Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-09-04
A BIG CHIPPEWA CHIEF.
he CUT A WIDE swATH AROUND
ST. PAUL IN EARLY DAYS.

OF Hts Magnificent Nerve Tho :.
chIera Deseendants--A Minnesota PIe-
neer's "Reminiscences.
The reminiscent strain il quite gen.
eral and generous one with Mai. I. 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, Mimi,
in the year 1853. my attention was ar
rested by the imposing presence Of
large Indian chief, who, with his blanket
about him, strobe into the room with
the dignity of Roman senator. He was
a large man, with high cheek bones,
well poised head, brilliant black eyes
and hair, and with a pleasan: smile lac
exclaimed while passing: "Booshu ne
chee'-how To do. friends--and took
seat near me. There was a massive
characteristic about the man which did
4 not belong to the ordinary Indian, and
yet he had all the Indian peculiarities.
/ DlDN 7 LESSEN HIS APPETITE.
Dinner was soon announced, and he
took seat near me at the table He ate
with ordinary deliberation and slowed
away an ordinary amount of food, but
while 30 engaged one Of the windows
was suddenly darkened and ON looking
up behold 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
Chppewas. Cleaning knives and par
italy covered tomahawks made my po-
sition by the side Of the Chippewa chief
rather uncomfortable, so ! moved; but
he continued To- eat, and then the door
opened and some ten or twelve Sioux
warriors filed along in front Of the foe
P of their people, with clinched rifles and
hearts glowing with revenge. Still calm,
0 with not muscle Of his mobile face de-
: noting fear, the chief finished his dinner,
! coolly arose, drew his blanket about him,
d and with lordly tread, compressed
lip and a flashing eye, walked down in
: front OF these hostile Sioux. and lighting
: his pipe. deliberately pulled the smoke
into the very faces OF his inveterate foes.
J; That man was Hole-in-the Day, the chief
u Of the Chippewa nation, and the Sioux
warriors We're ON his warpath, but they
y feared the white mans troops at Fort
9 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.
b markable sagacity and intelligence. He
Is associated with the whites aud compre-
Up hendci their ideas of civilization. He
W was very willy and very brave, and
u greatly feared by his enemies. 1t is
er said of him that he would float down the
le Mississippi river in his canoe 10 ST. Paul,
10 paddle across the stream To the opposite
y shore, secrete his boat. lay in wait foI
e. the Sioux, who were in the habit Of fol-
lowing the trail 70 Mendoza then pounct
down upon them, kill one or two. secure
70 their scalps and make his way back "a
IN the east shore and thence home. He
ri visited Washington several times. and
" became very well yersed in the ways 81
no tricksters and politicians. Once. while
he on visit to the capital, lie fcll in love
on with white waiter girl in the National
hotel. proposed to her, was accepted, and
they were married. lie came west. re
Vt paired his home near Fort Ripley, in
nd stalled his wife in his tepce as the white
n, Indian queen, and soon after he was as
ne sassinated while riding home with hi:
ar little son probably growing out of til,
SO insane jealousy Of his squaws.
iei HIS TWO SONS.
fo This white widow of IIole.in-the- Day
lives at present, or did live. in Minneap
:, oils. where her son held position in tn,
~ postoflice, but ! believe he is now il
y. some official position on the White Earti
reservation. Ignatius Hole in-the- Day
y. the eldest brother. and heir apparent I,
~ the chieftainship, was drowned in tn,
w. Illinois river in Chicago about one yea
- ago. OF course he was full blood. Hi
- brother, or rather his half-brother, TIA,
- son of the white wife, il fine, genteel
well educated young man, and quite at
- tractive in his appearance. The heaC
=. men Of the tribe have been anxious 4
- have him take the place of his father
~, but in an interview with me he said
ne while he would like to do something fo
a'' 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 an,
" power over them.
Al The chief, Hole-in-the-Day. had n mag
nificent physical organization. lie wa
very straight, quite disniied, and We
NJ very affable. and withal he was Yer!
ler generally liked by the whites. Durinj
ne the Sioux outbreak in Minnesota in 1856
ne he had overtures from Little Crow, tn
ha great Sioux chief. to join with him il
! massacreing the whites. but he decline,
=, the honor, although some of his peopl
~ were anxious TO have him do SO. st
er Paul, in early times. without Hole-in
y, the Day, would be like the play o
to "Hamlet' with Hamlet left out
ne On the bank Of the upper Mississippi
re, about Little Falls, in Minnesota, lies tn
~ body OF the once great Chippewa chic
''o and that of his father, Hole-in-the-D Day
another noted chief before him, boil
bodies facing south. so they can watcl
the movements of their enemies -th
y, Sioux. There is depression between
ne the two hills upon which the bodies lie
ay and in the middle Of this depression
", stands n lone tree, conveying the ide'
70 from the roadside that a sentinel wa
guarding the graves. But how changes
/. a~arvthires Dowi Gone ara the In