Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1890-02-14
A BIG CHIPPEWA CHIEF.
HE CUT A WIDE SWATH AROUND
ST. PAUL IN EARLY DAYS.

neer's "Reminiscences.
The reminiscent strain is quite gen.
eral and generous one with Mai. 7. NJ.
Newson. Among the interesting and his.
torical stories in his fund of such is one
of the noted Chippewa chief, Hole-in.
the-Day, with whom he, in company
with other early settlers of St. Paul, was
personally well acquainted. The story,
in his own language, is as follows:
While sitting in a small office in the
old Fort Smelling house, st. Paul, Minn.,
in the year 1853, my attention was ar.
rested by the imposing presence of a
large Indian chief, who, with his blanket
about him, strobe into the room with
the dignity of a Roman senator. He was
large man, with high cheek bones, a
well poised head, brilliant black eyes
and hair, and with pleasant smile he
exclaimed while passing: "Booshu ne.
chee"-how to do, friend?-and took a
seat near me. There was a massive
characteristic about the man which did
not belong to the ordinary Indian, and
yet he had all the Indian peculiarities.
OIDN LESSEN his APPETITE.
Dinner was soon announced, and he
took a seat near me at the table He ate
with ordinary deliberation and slowed
away an ordinary amount of food, but
while SO engaged one of the windows
was suddenly darkened, and on looking
up l beheld many grimy faces and burn
ing eyes, with war paint and feathers,
the possessors of which belonged to the
Sioux nation, and which nation had been
for years and was then at war with the
Chippewas. Cleaning knives and par
TALLY covered tomahawks made my DO
sition by the side of the Chippewa chief
rather uncomfortable, so 1 moved; but
ne continued to eat, and then the door
opened and some ten or twelve Sioux
warriors filed along in front of the foe
of their people, with clinched rifles and
hearts glowing with revenge. Still calm,
with not muscle of his mobile face de-
noting fear, the chief finished his dinner,
coolly arose, drew his blanket about him,
and with lordly tread, compressed
lip and flashing eye, walked down in
front of these hostile Sioux, and lighting
his pipe, deliberately puffed the smoke
into the very faces Of his inveterate foes.
That man was Hole-in-the-Day the chief
of the Chippewa nation, and the Sioux
warriors were on his warpath, but they
feared the white mans troops at Fort
Smelling would dart down upon them the
moment blow had been given, so they
restrained their wrath and let the great
chief depart unmolested.
Hole-in-the-Day was an Indian of re-
markable sagacity and intelligence. He
associated with the whites and compre-
hended their ideas of civilization. He
was very willy and very brave, and
greatly feared by his enemies. 1t is
said of him that he would float down the
Mississippi river in his canoe to st. Paul,
paddle across the stream to the opposite
shore, secrete his boat, lay in wait for
the Sioux, who we're in the habit of fol-
lowing the trail to Mendoza, then pounce
down upon them, kill one or two, secure
their scalps and make his way back to
the east shore and thence home. He
visited Washington several times, and
became very well versed in the ways of
tricksters and politicians. Once, while
on visit to the capital, he fell in love
with white waiter girl in the National
hotel, proposed to lier, was accepted, and
they were married. He came west, re.
paired his home near Fort Ripley, in
stalled his wife in; his stepee as the white
Indian queen, ,-aad,soOn after he was as
sassipated while riding home with his
little son, probably growing out of the
insane jealousy of his sguaws.
HIS TWO soNs.
This white widow of Hole in the Day
lives at present, or did live, in Minneap-
oils, where her son held position in the
pOstoffice, but l believe he is now in
some official position on the White Earth
reservation, Ignatius Hole-in- the Day,
the eidest brother, and heir apparent to
the chieftaiIship, was drowned in the
Illinois river in Chicago about one year
ago. OF course he was full blood. His
brother, or rather his half-brother, the
son of the white wife, is fine, genteel,
well educated young man, and quite at
tractive in his appearance. The head
men of the tribe have been anxious to
have him take the place of his father,
but in an interview with me he said,
while he would like to do something for
his people, he could not go from civiliza-
ton back into the habits of the Indians,
as he would be obliged to do to hold any
power over them.
The chief, Hole-in-the-Day, had mag
nifcent physical organization. He was
very straight, quite dignified, and yet
very affable, and withal he was very
generally liked by the whites. During
the Sioux outbreak in Minnesota in 1862
he had overtures from Little Crow, the
great Sioux chief, to join with him in
massacreing the whites, but he declined
the honor, although some of his people
were anxious TO have him do So st.
Paul, in early times, without Hole-in.
the-Day, would be like the play of
Hamlet with Hamlet left out.
On the bank of the upper Mississippi,
about Little Falls, in Minnesota, lies the
body Of the once great Chippewa chief
and that of his father, Hole-in-the- Day,
another noted chief before him, both
bodies facing south, so they can watch
the movements of their enemies-the
Sioux. There is depression between