The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-22


 him ever since he was child. Often he
 prevented them from being imposed
 upon and his knowledge of the ways
 of the white man was of great useful
 ness to the tribe.
 In the fall of 1897 the chieftain, who
 was then nearly ninety years of age,
 called the great men of the nation to-
 gether. He told them that his end was
 approaching,s that he was growing
 weaker and was not able longer to con-
 duct the affairs of the tribe. He sug-
 gested, therefore, that he be permitted
 to retire and that Roddy should be
 named as his successor While he was
 not by blood an Indian he had learned
 their ways and knew their characteris-
 tics. He could also speak their lan-
 guage, not only the language of the
 Winnebagos, but also the tongues of the
 neighboring Chippewas and Pottawat-
 amies.
 There was at once general agree | ment that. the succession should go to the white man, and Roddy would have
 been inaugurated at once if 1t had not
 been for the efforts of an Indian named
 Green Cloud, a man who felt that he
 was in direct line to the mantle of the
 aged Black Hawk. As he was an ene- my of the old chief, however, the latter would not consent to abdicate in his fa-
 vor, but the opposition finally succeed ed in persuading the tribesmen to post pone the matter under the specious plea | that the man who had ruled over the
 tribe for more than the ordinary span of life should not be permitted to addicate in that way.
 | In September last the old chief died | With his last breath he besought his associates not to permit the affairs Of | the tribe to go into the hands of Green | Cloud explaining why he believed that such an action would surely result in the ruin of the nation. Immediately af- ter his death the tribe held meeting and it was the unanimous vote of the council that the wishes of the dead ruler should be carried out. Rcddy was notified that he had been elected chief of the tribe and that in the future he should be known as White Buffalo" Green Cloud, however, was not willing to let matters rest without determined fight. He called his friends together, and although none of them had been prominent in the affairs of the council they were able to get together nearly nineteen hundred men. The leader of this faction then took an appeal to Washington urging the disadvantages of permitting a white man to assume the rulership of tribe of Indians, and while he was waiting to hear from the department of the interior he inaugura- ted an active campaign on his own &C., count.
 l1,, ,,,4 of thn tribe, however, still stand true to Roddy and he expects to be inaugurated at an early date. He has already made ar engagements to leave Chicago and will build house for his family in the very heart of the Winnebago country. Then he will proceed to do all in his power to improve the condition of the tribe.
 At the present time the WinneDagos are by no means the most civilized of the Indian nations They are faithful. bright and intelligent and maintain a sort of tribal government sufficient to emphasize it's native character, but they have never had the opportunities to improve their condition that have been accorded many less peaceful na- tions. Even to-day there are practically no schools on the reservation and the young men and women who desire to obtain an education are compelled to travel distance of fifty miles.
 The tribal lands are extensive and the members might easily support them- selves by farming. Several times dur ing the past ten years efforts have been | made to persuade them to adopt agri- | culture, but the men have never taken | kindly to the proposal and they are now left to work out their own salva- ton.
 As soon as MT. Roddy takes control of | the helm of state he will make deter mined effort to interest the men in the cultivation of their lands He will tn- troduce reform measures into affairs of the councils and will put the govern ment upon a more modern basis. He will also engage number of teachers and will open schools in the villages, at- at which will be compulsory in the case of children and younger men and women. Even the older people will be permitted to attend, and the new chief IS confident that within few years those who visit the Winnebagos will see marked improvement in the of the tribe.
 LII tIle CdTTyiIB Uul Ol ttllS WuIhl MI. Roddy will have an able assistant in his wife. Although Mrs. Roddy has never ived among the Indians. she has fre- luently visited the tribe, and her heart S thoroughly in sympathy with the work that is to be undertaken. It is Ter intention to devote herself chiefly o the women of the tribe. During her ,isits to the reservation she found that he squaws were lazy and careless, that hey had only the vaguest ideas about and cooking, and she will To her utmost to persuade them to Ldopt cleaner and more practical meth ds
 While it is a question whether or not he Indians themselves will take kindly 0 such a broad system of reformation here can be no doubt that it would be realty to their advantage to allow themselves to be governed by their white chief in all things Black Hawk, vho was not unaware of Mir Roddy's attentions, but who felt that he was too Id to undertake such sweeping reform, ealized that the civilization and moral improvement in his tribe could be ob- aimed in no other way, and he undoubt- dly acted wisely when he prevailed pon the tribesmen to see that his last
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