New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-09

ling. through It's commission, with the problem OF
how best to deal with them. and how to make the
old age of the race comfortable as possible
In the earliest days Of the colony Of Rhode Island
the Nantes the allies OF the Narragansetts'
whose territory adjoined them the east near
what is now Kingston. On the west were their
hereditary enemies, the Pequots. with whom they
were constantly engaged in turmoil. When the
King Philip broke out. however. the NANTES
remained neutral and all the efforts of the Mar
ragansetts to induce them to take part In the war
against the colony were futile. Consequently, when
King Philips last struggle was over and the Mar
ragansetts were hopelessly and finally destroyed.
the Nantes were most considerably treated by
the white men. There were several treaties mace
with them before the in 170s. which set apart
for them "A goodly reservation in what Is now
the township of Charlestown.
MAKING CHRISTIANS OF THEM
For about a quarter of a century the friendly
Nantes were allowed to live their peaceful lives
in quiet But the Inevitable happened In l7g7. when
It occurred to the coonists that 1t was their holy
duty to make Christians of the red heather. At
this time the king of that tribe called Ninigret,
a name which had for many years been the ute
OF the ruling dynasty and which continued such
as long az the Nantes had kings SO the colony
in its zeal made a treaty with King Nnigret by
the terms of which the tribe coded to the colonists
a small tract OF lard upon which the English So
ciety called THE society for the Propagation OF
the Gospel in Foreign Parts" built church. which
is still standing and goes by the name of the In
dian meeting house in consideration Of love for
the tribe and five pounds of lawful money the
same society agreed to send minister from Eng
land TO attend to the spiritual wants OF the tribe
About forty years later King Thomas Ninigret
assembled the throne Of his fathers King Thomas
royal parsonage OF much pcturesqueness
When a boy he sent by the colony TO England
to get some points on the king business The col
x.ol hut HOY nd m
King Thomas acquired most of the vices of civil
izaton and few Of its graces. King George Ill was
then on the throne Of England, and he took a
great interest in young Thomas. 1t was fun for
the king but IL was bad for Thomas. and more
especially for Thomass tribe. Thomas returned to
the arms of his people with good command CT
the English tongue. and such an able-bodied appe-
lite for hrewater that 1t took the greater part OF
his ancestral kingdom to satisfy it. If Thomas
had not died when he did there would soon have
been little OF his kingdom left
WORK FOR EDUCATION.
But there was one thing King Thomas did imbi5e
besides rum and that was evidently love of edu-
ca ton for one of his frs: acts after his return
from England TO make treaty with the col
onsts which stipulated among other things that
the colonists should maintain school for the
Indians, and d master who should teach writing
figuring and Latin and Greek excellent well" There
is no proof to show that any Of the Indians ever
awaited themselves or the Latin ana Greek electives
but King Thomas bound to offer the best ad-
vantages to his children, whether they accepted
them or not. Thus the church became also school
house And there the Indians went to church on
Sundays and school on week days until barely
fourteen years ago.
Ever since the year 1863 the NANTES have been
wards Of the colony and State Of Rhode Island
which has been legally responsible for their acts
The education provided for by King Thomas has
horne some fruit of an unexpected nature. BY
means Of II one Indian at least was enabled TO
comprehend the status Of n ward and the duties
OF his guardian. Consequently this shrewd ward
went over to Newport one day with his most limo
cent and guileless face ana hired a man 10 come
and build him a house.
To himself the builder said, "Of truth here Is
good thing. | will advantage myself OF It. Then
he went to the reservation and built the
house When he presented his bill the Indian re-
fused TO pay II.
After the builder had used language not fit 10
nr,nt he said Il will sue YOU" Whereupon the
indian expounded the ntricaccs Of the law touch
ing wards and their guardians Then followed
more language on the part OF the builder, after
which he went home 10 Newport poorer in pocket
I'm, with a valuable fund Of legal knowledge All
~ which would have deeply gricved the Society
for the Propagation OF the Gospel in Foreign
Parts.
when slavery was abolished in Rhode Island
nnony of the slaves took the names of their former
owners and moved to the country Of the Indians.
1nternarriage followed so quickly that It puzzles
the student to account for II. until he remembers
the characteristics of the male Indian. His father
taught him 10 hunt and fish and fight, while the
reol lrudgery of life was assigned TO his squaw
She bore this patiently enough until she met a
race of men who worked themselves what more
natural than that she should attempt to better
her condition and win more ease and comfort for
herself by marrying these wonderful men? This
blood
all NJ the Indians living in the old Mantle reserva-
ton is mixed with African strain, and that
many Of them bear names that have borne a fore
most part in the history of Rhode Island.
RorGHT BY A COMMISSION.
The burden Of the Indian wards finally became
so heavy that the State decided to rid Itself OF the
ataroo once for all, and in 1852 commission
ho,,oht the entire reservation. CT what there was
,of, ~ II after King Thomas bibuous nroads. for
Tho sum of 1000 1t good enough price for
rho nroperty for there was then little more thah
o,rht square miles left OF what had been more tha1
wv square miles when King Thomas returned
from England with his phehoinehal mrs ira
s',,n v,as divided among about three hundred uark
sS,nncd persons who claimed descent from the oti
>intar,ics Many OF them really were but when IL
80 announced that there was money 10 uiNlus'
Ia. uy Effort To repopulate the reservation The
rvivors Increased something like 30 per cent
w "Reminiscences had much ado to determine t IN.
rirhtful heirs. but wherever me lain r""I -h ri,
! II "tisrrov.d the claimant got his snare lh'ir
fces were their fortune. 1870
i" To avoid hardship. the Commissioners gave TO
aanntuailv cultivating when the reservation was was
bought THIS the Las, Of The tribe Of Of n .hs N
~ ! I'D island The tribe Of the Nantes has
passed away swept from the iaGs oi ' o c
Ilntor 1'hrv outlasted their old friends the Mar
Tagamsetts and their old enemies the p h
ns iv one they Joining the majority IN inc
oid indian burying-ground. ana II cannot De iohs
before 'nsS w the last Of the Nantes Will
~ yona the tribe has left an impress on tnht
lonely country that will not soon fade away Inc
IA honse that King Thomas built Is stii an otna,
ment to the township. and lii the iron' ooor'@ro