The Washington times., 1901-12-08
Indians Resist Plan Of the Dawes
Commission.
EX-cHIEFs GATHERING HERE
Quartered at BeNeridgc House
where Famous Red Men Have So
fourncd for Nenriy Half "a Century.
The Washington wnmpum Belts.


plans OF the Dawes Commission seeking
to wine out the tribal organizations of
the Red man and divest him of his lands.
These delegations consist of about
twenty-five Indians, many OF whom are
well-known men who have figured in the
affairs aud the history Of their race dur
ing the pest half century. They are stop
ping at the Beveridge House, 224 Third
Street northwest, tavern famous among
the tribesmen as headquarters for the
Red men who, from time to time, So
journ at the National Capital.
Hcnds of the Delegations.
The heads of the delegations now at the
Beyeridge are former chiefs or presidents
of their tribes. They are: Andrew John,
representing the Senecas; stephen 4.
Miller, representing the Delawares; Will
liam Sanders, representing the Cayugas;
John Hill, representing the Onondagasi
Jim Pluro. representing the Pawnees;
Him Gray. representing the Creeks; John
Eastman. representing he Santee Sioux,
and Big joe" representing the utes.
Dressed In their native garb, with long.
comfort giving pipes, from which huge
pufrs of smoke are drawn, the Indians
may be seen lettering about the Office OF
the Beveridge House every evening, con-
yersing in their own peculiar laconics, or
silently Illuminating over their grievances
against what they term the injustice be-
ing done them by the United States Gov
ernment The Beveridge has been their
forum. and that Of the ancestors OF many
of them, since 1858 Within its historic
walls some of the most noted Indian
treaties have been formulated.
History of the Bcveridge.
Giving some the unique early history of
this old tavern, B. f. Beveridge, the pro-
prietor, said the career of the hotel had
been in many respects filled with cpl
sodes of interest.
.'In 1920" Mr. Beveridge said, "a man
named Jimmie Maher. who conducted
little tavern on the corner of Thirteen
snd-a-half Street and Pennsylvania Ave
nue.. began boarding the Indians who came
10 Washington on buSiness with the Fed
eral Government. He continued this bit
Of enterprise until 1858, when he died, his
hotel having been continued throughout
ali these years as headquarters of the
Indians.
after his death. my mother. Mrs A.
r. Beveridge, notified the Indian Office
that she would take Indian bosrders, and
from that day to this the Beveridge
House has enjoyed a monopoly OF their
custom.
Entertained Billy BowIegs.
"The hrst Indian that my mother enter
tained was old Billy Bowlegs, Chief Of
the Semiroles. and since then we have
had all the prominent Indians that came
to Washington. Colonel Adair and Colo
mel Boudinot OF the Cherokees; Colonel
Hawkins. of the choctaws; Red Cloud,
Spotted Tail. John Gross. John Cav. Sit
ting Bull, and Hollow Horn Bear, Of the
Sioux; Chico. of the Apaches; ouanah
Parker, of the Comanches; oupay. OF the
Utes; Chief Joseph. of the Nez Perces,
and many others equally prominent have
been here, and, dare say. that as many
as twenty treaties have been talked over
ard practically outlined in this house.
'-of the Indians whom l have met in
the forty-two years that they have been
stopping at my house, ] am free TO say
that Red Cloud and Spotted Tail, OF the
Sioux, impressed me the most favorably.
In my opinion they were the smartest In
dians that ever lived. Tho delegations
that visited the National Capital are not
SO large now as formerly. Before the
war big delegations Of red men used to
visit this city. but this Is no longer the
case"
Unique Indian Relics.
The walls and maniels of the Beyeridge
House are covered with photographs OF
all the prominent Indians of the past half
century. moccasins. breadwork leggins.
pipes and other articles made by Indians.
A Times reporter called at the Bever-
idse House and met some OF the members
OF the Seneca. Cayuga. and onondaga dele
cations from Western New York
Ex-Chief Andrew John. Of the senecas.
stated that he and his associates we're
here to n axe ole last and desperate ef-
fort to hold their reservations.
las usual" he said, this movement TO
abolish our tribal organization is proposed
for our betterment, etc, but the moving
force behind IT is the desire of whites liv-
ing near US. 10 grab our lands. We have
treaties that state distinctly that our
right to hold our reservations shall be
perpetual, and II we were a big country
like Russia, the United States would re-
speet these treaties, but as we are only
mere handful OF individuals. the Gov
ernment does not feel compelled to abide
by its own terms"
Fish Carriers wampum Belts.
To the end OF defending their rights.
these Indians have brought with them all
their treaties, which they will produce at
the proper time, In support of their de-
fence. They are also accompanied by
Fish Carrier, a fullblooded indian eighty
fye years Of age. and keeper of wampum
of the Cayugas. In an old black satcheI
be has brought TO this city five wampum
treaty belts given the Six Nations at Fort
stani1, by George Washington Just after
the Revolutionary War. These almost
priceless belts have not seen the light
of day for the past lis years. For some
time IT has been supposed that the sole
remaining wsmpum belts were those in
the National Museum and the museum Of
the New York Historical Society, at AL
bany, and the fact of these treaty belts
coming to light will be OF interest to local
anthropologists.
The belts are made OF genuine wampum.
tube-shaped beads blue and white. carved
from a mussel shell common 10 the New
England coast. Each belt has a signif-
cance.
Presented by Washington.