
A Grateful Indian Chiefs Letter.

A schoolboy in Cincinnati was moved
recently by n letter published in the
Commercial Of that city to write to the
Indian chief, American Aorse, and send
him some pictures. The great chief
was pleased, and dictated to his young
friend the following letter, in which was
inclosed photograph of himself and
wife and daughter:
PINE RIDGE AGENCY, D. T., !
February 20, $780,
My Friend Kola: Although you are
yet a boy and I am a man forty years
old, call you my friend. l asked tor
pictures to make my house pleasant, and
YOU have answered me very nicely. Il
received your letter with the pictures
of our great father and his wife day be-
fore Yesterday, and you made my heart
Very 1Vs slad. All the white people saw
them-the agent, the traders, our mis-
sionaries, and MI, and that made me
very happy. And then i! took them
with me to big council of the chiefs,
where Red Cloud and all were, and they
all shook hands with the great father
and his wife. + am so much pleased
with what you have given ne that l,
with nv wife and daughter, am goingto
see you-I mean our pictures. When
YOU see me (my picture) think of me as
near YOU; for now am going to talk
with you. My young friend, now that
I have come to your house, seem to be
at home, for find you living just as we
are, Tor we are living just as you are.
like white men, So will not tell you
how we are living. My friend, we have
an agency with great many buildings,
and we also have large. schooihouse
where our missionaries live, and they
are all good. We think great deal OF
our teachers and the holy prayer men.
We also like our father 1.-THE AGENT we
prize him very.much. Now, my friend,
we are beginning to live like white men
We have built great many log houses.
We have plows, and are beginning to
learn how to use them. We are now
pleased with all those things, and so we
are learning how to be like white peo-
pie.
We were asleep, as it were. and we
were lost, as it were, but now we are
getting awake and finding our way: The
great father is helping US, and the
prayer 1.-THE church, is helping us, and
SO we are beginning to live.
Kola [friend] Edwin, am going to
ask you for something again. l want to
see you and your father and your mother
Il mean your pictures. If you could
come to my house would take good
care of you, and you would see some
good people. We are Indians, but are
now trying to live like white people,
NY picture was taken four years ago.
MY friend ko.a,j Il You should see
us freighting you would say we, are
white men, Though if you should look
close YOU would zee that we are Da-
kotas. =,
Now, my friend [kola, have said
a great deal to you. / want you to
write me again, now we are friends, and
so will write to each other often. 1 have
not seen the paper with my letter. Will
YOU send me onep I wish you could
come out and see how we are living. l
shake hands with you and your father,
and all your friends.
Your friend. .WAsICUNTAIUNKA,
(American Horse.)
P.S Sin this letter have told you
of our new ways, our trying to be white
men. Ifyou give me another letter |
will tell you something about our cid
ways as Indians. I wanted to tell you
the best first. ,,
Written tor American Horse by the
Rev. H. Burt, missionary.