Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-07-16
CHIEF KEOkUK.
"reminiscences of the Famous Indian war
rior by One Who Had Met Him.


There lis much interest just now
aroused in the old Indian chief Keo-
kuk, by his oil portrait which is to be
presented to the State. Learning that
Captain +. R. West, of Des Moines,
could give some personal recollections
of the great chief, a reporter called on
him with view to getting the facts.
His story dealt with Keokuk's trip to
Washington nearly half a century ago,
and was as follows:
In the year 1887 | was running a
packet boat on the line between Pitts
burgh and Philadelphia, or rather
from Pittsburgh to the foot of the noun
tains on the west side at Johnstown.
The canal line outran this far, the rest
of the route beng railroad. This
was the only system of travel to the
West at that time, except by stage
coach. Colonel Street-or he might
have been Major-of the United States
army, with retinue of soldiers and
few ladies, came to Pittsburgh in the
month of August, l think it was. l
only judge that it was August
because of the season, which
was very dry and beautiful. He had
with him band of Indian chiefs and
young men, taking them to Washing
ton. 1t was a number of Sacs, or Sacs
and Foxes, | am not able to say which.
There were thirty-nine of them, and
certainly there would not have been so
many if they were from one tribe. The
chief Keokuk was with the number, l
distinctly recollect. The line of boats
consisted of four packets plying back
and forth. They were elegant boats,
constructed for passenger traffic, and
as they carried very many fine people
from the East the Captains were partic-
ular to keep them clean and nice. The
three boats besides my own had each
come into Pitts burgh and gone out
again, but had refused to take the In
dams on the journey east. They all were
afraid the Indians would dirty the boat or
iniure the custom by their presence.
The hotel keeper where they stopped
in Pittsburgh told the officers that they
could get passage when Captain West
came, for he never said no to any one.
SO when landed in Pittsburgh Colonel
Street came on board at once and in
sisted on my taking the Indians East.
/ saw the situation they were in, and
finally agreed to take them. | gave
the officers cabins, of course, but would
not agree to make berths for the In
dams. Neither did I make any agree
ment as to the price to be paid. When
/ got through an officer brought me a
blank bill, which | filled out for my
charges. The Colonel said for me to
Just double the amount of the bill; it
was not enough. | was astonished
when l was paid in silver coin. When
/ took the Indians on board was told to
put the bedding away as they would
not know how to use it, and prepare
their table without table-cloth or uten-
sis, except to contain the food. Their
greed was great, and every thing they
liked they would eat all of it, the first
one that got it. When the table was
first set q castor was left. One Young
Indian in his greed filed his mouth
with mustard. He lost no time in get
ting outside in an effort to empty his
mouth. But they had good time
The weather was fine, and they sat Oh
deck and played some gambling game
all the time, and no one of them evel
. refused liquor They would pound
upon their little drum and dance anC
, whoop. and the people along the lin,
came out and gazed in establishment
We dared not stop at places, for the
people would get aboard the boat anC
tine-looking fellows, and were
superbly decorated in genuine In
dian style. They had feathers il
their hair, and their ieggings and
, every thing about their costumes was
very beautiful. One little black ole
/, Indan-he must have been hundred
years old-had little bell fastened t.
his leg. He lost this on the boat anC
could not be made leave the boat unit
it was found We were DELAYED unit
: all hands had turned out and hunted
. high and low until the bell was found
: The cars, which they next took, was 81
strange to them and made so mucl
noise that they could hardly be KEEP
, on the train. When l came back t,
Pittsburgh | found another delegation
of Indians waiting, and | took them
These were Foxes, | think The fam
GUS chief Poweshiek was with one O
the tribes. Black Hawk and Appanoos
t were also OF the party. | remembe
Appanoose well because i thought
It was such a pretty name the way h
himself pronounced it. In three o
: four weeks the first party came back
= They waited at Johnstown for me. an
| arrived there in the middle of tn
!. day The Indians all rushed up to m
: and were glad to see me. Each one @
# them presented me with his picture,
# small Photographic likeness they ha
5 gotten. They showed their medal
Q with which they had been presented
a large silver medals with the profile @
| President Van Buren,. / remembe
$ Chief Keokuk. He was large man
v above the average, and fine-lookin
: Indian. Going up through the noun
: tains on the Conemaugh river W
o came to narrow gorge wher
@ the channel was very mario,
It and the mountains rose on either sid