The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-04-07
An INDIAN WAR.
A Conflict Brought About by Only a
Pair Of Skates


that they were the first pair of steel
skates ever used On the Susquehan.
ma river. The skates are of Holland
make, having tremendous curves al
the toes, on the tip of each being a
brass knob. According to the ira.
dition they were brought into the
Seneca country long before the Rev
olutionary war by an Indian lad
and the circumstances attending his
reaching his tribe with the skates
led to q long and bloody war be-
tween the Senacas and the Nanti.
coke Indians.
Long before the white people set
tied in the Seneca country, which
included all of northwestern Penn
sylvania, the members of that tribe
were expert skaters, their skates
being highly polished strips OF
hickory wood, fastened on their feet
by hickory withes. One winter, a
century and half ago, a party OF
Indian chiefs from a tribe living on
the headwaters of the north branch
of the Susquehanna, made a trip to
Philadelphia on a trading expedi-
ton, writes a Harrisburg correspon-
dent of the Philadelphia Times.
They were accompanied by the son
of one of the chiefs, a lively fifteen
year-old Indian boy named San-we-
nah. This boy was the most expert
skater on the rude wooden Indian
skates of any one in the tribe. An
old Indian trader in Philadelphia,
a Hollandcr, named Won Dorm,
took a fancy to the bright Indian
lad, and as the boy had manifested
a decided fondness for a pair OF
skates the trader owned, the Dutch
man made San-we-nah a present of
them. At the same time that the
Seneca Indians were in Philadel-
phia a number of Nanticoke Indi-
ans were there, being on their way
from Virginia to quarters on the
Susquehanna, in the present county
of Lycoming. With these Indians
were a number Of lads Of San-we.
nah's age, and although none OF
them could skate, they coveted the
bright gift Won Dorm had given
Sah-wc-nah. The Nanticokes took
their departure the day after the
Indian boy had been presented with
the skates, leaving the city long be-
fore daylight. When -we-nah
went to look at his beloved skates,
which he had placed carefully in
the folds of his blanket, they were
not there. The boy felt at once
that the skates had been stolen by
the Nanticoke boys, and without
saying word to any of his tribe
the young Seneca started immedi-
ately in pursuit of the Nanticokes
He overlook the Nanticoke chiefs
before noon, but the boys were not
with them.
There was a great difference in
the language Of the Senacas and
Nanticoke Indians, and San-we-nah
could not learn from the chiefs
where the boys were. Believing
that they had suspected pursuit
and had pushed on ahead of their
party to reach home before they
could be oyertaken, the Seneca boy
hurried on and soon found their
trail. He followed it to the banks
of the Susquehanna, near the pres
ent city of Harrisburg, and came
up with the Nanticoke boys sitting
around fire they had built near
the rivers edge. Both the Senicas
and Nanticokes understood and
could speak English slightly, and
as well as he could in that language
San we-nah demanded of the Nam
ticoke lads his skates. He warned
them that although his tribe and
theirs were at peace, the Senecas
would at once take the warpath and
avenge the insult to them given by
the theft of the skates unless the
Na.lticoke boys not only at once
gave them up to him but also gave
him a broken arrow head as a sign
of their submission. This bold and
demand amused the Nan
ticoke youngsters still more, and
while the courageous Seneca lad
was pressing his demands he was
overpowered by the 9th
ers, who bound him and carried
him prisoner to their village, some
miles further up the river.
The Seneca chiefs in Philadelphia
missed San-we-nah, and after
fruitless search for him reported his
loss to the governor and started to
their wigwams On the upper Sus-
ouehanna. The captive Seneca boy
was forced to do all sorts OF drudg-
erv for the Nanticokes, who tried in
vain to use his skates on the ice.
One day, when the ice on the river
was in fine condition, a number OF
the Nanticoke boys took San-we-
nah, and to torment him placed his
skates on his feet, tied his legs to-
gether and placed him on the ice.
His ludicrous tumblings created
great sport for the lads, and a num-
Der of grown-up braves finally gath