The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1901-05-17

wigwam heavenward until 1T seemed
to almost kiss the clouds, and heard
the whoop of the Red Man of the for
est. Now where these wigwams were
fields are waving with grain, or your
dwellings stand, or towns and cities
have sprung up, bat where is the In
dian today? Our forests are gone,
and the Indian also. The steel Of the
white man has swept him away.
I we'll remember of the Christmas
in my boyhood days. The old Chief
used To be at fathers often; most
always would come little before din
ner, would sit at the table and eat his
dinner with us as polite as king.
Said he was in his 104th yer; that he
was too old to learn our language
which he very much regretted. Said
if he could he would tell us of a great
many things that happened in years
gone by that would interest us. He
was a tall, we'll made Indian; good
man every inch of him; honest and
upright, full of good wishes for his
people.
must tell you something of one of
their dances. Father was then living
three miles northeast of this place.
There were thirteen families Of those
Chippewas who called that their hunt
ing ground. They were encamped
near where the brick school house
stands in the Parker district. The
time was set for the dance. Two In
dams with kegs strapped on ponies
had been to Dewitt to get the fire
water, as they called whiskey. Before
the dance commenced it was arranged
that one Indian was to stay sober.
He took their guns, knives and TOM
mahawks, and put them out Of reach.
Then the dance commenced; singing,
dancing and drinking whiskey. On
the second day of the dance whiskey
was like to give out, so they put an
Indian on pony, who ran him to De-
witt and back for new supply to fin
ish up the dance. That fall smallpox
broke out among them and took the
thirteen men, also the old chief, and
the most of their families.
Haven't got half through, but must
leave the Chippewas. In the fall OF
'39 the Fisher Indians came and en-
camped near father. They seemed to
be quite civil set. Fisher was rather
small Indian. 1 remember he want
ed Ralph, my second older brother, to
marry one of his girls, which was
quite joke on Ralph. Okemos, the
old chief, we used to see quite often;
he was small Indian, very hard
hearted, and lived to be over 100 years
old.
l will tell you something of our
school privileges. We used to walk
from one to four miles, and were glad
Of the chance. We sat all day on a
log, split in the middle, supported by
four legs, with a board in front of us
for desk. The school houses were
well flied, though cold in the winter.
Had two terms of three months each,
but most Of us had to stay at home
and work half of the time, so what
we learned had to be done quickly.
Weekly spelling schools and geography
schools were much appreciated.
I will tell you of one boy who was
so eager for an education that he ig-
nored all difficulties. He came to the
school 1 was teaching fifty years ago.
His clothes were made of blue denims
and swankey served for the waist
band of the pants. He had neither
boots nor shoes, but moccasins made
of old rags sewed together. A piece
OF cloth puckered and sewed up served
for cap. For his dinner he had
nothing but dry, cold buckwheat grid
die cakes, yet he seemed to enjoy them
as though they were the richest of
delicacies. Today he is a very ac-
ceptable preacher in the Michigan
conference.
L must tell you something about
pioneer farming. Most everybody
used oxen, and there were but very
few horses. We used to break up the
virgin soil with four or five teams of
oxen, and a heavy plow. We used A
drags, some with wooden teeth. Ok
carts were used for all sorts Of bust
ness, and pleasure too.
At first we threshed our grain on
the bare ground with fail, and win
moved it by band. Very soon. how