The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-29
TALKS ABOUT OSAGES
General Hardy Has Spent His
81 Years With Them.
EVILS OF GHOST DANCE
Tribe Changes LittIe--AIIot-
ment Their Salvation.


Kay council, was in the city yesterday
General Hardy has lived with the IIaw
Indians for eighty-seven years-that is,
all his life General Hardy carries bis
eighty-seven years lightly. He smokes a
good cigar, is a good conversationaIist,
and can climb flight Of stairs with the
agility Of boy eighteen years old.
The general was with the Kaw Indians
when they were up at the mouth Of the
Kaw in the early part Of the century. He
was good-slzed baby, and in Kansas
when Napoleon was DEFEATED at Waterloo
From the mouth of the Kaw he moved
with a portion Of the tribe to Council
Grove. He knows many of the pioneer
Kansans and while in the city called on
Colonel n. NJ. Murdoch, who has not seen
him for many years.
How have the Kaw Indians changed
in yGdr time?" the general was asked
He took a long pull at his cigar and
said: well, they haven't changed much
] think they are more superstitious than
they used to be-"
How is that?'
Well, it is on account Of that ghost
dance The ghost dance upset them bad
~. 1t is their religion now, and they
are fanatical about it. OF course the
dance is prohibited but dance the Indians
do. and dance they will
Have the KaWs in the period you have
known them changed much in dress and
customs?''
In some things, yet; but In the matter
Of their hair-dress, no. You know the
Kaws roach their hair and shave the
scalp at either side They did that fifty
years ago; they stin do it, In the early
days when an uncommonly good knife
was found it was used solely for this
purpose and was held sacred OF late
years they use razors"
do the Kaw Indians still smoke kline
liunic?"
"Oh, yes"
do they make medicine"
They do
What is the solution of the Indian
pFoblen?"
"Anotmen. Auott the Indians their
lands. You can make the younger gener-
alton assume responsibility and that will
be the making Of them. Old fellows like
myself VIII die off, and that will solve
the problem"
Were the Kaws. in your time. fight
ers?"
We'll we thought So
DO you remember any fights?'
Yes , good many years ago We went
out 10 Smoky Hill for buffalo; a.. . came
across q band Of Cheyennes and they
pitched into us; we gave them lively
time and killed five Of them. And we had
20 pay for that, too; the government made
US"
General Hardy says the Kaw council re-
Gently passed resolutions regretting the
resignation Of Colonel Pollock, agent Of
the Osage nation. He had copy Of the
resolutions with him He has met Mr.
Mitchner, the new agent, and says he
likes him. The resolutions passed are as
follows:
"Kaw Agency. o. T, April. 4 1900
The Honorable Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs. Washington, D. c.
Sir: We learn with deep regret that
Colonel William J. Pollock. our worthy
agent, is about to sever his relations with
us and knowing as we do the upright
ness q his character. and being acquaint-
ed with his earnest and untiring efforts
in our behalf. always guarding seGulously
our interests, frequently to his own injury
in body aud mind and in so doing has
attached himself to US, it IS beyond our
ability to express our flll sense of loss.
While we deplore the step which he has
taken, yet. considering the fact that man
IS not made OF wood. or iron. or brass.
but only Of flesh and blood, and under
standing the darts of malice which have
been hurled AT him while in the honest
discharge OF his duties, from an insig-
nihcant though determined factor Of the
OSage tribe urged and Influenced by 9TH
ers who regard not the laws Of God nor
man. We can not blame him FOR the step
he has taken in resisnnG. He las been
slanderej and hesmiTched only by those
few whom ne has protected. and those
who could exist by what they might
legally take from the Indians. for Colonel