Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-11
houses, so far as protection from the
elements was concerned.

houses, so far as protection from the
elements was concerned.
There we're four bands of the tribe,
namely: The Chowels, Kitkahs. Skee-
dees, and Petah-han-etats. Each one
OF these bands had q chief who was au-
thority in most matters governing the
immediate interests of the members of
his band, but answerable on questions
of greater interest to the chief OF the
whole tribe.
When the first permanent settlers
came here
THE Head CHIEF WAS CoRUX.
He was a remarkably fine specimen of
the Pawnee. type. He vas straight as
an arrow, with we'll developed phys
iaue piercing eyes and an
The oldest settlers who still
live here, speak of him in terms of the
highest admiration. He could talk q
little English aud would trade more or
less with the settlers. About 1860
Corux was succeeded as chief by Petah-
la-sharar, who was also one of the finest
specimens of his tribe. Petah-la-
Sharar maintained his supremacy until
the Indians we're removed to their res
ervation at Genoa by the government.
The settlers and the Indians were on
reasonably friendly terms from the
start, though these relations wereo often
somewhat strained. The Indians real
lied that they had the advantage of
overwhelming numbers, and when oc-
casion presented they were liable to
manifest an lnsolence begotten and en-
boldened by that knowledge. On the
other hand, the settlers soon learned
enough Of the peculiar characteristics
of the redskins to know that even
though they were in the minority, if
they never tiinched in any quarrel, but
demanded their rights with that air OF
bravado which they soon learned to
feign, they were safe from depredations
and intrusions. Petty chickering's we're
common, but never led to serious re-
suits. The first general "scare" the
little Fremont colony experienced was
in October 1856. The Indians had begun
to feel that they were the rightful own
ers of the lands occupied by the colony
that they were monarchs OF all they
surveyed--and so, regarding the white
newcomers as intruders, on the 9th of
October they dispatched a committee to
notify the settlers
TO ABANDON THEIR NEw-FoUND HOMES
and that If they were not gone in three
days they would attack them. This
demon stration OF hostilities sent a thrill
through the little handful of whites,
who then composed the advance guard
of civilization. They knew that the
Indians were in earnest but they re-
solved to meet them in this crisis with
the same spirit of defiance which they
had shown their red neighbors from
the beginning. A council was immedi-
ately held and a course Of action was
promptly decided upon. 1t was de-
termined to ''hold the fort.n J.. G..
Smith was Immediately dispatched TO
Omath to interview Governor lizard and
procure assistance. The governor
gave him a quantity of ammunition
and two boxes Of army mus
kets. He also provided him with
fourteen men TO reinforce those
on the ground eight IN numberj, so
that the total enumeration OF this little
army Was but twenty-five men. Smith
rode TO Omaha in the night, and by
evening Of the next day after the coll
ony received notice to leave everything
was In readiness for the attack. A little
fort had been speedily i~mprovised and
pickets placed on duty at night, who
trod their beats on the prairies in the
silent watches OF the night with con-
fessed t~repidation OF spirit. They
marched and conference.-the and built
bonhres, and by this means struck terror
TO the hearts Of the enemy. While