New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-26
WHITE MANS BREATH rs Fatal.
K1CKAPOo INDIANS ARGUE AGAINST AN APPRo-
PRIATIoN FOR RIVER
From The Chicago Inter ocean

From The Chicago Inter Ocean
&ns 81 } TIE }e,o Washngton has
ITO the Son Of the White Father in Washington
Word comes that you and your brothers are
sons to spend neap OF money 10 deepen the
channel OF the mouth Of the Kansas River. What
The white man has bull; bridges over the mouth
Of tho river there and for some distance above. A
th' spring Whai good VIII II 10 10 deepen the
raann ta- at the molJh? steamboat couldn't 60
white mans bridges don't open.
'Thiriy-fve years ago when va. buck. and
the mouth Of what then the Kav River, I have
seen the mouth Of the river crowded with littlo
There was plenty Of water in the river then.
me white men came among MS ana bought out
they made trades. and We marched with the
A white mans bridge was bull; coupl. Of miles
from the mouth OF the river. \ boat couldn't get
through it or under It. After n little while more
Topeka. and they went back % the mouth OF the
river and built three more AMI charged toll 10
places Indian couldn't push his canoe. The. White
had called Il the kaw. White man crossed IL in
nd hSn the %a r a saye e got
for our lands Indian made MS own trade and
river. That was our name. You changed IT. and
YOU said nothing TO us about II. nor paid for IT,
came home they told US We had lost our river. and
they called Il by some other name.
And now white man wants to dig in the mouth
OF our lost river No Let IL alone. II IS running
dry ]: IS Ike the Indian. Let II alone for n little
sell tacm for plouGhs and cross dry land.
There won't be a puddle between banks deep enough
for tadpole
You changed the name Of the Wyandotte too
No wonder the grasshoppers end the dogs took the
town at once Everything you put your foot on in
our Kansas Of other days las withered or persisted
from the face % the earth
We had council fires at Qulndaro White man
built town there and roads in the hills and
trimmed the forests AMI damned the streams
Where IS II now? You can; find the name on your
man and the town is no more.
We had our corn dance the hills further I'D
the river. You came there ana built you n town
and called II Palermo. That was a pretty name
brothers have built town and called II A pretty
name, Ike some OF our own. and took Il as a
peace offering
The ka;ylid sings on the site IN summer. and
mere are moro graves on the hills than there are
people In the town. When the trees bloom Won
can't find the town. When the snow falls 4 covers
II m 30 YOU hardly wAcre t r.
Even our beautiful feaVcnwOrth has faded nd
looks Old and Atchlson g Ike the yellow leaves in
tho forest when they are touched with thu frost
which you named DOriDhan wnerc is 80 II a
strange man came TO tho place In the nigh, no
WOuf have 20 camp ont.
"EllwOod. that YOU built across the river from the
Missouri and rushed 10 the belmont that
you built on hl'l 50 It could bo Of all men.
is fallen down. and IL looks Ike ruin
What IL IN the white mans breath that makes
Il Ike death when II blows on the Indian and his
people nd his country
"If the White Father has money 20 spend let him
giv~ to our children instead % spending q 10 dig
holes IN a sandbar."