The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-11
KIND INDIAN FATHER.
He Writes Affecti0nately to His
Bright Son at College.
WANTS TO ELEVATE THE RACE.
A Letter That Would DO Credit to
Polonius or Grover Cleveiand-Bnl
Nye Makes 1t Public.
lCopyright. 1892. BY Edgar W. Nye.l


The following letter from a Pawnee
Indian who lives near the Cherokee strip,
a small territory SO called because the
Cherokees used to go there for that pur-
pose. Is handed to me by mail with q re-
quest that will be kind enough to edit
and correct it, and then, if thought best,
allow it to fall into the hands of the press.
The letter is written by an Indian, some
what advanced in years, to his son, who is
attending the Indian school at Carlisle,
Pa, and shows SO much humanity, even
In the bronzed bosom Of the stoical war
rior, that there can certainly be no harm
in publishing it:
CHEROKEE STRIP, August 20.
My Dear Son: We got your letter last
week regarding your matriculation fee.
Dut could not answer it till had went
to town and found out what it was. That
took time, and besides met a number of
old friends who was with me in the late
war, when, as you remember, the Pawnees
seeded from the United States. We met
In town and passed the time of day, after
which We went to drug store and opened
ting home. Your mother says you must
not overdo the matricuIation business, as
times here are not very plenty.
If had knew that education comes so
high, and had of been told about this ma
circulation business when 1 was East to
see the White Father. 1 would have
touched him for aid. He was very kindly
toward me and wished to know what he
could do for my people. l said that We
wished to know more of the white mans
religions, and which one of them was the
best. We have made it q business, as YOU
know, TO ask the different White Fathers
at Washington this question. SO that We
might know. and their answers have been
different. One White Father, when we
asked him this question, told US to 60 to
-! So We still grope In darkness.
note what you say regarding the band,
and trust that YOU shall learn to play upon
it if you can have a suitable uniform ana
buy nOrpheclyde. You know how anx-
ious am to see you have an education,
and that shall try to keep you In funds
II possible. but it worries me at first to do
it because you know what poor farmer l
am. The Indian, however, suffers, but he
does not weep. He can endure anguish,
but he disdains to cry like a woman. /
am an aged hemiock; SO is your mother.
l want you to learn all the languages
and to spell the hardest word, as did
Bruno Demi-J Johnson, who went to the In
dian school at Haskell and is writing this
letter for me. Learn also to respect the
laws of the land in which you live and
pack without osentation.
shall try to'meet your demands for
means to prosecute your studies to the
bitter end. l have had no advantages my
self, but nature endowed me richly with
massive brain, and no man ever outclassed
me except your mother, and that was
when had my skates on, as you say at
college, having been out the night before
brooding over the wrongs of my people.
want you to become familiar with the
laws of your country. SO that you can keep
out of Jail and not plead guilty. as / did
in Kansas City once, not knowing then
that 1t was customary to plead not guilty
and let the other side find out whether
you are so or not.
If | had my life to live over again l
would get classicie education and keep
store in Kansas, dealing in drugs. paints,
oils, dyestufis. toys, notions and stomach
bitters for mechanical purposes
Try to study economy along with your
other branches, as hate to beet the old