The Elbert County tribune., 1898-10-13
1.-THE LAST OF IT."
The Speech Of Iron Bali. Chief Of the Grow
indiass. at the Driving Of the
Last Spike.
FROM the Portland oregonian.I

~ h'ess-'st
S)NE of the finest effects ever
%, produced at the driving of the
last spike was when Iren
Bull, the old war chief of the Crow
Indians, stepped forward in the
midst of the crowd, attired in his
semi-ciyilized garb, and With un-
covered head presented to Presi-
dent Willard the spike which was
to be used on the occasion. He
made a very pretty pantomine
speech. which, being interpreted,
was as follows:
"This is the last of it-this is
the last thing for me to do. lam
glad to see you are here, and my
people of the Crow nation are glad
to see you, too. There is mean
ing in my part of the ceremony
and l understand it. We have
reached the end of our regime, and
a new one has come. The end of
our lives, too, is near at hand; the
days of my people are almost
numbered-already they are drops
ping off like the last rays of suns
light which hang on the western
sky. or our once powerful nation
there are now but few left; Just a
little haadful-and we, too, will
soon be gone. After the savage
though has given way to civiliza-
ton, the whites will come, they
will enjoy the same bright skys,
the same glad sunshine, the beau
teous mountains, lakes and rills
where once we delighted to roam.
They will probably live in it,
populate it with the flowers OF
their race, but will they forever
remain in undisputed possession of
this grand domainl Who knows
but what some race, at present
unknown, will make its appearance
and overpower and take away the
land from them, too, then, us the
last chief of the pale face nation
stands before the conquerer will he
bid him welcome to his all, to his
home, to his life, to his very soul
with more earnestness and with as
much sincerity as his red brother
welcomes him nowl | am glad t.
see you here; l am perfectly will
ing to yield to the advance of the
higher and better civilization; the
iron horse will now have free
field to itself; the Indian and the
Indian poney hope to further
roam, as in the past, where such
q ciyilizer penetrates.. To you,
President Willard, to you and YOU
associates of the Northern Pacific
road, Iron Bull, chief of the
Crows, presents this spike witt
the hope that you will drive il
well home and thus have it bint
the hearts of your red brethren to
i you and your enterprise as closel,
and as firmly as it binds your tiei
of steel the one to the other"
Upon the Interpretation of the
speech being made known, there
was the greatest applause and criei
of "Good for the Indian!" "Thret
cheers for the Crows!" went W
from all sides.
The manner in which the pre-
sentation came to be made in thil
way was related to reporter o.
the Oregouian by General Kane
of Pennsylvania, who was thu
guest of MIR. Willard in tie private
car of Mr.. Robert Harris, one o.
the Northern Pacific directors
Mr.. Kane said:
.'The idea was suggested to mt
by Thomas Lafargeon, the inter
prefer, at Ft. Center some days
ago. 1t struck me as being hap
py suggestion, and after having
seen Chief Iron Bull and finding
that it would be agreeable to hin
to make the speech, l conferred
with Mr.. Harris, who arranged
with Mr.. Willard to have the pre-
sentation thus made"