The Iola register., 1901-10-25
SQUAw OF ROYAL BIRTH.
Full-Blooded Nysntic Indian Woman
Direct Descendant of Famous
King Philip.

ed Nyantic Indian woman, saws the
Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin. She is
of very great age, probably about 30
years, although some declare that she
has passed the century mark She
is certainly what she claims, de-
scendant of the great Indian sacnem,
and a genealogy of her family from
the time of Ninegret, the chief of the
Nyantics, and son-in-law of Philip,
corroborates her assertion. In her
own words it is thus:
"Ninegret had, among other chill
dren, son named Charles Augustus,
who in turn had son styled by his
people as Great Harry. Great Harry
had a son named Christopher, who
was the father of second Christie
pher and daughter named Cath
crime. who was my grandmother.
Catherine was my fathers mother,
and her brother Christopher had two
children, Augustus and Mary, the lat
ter being my mother. SO ] am de-
scendant of Ninegret. the son-iu-law
of Philip, on both my fathers and
my mothers side, and consequently
claim an undoubted relationship to
Ninegret.' 1t will he observed that
she is descended not from a son of
Philip, but from his daughter
As the descendant of Ninegret, she
is one of the few claimants to large
tract of land reserved by him about
the time of King Philips war. One
portion of this reservation was thirty
miles of water frontage, ten rods
above high-watcr mark. There his
people might fish undistrubed, and
that Ninegret exercised wisdom and
foresight in the selection of his res
ervation is apparent from the fact
that the site is now occupied by one
of the largest and most fashionable
summer resorts in the East.
King Philips war. so destructive
to the Narrangansetts. left the re-
naming few of the tribe homeless
and destitute, and Ninegret, seeing
the distress of his kinsmen. allowed
them to settle upon his land. Here
undisturbed, the remnant of Philips
people increased to such an extent
that, in sheer self-defeusc, Niuegret
was forced to invoke the aid of the
state in removing them. Soon, how
ever, Ninegret died, and his follow
ers left the reservation. Thus the
Narragansetts, returning. took COM
plete possession, and eventually sold
the land. Still, the descendant of
Ninegret were the real claimants. and
Mrs. stanton, believing herself to be
the sole heir. communicated with the
Rhode Island authorities, with the re-
suit that she was offered the sum of
$4,000 900 on condition that she re-
linQuish all claims TO the land. AS it
Glanced however, other and nearer
heirs sprang up, and they, Obiecting
TO such disposition of the property,
appealed to the national government.
If their claim is allowed, as in all
probability it will be, the old lady
will come into possession of fortune
BETTING her royal lineage.
From infancy TO the age OF 30 years
she lived with her family ON the reser-
vation, receiving not only the com
mon school education or its equivalent.
but entered a New York high school
for Indians as we'll
In her youthful days, among her peo-
pie, they had already felt the touch
of civilization. Missionaries had come
among them, churches, singing
schools, prayer-meetings and social
functions of various kinds were com
mon. The day of the Wild utterly un-
taught savage had passed, and, al
though many of the customs were still
eXtant, the native language and dress
had practically disappeared
After leaving school, Mrs. Stanton,
or Catherine Ross, as her name then
was, entered the service of a daugh-
ter of Senator Dickson aS housekceper,
in which capacity she remained until
her employer left for Europe.
Returning to her home among the
Indians. she married Cato Stanton in
1S-i4, immigra ting the following year to
what is now the city of Canton, in
Wisconsin. 1t was in January, 1915,
that they arrived at their new home
and erected rude dwelling of logs
,lose to the north bank Of the Manito-
woe river. There, alone in the barren,
desolate waste of forest, miles away
from any settlement, and not even the
rudiments of a path TO guide them,
they lived through that first winter
subsisting mainly upon unground corn
and potatoes, for no mill was anywhere
GEAR.
In the spring Mr.. Stanton, with the
help of men brought from Brotherton,
erected a small grist mill, temporary
and indifferent affair, though it en-
abled them TO supply -four for them
selves and settlers that came in the
next few years.
For some time their log cabin was
the only dwelling between Manitowoc
and Brotherton, and often parties GO
ing through would stop there, and to
the eternal credit of these two mem
bers of an outcast and despised race
be it said that never was man turn
ed from the door, whether he was
rich or poor, good or bad.