The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-07-23

in the East and so Fascinating is I'll
That He tis Compelled to Make Speech
Which Tres the Audience That
Breaks Cht Into Hymn--Extrava
CANT Stories About the Pot-Beliiet
Rascal
Guthrie,l o. T, July 22.-(speciaD-
Old Chief big Tree, an Oklahoma In
dian, has b. zen cutting big figure al
the Baptist ,Union convention IN BaIu-
more the last week.
The Baltirn ore Suns description OF
khe old chief a nd his supposed exploits
as we'll as IFS { description Of the extinc-
tion of the Indf an tribe-by measles-is
more humorous than was INTENDED by
the writer. The report of the red-skln-
ned Oklahomian. in the Baltimore paper
IS as follows:
Chief Big Tree the Kioga Indian. was
once a bold, bad Il -ain wrecker. He has
reformed and has promised never TO do
IT again, otherwise he would not be mere
at this time. once, when attlred prlh-
cipally in bright-hue war paint, ne ana
"a number OF his frier IDS are said TO nave
wrecked train in Texas and 10 nave
secured, in addition to the booty US
ualiy priced by train robbers. a large
number Of the scalps of the pale-1ace
passengers. Big Tree was caught ana
sentenced to be hange d. but he prom
Used to be good, and the Great Fathef
at Washington let him ,off.
He was on the groU IDS bright ana
early yesterday and rem laned there all
day. attracting a IRENE ndous amount
of attention, although Is not par
aicularly beautiful to loo upon. He
IS short, fat and thick s'et Slow OF
movement and inordnately bowlegged-
Yesterday he wore with eVlcent dls-
comfort what he considere 70 be the
proper thing, that is, accOr ding 70 the
standard of the civiliZati on OF the
broadcloth. andhe had the very latest
wrinkle in trousers-tight at the ankles
and very baggy at the knees He mad
on a big brOad-brimmed black slouch
hat. and he walked around with his
raven hair hanging down n s back.
Samuel A-Ha-Tone. his interpn ater, ac-
companied him wherever he went.
STORY OF HIS LIFE.
Big Tree does not speak Englij I well
enough TO tell Of his aventures hi mself,
hut thestory OF hislife and his col lvers-
ion is told in this way by Rev. N. IL
Rairden, superintendent Of the Ba ptiSt
missions in the Missouri valley:
"a few years ago a raid was planned
by San-Tan-Ta. then the principal chief
end Big Tree, the sCOnd chief of the
kiowa nation. The raid was into Tex
es. and it is said that a train was
v-reci1ek by the Indians, in which
number Of persons were killed and 9th,
ers injured, and that many scalps were
taken. At any rate the government
sent out d large detachment Of troops.
and after much difficulty the Indians
were finally arrested at Fort sill.
AT the time Of the arrest it is said
that Chief Big Tree openly boasted of
the number Of scalps which had been
taken. his spirit unhumbled by the con-
sequences which We're in prospect
'He was taken to Texas. tried and
convicted 10 be hung. which sentence
was finally committed TO imprisonment
In the penitentiary for life. Through
influences brought to bear upon the
president, and upon condition that the
tribe would not go upon the warpath
5gain, he was pardoned and released,
and has since lived upon the reserva-
ton peaceful life.
A RECENT CONVERT.
1.-THE Baptists began their mission
work among the kiowas two years ago
last October. At first there was great
opposition, but by and by the wife of
Chef Big Tree, who is a woman of I'M
usual ability, became impressed with
Inc truth of the gospel. Her brother,
Go-to-Bo. was the first convert from
among the men. and both have ever
since been a tower of strength for the
gospel among their people.
Chief Big Tree. who was converted
and baptized last May, has also been n
souce Of great strength. He eXtorts at
almost every meeting.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE TRIBE.
1.-The Kiowa tribe is among those who
are called Blanket Indians. because
they have not yet adopted the dress or
ways Of civilization They live in te-
paeS-round tentS-dnd occupy n Terri
tory in southern Oklahoma. south Of
the Washita river and east of the north
fork of Red river. They belong to the
Shosbone family and are finely devel-
oped physically They We're driven
South in the early years from the Da-
kotas by the Sioux. They have been or
friendly terms with the Comanches for
the last TWEEN ty-fiVe years. Their lang
7lage is one of the most difficult of In
dian languages.
NEW WAY To CURE FEVER
There are now in the tribe some
thing like twelve hundred people. The
tribe Is decreasing in number. owing To
the introduction of diSea Ses. such as
the measles and other diseases known
ITO civilized people. and the habit Of
eating muscaL They have no idea of
taking care of themselves. hut expose
themselves 10 the elements without suf-
1icient protection Their medicine men
Tell them that fever is fire. and that
water VIII put out fire consequently.
when their people were suffering from
measles. especially the children. no adj
vice from the government physician
could prevent them from taking them
aSto the river and giving them cold
Sv,s h..
IA death inside OF an hour"
MAKES \ SPEECH
At Baltimore the greatest moment in
Big Trees life occurred He made a
speech. If numbers count for any
thing, il was 6. highly successful pow
WOW. for there was not a vacant place
In the whole church when he arose 10
speak The number OF people. how
ever, who understood what he had 10
saw was small indeed for the big In
dian spoke in his native dialect. and
kicwa IS not 4 popular language. even
among the most cultured Of the earth
But they got the drift of il Sifted for
them by an interpreter named Samuel
A-Ha-Tone, who stood alongside of the
mighty warrior on the platform and
sandwiched his English versions in be
tween the gutte-ai sounds Of the chiefs
kiowa tongue. which seems % consist
of a marveiouSly large number of Svl-
labels like "one" and 'ana II was a
novel experience for most of III. audi
ence 10 listen 70 such . method of rem
dering speech and they Straine their
ears 10 catch The slightest sound that
came from either Of The converted In
dianS.
VIGOROUS GESTURES.
Big Tree began L. talk in a Quiet
way. using but one gesture. that 81
poin ting With the index finger y his
right hand ~ some one in the audience.
But when ne got warmed up he spread