The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-08-29
WHEN INDIANS CAUSED EXCITEMENT.
Tho Strike Recalls Stirring Times to at
Least One Chicago Pioneer.

lawful times! Awful times! Never
had 'em when we were young!"
The speaker drew out a spotless
handkerchief in solemn manner.
aWe didn't that's fact, :" responded
his seatmate in the Wabash cable.
"We'd have done it if we could, but
the population didn't allow of it. Chi
cago didn't possess a million mixed
sons in those days, so the Indians had
to get up all the strikes. Good Lord,
how easy they did it! Bennett, do you
remember that night-no. you weren't
there, though; you'd come to Chicago
after wagon-load of winter stores.
Well, I never shall forget that night.
There's solid pound of reasons for re-
membering it."
The speaker paused as the car did
and bright-faced girl with bunch of
sweet pease in her hand got on.
you see," he resumed when the car
was rattling on again, you see, the In
dams had stolen some horses and been
overtaken by the owners, who, OF
course. demanded their property. That
made the Indians furious and they
threatened to scalp everybody in the
settlement before morning. Well. we
all hustled down to Williams cabin
he had the biggest one-and pretty
much everybody in the settlement was
there before sunset. Good Lord, what
| a hubbub there was! Some of the
women were crying and fainting, with
all the kids joining in the chorus; and
we men were busy barricading the
| doors and windows.
"There was one man there-a Meth
odist preacher that happened to be v1s-
iting in the settlement-and he was
wandering around in everybody's way,
calculating: Put your trust in the
Lord. brethren We had everything
in the shape of weapons, for the alarm
had been SO sudden that we'd been
obliged to snatch up whatever was
handy, and clubs and pitchforks out
numbered the rifles. The preacher had
a table fork for his sole weapon. he
said that the Indians believed that a
stab from table fork was always fatal
to them I hadn't much spare time
lust then, but 1 remember wondering
| how many Indians he'd pick before
some of 'em scalped him. 1t got darker
and darker and we all began to listen
for that Indian whoop-remember how
it used to sound, Bennet? l never
want to hear it again. By and by the
last baby stopped crying and we sat
waiting for that whoop.
"WeIl, it came. Every fellow was on
his feet in trice with his weapon lift
ed. Then we dropped our pitehforks
and made rush for the fellow waving
his bowie knife over our heads and call
ino out with laugh in his voice, 'Now's
the time for scalps!!'
UHa hadn't been with rs when we
shut ourselves in and there were red
glints coming in through those barrl-
caded windows instead of redskins. Ii
was morning and we'd all been asleep.
How we did it l don't see yet.
Hammond Lad come home unex.
pectedly in the night and hadn't Of
course heard of the fuss. So when he
didn't find anybody in his cabin be
came on to Williams, the next place, tc
make inquiries. He said he exerted al
,, his energies to wake US up, but couldn1
do it, so then he assaulted our barri
cades, and after tough time of it man
aged to get into find us all reposing
on our laurels and our arms!
ave never heard the end of it, o
course, but we laid it on to the preacher
If he hadn't neglected his duty he'C
have pricked our consciences with tha
: fork of his, and kept us awake to on
! dangerous state"
. "Of course" assented the solemn
man, something like smile crossine
, his severe visage. Il believe you set
tied it with the Indians next morning.
eyes, sir. We went after those In
dians and licked 'em, and took ou
horses. - Chicago Tribune.