The times., 1901-05-12
WEARS AN UMBRELLA HAT.
Strange Stories of N Man Well
Known in Seattle.
0From the SeattIe Post Intelligeneer.l }


THE man with the umbrella hat
few figures are better known on the
streets of Seattle or have excited more
comment from wayfarers.
Perhaps not more than half a dozen
know that according to his claims. he
rescued John G. Fremont, the Pathfind-
er. when he was lost in the Rocky Noun
tains he was the familiar of Xii Carson
and with his own hand he put an end to
the existence of Black Hawk, the famous
Indian chief, seventy years ago.
Ills age he gives as ninety, but when
the Spanish-American war became iTnmi-
nent he wrote to President Mckinley
offering his services as a scout He
was then eighty seven years old He says
he was United States chief of scouts in
the civil war and resigned at the close of
the conflict in favor of Buffalo Bill.
The man with the umbrella hat is
Robert w. Patten, and the story of his
life as told by himself is in substance as
follows: He was born February "a 1871. in
New York State, and ran away from
nome when nine years Old because of
friction with his stepmother With the
assistance of his grandmother he made
his way to where Chicago now stands.
For some time he lived with a French
trader. but was later adopt
ed by Big John, chief of the
Winnebago Indians. with him he wan
dered over the greater part of the north
ern Middle West. living the life of a ma
tive His companion was the chiefs
daughter, Waupdcka a child of his own
age. Together they roamed over the
pIains-fshing. hunting, and leading a
happy existence. Young Patten learned
to read English from Bible at one of the
frontier settlements
Later, when he was about sixteen years
old. he accompanied the tribe to the
northern part of Wisconsin.
Here bloody war was waged between
the Winnebagos and the Chippewas, and
Patten bears a scar on his head which
he claims was received from toma-
hawk in one of their affrays
.1tr = Low ft,fTa
ton by giving timely warning to q gar
rison OF soldiers, he was made a second
lieutenant in the regular army a few
years later. being detached as a scout
During the same time he traded in furs
and saved some money.
When he was twenty years old he was
ordered 20 report to Kit Carson at the
place where Sioux Falls, 5. D.. now
stands, and with him proceeded west
ward to the Rockies on the way they
met a trader known as odd California
Joe. and the trio hunted and traded for
many long years, having numerous thrill
ing adventures and hair-breath escapes
They fought in the Black Hawk war,
in the early S0s Patteh, as stated,
claims to have killed Black Hawk and
exhibits scar on his wrist as the last
wound ever inflicted by the chief
decade Of wandering followed. Once
Iatten was bound to the stake with sew
eral others by the Sioux Indians. and
would have been burned to death but for
the timely arrival of help. The side of
his face still bears the mark of flames
The three men returned finally to the
Rockies again, and trapped In the winter
months. once they We're caught in a
snowstOrm on a hEll. Patten remained on
top and the other two proceeded down to
the valley While he was gazing in an
opposite direction from that taken BY his
companions he saw a column moving
slowly through the storm. He was un-
able to determine whether it consisted Of
men or buffalo, and. as ne tells the story.
he called Kit Carson back
Kit came up the HILL. he says. "and
l showed him the close column. He had a
pair OF field glasses with him and was
able to make out that it was a column OF
men"
They FASTENED to the strangers and
found that they were company of sol
diers in command of Fremont
He had been lost in the mountains for
some time, and was short of provisions
Patten claims that if he had not happened
to see the line of soldiers they would prob