The Red Cloud chief., 1890-05-30
WAPPER,JAW JOHN.
How Ho Demonstrated His Friond-
linoee for tho Whites.

remember "Wappcr-Jaw john" tho
g~ray-haircd Winnobago, who, whom ]
was . boy, used occasionally 10 visit the
neighborhood In which I lived. Despite
his %strikingly doformcd and ugly face.
people who knew him seemed always to
bo kindly disposed toward him. They
bought his curiovsly. wrought willow
and splint baskets, and often gave him
food and q nights lodging.
lis face was angular and deeply
wrinkled; the under Jaw was SGT with n
curious twist on onc side. and II twitchcd
and grimaccd grotcsqueiy when no
t~alked--and no could talk only brokcnly.
lilo was o harmless old fellow, with u
good deal Of shrcwd sense. IIc was UNI
like the other members Of his tribe. and
kept apart from them. Tho other Win.
ncbagOes, ~ far o. We knew them, wcrC
worthless, begging vagabonds, who, to
Tho number Of u hundred or moro, visited
US serni-annually.'
John did really earn an honest liv-
Ing, and wa mover known To bog, al.
though, like other wandering Indians.
he carried his ''pApcrs," y lot Of written
tcstimonials certifying him to In "a
good Indian" Two or three III those
precious documents were % considerable
lcngth, and they narrated Johns sorv-
ices and friendly exploits In behalf 81
white people In times " Indian out.
breaks. lilo carried tho papers In n
beaded buckskin wallet In u rsrkct that
he had made for this purpose In the
breast II his coarse shirt.
Ono II those accounts covered several
foolscap pages. II was written In u
close. tine hand that Was perfectly Icy
ibls, though the paper was yellow with
ago and wear.
remember tho evident pride and sat.
isfSction which John displayed and
the great care with which he handled
the paper whom, occasionally. he pre-
scntcd II to some member VI our family
10 boN read or inspected. Ito always 70,
II out when he came whore there were
children or young folks, Tor thcy liked
70 hear tho story repeated.
At this dRtO l can not, Of coursc, ~.
mcmber tho exact sentences In which
Johns narrator had told VI his brave
and humane exploit, but tho incidents
GRO still frcsh In my mind.
1t was In June, 1889. several week,
after the outbreak of tho Sacs and
Foxes, remembered rs tho Black Hawl
war. that wappcr-Jaw John rcnder~
heroic service Ia n vcnturous little fam
lily Of settlers In ono 1T the narrow val
leys among the bluns opposite Saul
Prairie. At this time, according Z,
Smiths History Of Wisconsin," tn,
Sacs and Foxes ''had scattered thei
wal cparties all over tho North. trou
Chicago to Galcna. and from the II
linois river into tho Territory of Wis
consin. They occupied every grove
waylaid every road. hung around ever
settlement and attacked cvcry party q
white men that attempted to penetra,
. the country"
This condition Of Affairs lasted nearl
- 0 month, compelling settlers on o.
hands to gather thsmsslvcs and the
effects At fortified points and In,
hastily CONSTRUCTED block-houscs. "
In this pcrilous time one family.
young man and his wife and child. who.
home was upon tho extreme northcr
frontier, were living In coHplctc Il
norance that there was any Indian GU
: break.
Early In the previous April jam
6trecter had moved up FROM Northel
Illinois with his small family, and hi
settled upon q sQuatter claim In . pock'
q the Black Earth valley. lie had Il
!. property usually possessed by Il
''m0ver" upon the irpntew In tho
days. Il consisting OF + yoke Of oxen u
wagon, . COW or two, some chickens y,
few simple household utensils.
After their arrival upon the claim h
young settler and His wife wero kept
buoy In building small cabin asd