The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-03-09
INDIAN TYPEWRITER GIRL.
Miss Edna Parker, Member of Dis
tinEuishcd Seneca Family, Is
Thus EmDlOyed

For the first time in the history
of the New York state Iroquois In
diam women, one of their number has
become q typewriter and stenog-
rapher. She is Miss Edna Wright
Parker and is now in the service of
the New York Central railroad, says
the New York Sun.
Miss Parker comes of Seneca In
dian family distinguished by its ex.
ceptional record. In 1850 her paternal
great great-grandfather removed from
the Genesee valley to the Tonawanda
Seneca reservation near Batavia, &C.
companying the Sachem Ga-ni-o-di-yu,
or Handsome Lake, who had institute
ed the new" and now generally &C.
cepted religion of the Iroquois, re-
form from the older, or pagan, faith.
This faith, it was believed, was re-
vcaled to Ga-ni-o-di-yu in several
trance dreams by the Great Spirit.
BY this intrusion upon the old-time
religion Ga-nio-di-yu incurred the
anger of his half-brother. who event.
ually drove him and his followers
from the Allegheny reservation, and
among those who followed him in his
flight WIS William Parker.
The mother OF William Parker, the
grcat-grcat-great paternal grand
mother of Miss Parker, is concerned
In one of the Indian romances previ-
Gus to the revolutionary war. A par
ty OF the Senecas captured young
white woman of the Slocum family
who became rs one of them. During
treaty trip to Fort Niagara she met
titled French officer who, infatu-
atcd with her beauty clandestinely
took her as his wife. Enraged at
this a.llance, the Indians stole her
from her husband, who was after
ward killed in battle, and returned
her to their camp. where ner daugh-
ter, the child of the Frenchman, was
afterward born. AS soon as possible
after the birth of this child in On,
cndeavor to search for her own FAM
lily the mother escaped from captivi-l
ty, taking the daughter with her. She
was ovcrtallcm by the Indians, the
child was taken from her and ono
of her captors escorted her to her
relatives near Philadelphia. This
child, reared by the Scnccns and not
knowing her parcntagc. was eventu-
ally married to an Indian chief and
from her descended the Parker fam
ily> who in each of The succeeding
generations have been distinguished
among their people.
The great grandfather Of Miss Par
ker. William Parker. Il volunteer in
ihc American army during the war
of ISL. ""s e.r,,"~. Wounded AZ
the ha'tr of lEipi,~~a. Her Es..nnd-
father Nicholson Parker. was grad
nac of Il college al Albany. Her
%rcaI-nnrir, Cen. Ely S. Parker. the
foremost Indian of hrs generation,
Nns tho military secretary OF Gen.
Grant durin" tie civil war.
The father of Miss Parker is now in
he freight auditors department Of
he New f"rl Central railroad. Her
n'otlcr is white woman of Scotch
descent. Her her. Arthur Par
hrr. hay ING h,cn nsSnriHIrd with the
| New York rrmira' for II time, is now
IN the Dickinson seminary. Mt Will
Transport. Pa. preparing for col
'""r course before rntrrin" the church
us Il CLERGYMAN of the Methodist
faith. lIcr patrrnnl uncle. Sherman
Parker was admitted to Hamilton
college when Is wears of age.
Miss Parker WAS graduated from a
commercial college. She is 10 wears
| old.