The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-10-04
BILL NYR "PooR LoP
He Gives a Letter From One OF The
Pawnee Tribe Which Explains
Some Strange Things,
And From Which 1t Is Seen That He
Is Much Misunderstood.

Strip, a small territory so called be-
cause the Cherokees used to go there
for that purpose, is handed to me by
mail with a request that I 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 let
ter is written by an Indian, somewhat
advanced in years, to his son, who is
attending the Indian school at Carlisle,
Pa, shows 50 much humanity, even
in the bronzed bosom of the stocial
warrior, that there can certainly be
no harm publishing it:
CHEROKEE STRIP, Aug. %.
MY DEAR SON-We got your letter
last week regarding your matricula.
tlon fee, but l could not answer till I
had went to town and found out what
1t was. That took time, and besides I
met a number of old friends who were
with me In the late war when, as you
remember, the Pawnees seeded from
the United States. We met in toWnand
passed the time of day, after which
we went to the drug store and opened
a bottle of pain killer, and l was late
getting home. Your mother says that
you must not overdo this matricula-
ton business, as times here are not
very plenty.
If | had knew that education comes
so high, and had of been told about
this naturalization business when I was
east to see the White Father. I 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
nj OF them was the best. We have
made 1t a business, as you know, to
ask the different White Fathers at
Washington this question, so that we
might know, and their answer have
been different. One White Father,
when we asked him this question, told
us to go %! So we still grope in
darkness.
1 note what you say regarding the
band, and trust that you shall learn to
play upon it if you have a suitable
uniform and buy an orpheclyde. You
know how anxious l am to see you get
an education, and that I shall try to
keep you in funds, if possible, but it
worries me at first to do it, because
you know what a poor farmer | ana.
AK AA4AbA3 AO"ONOIs SO1L0ESg OuU uO
dOesnot weep. HecGn endure anguish,
but disdains to cry ike a woman. I
am an aged hemlock; so is your
Possibly some day when you get
educated you may redeem your peo-
pie. You may be the Moses of our
race. In the future you may get a
position in a bank, and the times with
my people will not be as scace as they
are now.
1 want you 10 learn all the languages
and to spell the hardest word, as did
Bruno Demi-J Johnson, who went to the
Indian school at Haskell and is writing
this letter for me. Learn also to re-
spect the laws of the land in which
you live and how to turn a jack from
the bottom of the pack without osten-
tation.
shall try to meet your demands for
means to p~erseCute your studies to the
bitter end. / have no advantages my
self, but nature endowed me richly
with a massive brain, and no man
ever outclassed me except your mother,
and that was whenI had my skates on,
as you say at college, having been out
the night before brooding Over the
wrongs of my people.
L WduU YOU W OOCOluO 1dII1ll1dL "4GA
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 it was custom
ary to plead not guilty and then let
the other side find out whether you
are so or not.
If I had my life to live ver again
I would get a classicle education and
keep store in Kansas, dealing In drugs,
paints, oils, dye-stuffs, toys, notions
and stomach bitters for mechanical
purposes.
Try to study economy along with
YOUR other branches, as / hate to beef
the old cow before cold weather, and
and the calf is too small to turn into a
money order yet.
Learn all the languages, as l say, so
that YOU can talk as well with a fore
finger from New York as you can with
an American.
Learn astronomy. I am most sixty
years of age and did not know till yes.
terday that the sun is 90, 0OO, 900 OF
miles from here,
Thesesthings are pathetic when you
come to think about it. There was no
one near to tell me when l was a lad
that it took a train of cars 1853 years
to 90 to the sun, even if there was no
accidents. 1 was a giddy young thing
and though only of the present. To
go fishing as soon as the law was up
was my delight, and to lead outdoor
life was the thing that my physician
Thought best for me at the time.
So did not know until recently that
it took SO, 900 years for the light of a
star to rea III the earth, and even then
that it does not amount to much. l
grew up wild and free and would have
laughed to see the man who could
overtake and matriculate me.
Look aft Alexander the Great. / did