The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-06-16
TOOK THE WRONG SIDE.
How Mr.. Elan Astonished an Audience with
His Information About Indian Treaties.

Now and then the reporter meets some
one who has a story good enough for print.
'You remember said a gentleman the
other day, when Helen Hunt Jackson
died. that talented woman whose sympathy
for the Indian found expression in her
books and made friends for him wherever
they were read" The listener gave assent
to the opening statement. and the talker
continued: you know Mr.. McCulloch, of
Plymouth Church, is a man whose philan-
thropy is of the most active character.
He believes in doing things. and there's
nobody in this community can better do
anything to which he sets his heart
and hand. Well, when Helen Hunt jack
son died he tn ought it would be a
good thing for the literary society
or institute connected with Plymouth to
take som notice of the event that the men,
bers of the society might know something
about this noble woman and the work she
had lone in the world. So Mr.. McCulloch
went to John b. Elan and asked that gen.
tleman il he would not deliver an address
Mr.. Elan replied that he did not know
much about the lady; little more than what
he had read in the newspapers, but MIR. Nc
Culloch supplied that deficiency by bring
s gifted d an aR as%,' toset Gt ! with m a Number S5 se Of
newspaper clippings.
"Mr.. Elan began upon the work of
preparing the address. He read
the newspaper extracts and the
government up to scorn for it's treatment Of
the Indians. She spoke of the treaties that
had been made through which the Indians
had been robbed of their lands. Lawyer
like Mr.. Elan, having read one side Of the
question. began to inform himself upon the
other. He hunted up the treaties. and
found that in consideration of land takenR
that the Indian did not and could not cu,-
tlvate, and for which he had no use except
to make pigeon-toed diagrams across while
in pursuit of chipmunks or other game,
the government had given him agricultural
implements. wagons. blankets. teachers and
other things in order to afford him a chance
to live like a white man. Mr.. Elan found
dealt fairly by the red man but generous
ly. He prepared his address: the lecture
room was filed with an expectant audi
ence. Now the unfaithful and ~rascally
white man represented in the government
of the United States was going to catch it
for taking advantage of the supplemented
brother In terra Gotta. After the a%nnounce-
ment Of the subject and when the half
dozen preliminary sentences had rolled
away, Nj: McCulloch was seen to raise his
hand to his ear. Something was wrong; he
thought he certainly could not nave heard
Alright. A panied expression spread over
his countenance. The address went on.
Doubt changed to proof positive; Mr..
Elam's utterances were not to be misunder-
stood; he was fairly and fully on the side of
the government, and was not. according to
programme, on the side of the noble savage.
Mr.. McCulloch's long face shortened and a
broad smile went across his face. The en-
tire audience caught on and a roar of good
natured laughter followed. Mr.. Elan fin
ished his address, for which he was duly
thanked, and the audience retired with an
access of information on the aborigine.