Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-13
LETTERSABOUTIOWA
Old Document Relating to States
Infancy.
SENT TO CURATOR FROM, WASHINGTON
Were Written BY the First Territorial
Governors-one Complains That
Burlington is Long Distance From
Seat of Government.

Seat of Government.
Des Moines, June 10.-The state his
torical department has just received
from the commissioner of Indian af-
fairs number of the original letters
written by Robert Lucas, territorial
governor of Iowa from 1888 to 1871,
and by John Chambers, territorial gov
ernor of Iowa from 1S41 to 1915. These
letters were written to the secretary
of war and the commissioner of Indian
affairs by the governors, acting as sup
Ferintendents. of Indian affairs for the
territory. None of the letters have
ever before made public, and they are
considered by Curator Aldrich of the
state historical department as one of
the most important acquisitions he has
ever made, both for their historical
and autographs value.
The letters by Governor Chambers
We're wrltLen by his own hand Those
by Governor Lucas were written by
clerk and signed by the governor. Mr..
Aldrich regards the letters as highly
interesting, because they throw much
light upon the early dealings with the
Indians by the territorial authorities
and will clear up some doubtful points
in history.
Lucas Noted Soldier.
Robert Lucas, the first territorial
governor of Iowa, was distinguished
man before he came to the new terri
tory west of the Mississippi. He at
tanned the rank of brigadier general in
the war of 1872 and was member of
the Ohio legislature in 1914 and COVER
nor OF Ohio from 1882 to 1886. He pre-
sided over the democratic national con-
: Ventlon that nominated Andrew Jack
son for second term in 1882. He was
born in Virginia in 1871 and died in
; Iowa City in 1853.
John Chambers the second governor
OF the territory of Iowa, is best known
orthe Influence he acquired among the
Indians. He came from Kentucky
Where he had served in the legislature
and was several times a member of
congress. He served in the war of 1912
under General Harrison. He was born
in New York in 1873, and died in Ken
tucky in 1852
In letter from Burlington, then
capital OF the territory, June IS, 1899,
Governor Lucas Acknowledges the re,
ceipt of ten scales of vaccine matter
for the benefit of Indians in this super
lntendency." He speaks of the fact
) that his was the most remote super
/ lntendency in the United States from
the City of Washington or the longest
; IN receiving intelligence from the head
OF the department" and complains of
the tardy and irregular mails which
. sometimes required three sad foul
:, weeks from Washington City.
t Complains of Traders.
y y Governor Chambers, in outlining his
= policy to the commissioner of Indiar
:, affairs, in letter dated August 2,1S4l
complains of the bad influence of the
; traders with the Indians who interior
!, ed with the treaty arrangements will
. the Sacs and Foxes. Governor Cham
9 bers announces his intention to sum
q marily remove them from the terri
a tory pending the treaty.
a Concerning the education of the In
= dams, Governor Chambers had some
9 very pronounced ideas. He wrote a.
. follows:
In my letter to Mr.. Bruce ian Indian
AGENT | gave him in substance this view o
), the subject of educating Indians: That ey
cry effort to educate Indians who remain
In migratory or hunter state or who ar
dependent for subsistence upon occasional
supplles from the government Is none,
J. wasted and labor lost: that have not We
n all my Inquiries been able to find Al
a instance OF permanent good, either to ind
y Niduals or tribes, from any degree of edu
6 cation conferred upon them while in tn
state described.
The Cherokees and other southern Ind
ans, who have given some attention to edu
eating their children, did not commence t
do so until many of them had acquire
some ideas of individual rights and tn
n yalne of the individual property in land
y and had made considerable progress in az
e riculture. This view of the subject lead
D. me to the conclusion that until these pee
pie. are permanently located and such nea
and comfortable residences erected fo
them as VIII soon come to be preferred t
the miserable camps in which they usual II
reside, nothing beneficial can be done 70
them in the way of education. This efrec
n ed, hold out inducements to them to cut
i waite the soil. Offer prizes, such, for Ii
stance, as handsome guns. with all thei
equipments, fine clothes, blankets, etc.
n the Indian who shall produce by male abo
~ the best crop of corn, raise the most hog
=. or cattle. reducing the scale of prizes bl
d giving something to each male Indian VIII
, them the comforts OF house and the va
y Tie of the products of the soil as means
st subsistence, then, and not till then, wi
IS education become valuable to them.
a Prevented Much BIoodshed.
20 Governor Chambers seems to hav
n been occupied much of the time
n trying to prevent the various India
q tribes from destroying each other. Hi
o. letters are filled with accounts of e