The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-23
every hand has in time become &C
quainted with.

/
: The curious medal Mr.. DeIIesdernier
showed me after supper was oval in
shape. five inches the long way and
: four inches the other 1t was solid
silver with the ''E Pluribus Unum''
eagle of the United States on the re
verse and on the face, a very curious
presentation. This was scene rep
resenting George Washington taking a
long pipe of peace" from tall gaunt
Indian with an agricultural scene in
the background Beneath this are the
words George Washington, Presi-
dent
The engraving is very crude. George
Washington appears to have been just
run through a cornsheller with a coil
of barb-wire fence. His hair sticks
out in porcupine fashion. But his
legs and cruel old hook-nose is there
and the engraving successfully be-
trays the identity of the father of his
country. The Indian with the pipe
standing before George Washington is
naked except for few feathers in his
hair. The agricultural scene in the
rear Is something akin to that hard
working gentleman in the great seal Of
Kansas, but the man on this medal has
| to reach up over his head to get hold of
| the plow-handleS. At the top Of the
! medal is a small place by which it can
be held by a ribbon.
This solid silver medal Is one of the
two existing medals which were among
the first ever struck by the United
States. The Second congress directed
that six medals be struck and pre-
scented to the Indians for their friend
ship to the colonies during the revolu-
ton. Five of these medals were made
as congress directed. Why the sixth
medal was not made no one knows.
There were no minis at that time and
the large trophies were probably made
in Philadelphia. All but two of these
five have now disappeared. OF the
two Mr.. DeLesdernier has one, the
Smithsonian institute the other. Money
cannot buy it
Mr.. DeLesdernier told me that he
secured it from Captain Cusick, de-
scendant Of Tuscorora chief. who
had originally received it. Many
museums have tried to secure 1t from
Mr.. DeLesdernier. He has also the
pipe of peace which was smoked at
Medicine Lodge, the time OF the great /
treaty. 1 asked Mr.. DeLesdernier If
he knew Henry NJ. Stanley, who was
then present as a newspaper CORES
pondent He did not remember having |
seen him. DeLesdernier, however, |
kept track Of the pipe and secured 1t.
1t is very handsome. He has many
other trophies Of Indian events, both
in peace and war.
l was driven down to the Seger In
dian schools. Mr.. Seger is said to be
the best Indian educator in the world.
We dipped down into a grove and the
hand of Uncle Sam displayed its magic
to our ewes at once. There are two
stately school buildings, of brick, the
only brick 1 have seen west of the rail
road The trees are heavy all about
them. The lawns are prettily kept
and the windows in the buildings were
bright with cleaning. Down at a
brook, a neat arbor covered bubbling
spring. The Indian pupils were all at
breakfast and Mr.. Seger informed me
they had just got to the new sorghum
and were eating a tremendous meal.
l went into the great dining hall and
watched the little red people for mo-
ment. They We're all eating the new
sorghum heartily, but, Indian like,
never heard a word, a chatter, grunt
nor murmur from the whole lot. They
all appeared to be very happy. talk
ed TO full-blooded Indian last night,
and after 1 promised not to give his
name, he told me that the Indians all
wanted their children in the Seger
schools, because Seger is near and the
may see them occasionally.
But often, he told me, the agent sends
the Indians children away of to east
ern schools, over the parents protest ! .
[ know the Indian is a chronic ,
as peevish as child, but
cruel as he is can be and as helpless
as he is now, it must be said that he
suffers many thing from the deputies
Of the government which makes him
feel as every man feels when he is
treated Ike baby. .
Mr.. DeLesdernier has spent goodly ]
share Of his life among Indians. He {
Used to live in Usage county. Kansas,
with them. He moved south with the
Sac and Fox Indians and became a
member of their inner councils. hav- ,
ne been initiated into their medicine ,
odge He is great admirer Of the
Sac and Fox and knows much Of their c
ore. The Sac and Fox's most noted /
amily are the descendants OF the I
1uaw who, history records after an y
indian defeat, swan the Mississippi !
With two papooses on her back This c
quaw's descendants cherish her mem :
ny sacredly. However. DeLesdernier !.
avs history is wrong, for the Indians !,
ay she had but one papoose on her :,
,ack r
DeLesdernier Is the French for "Of e
he Last" His ancestor was a mar
hal under the First Napoleon, and was
ne ''of the last reserve and so nick