The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1902-01-31
STORY OF MOTHER BIGkERDYKE.
Her Part During a Kansas Indian
Raid in 1868.
BY Her ResourcefuIness Twelve Men Who
had Caused an Uprising OF the Indians
Were Detained Until the Arrival
Of the Sheriff With Warrants.

union veterans Of the civil war, but no
incident better illustrates the resource
fitness Of her character than story of
a Kansas Indian raid as told by Mrs.
Julia A. Chase, of Hiawatha, in a sketch
Of Mother Bickerdyke, read before the
annual meeting of the State Historical
society at Topeka recently.
Mother Bickerdyke interested herself
after the war in getting the thousands
Of soldiers, just out of the army, located.
She induced many Of them to come to
Kansas and settle and did a great deal
towards making Kansas al "old soldier
state" She herself came With them and
settled at Salina, where she built hotel
which was known for years as the
''Bickerdyke House." 1t is still doing
service and is we'll patronized, though it
has been known for several years as the
MOnteur hotel At one time Generals
Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and Meade
sat together at her table 10 SaIina. Gen.
Sheridan was a frequent visitor there
when he was stationed on military duty
IN Kansas.
In her sketch Of Mother Bickerdyke,
Mrs. Chase relates the following:
The Cheyeunes and ArapahOes and
other hostile tribes Of Indians made liv--
ing on the frontier hazardous thing for
several years after the war Of the rebel
lion. They resented being crowded from
their hunting grounds; they were mad
dened by dishonest dealings of the
whites and by the fire water" which
civilization furnished, and, breaking
away from their reservations, they would
sweep over the country for hundreds of
miles carrying death and destruction.
One Of these dreadful raids occurred in
1868, while Mrs. Bickerdyke was keeping
her hotel in Salina. She says of this:
"Five barrels of whisky and a dozen
white skalawsgs caused it.
"These men had passed through Sa-
lima en- route to the Indian reservations
to secure furs. They had stopped over
night at her house, sad, on leaving, had
placed some valuables in her care to be
called for IN their return. One Sunday
afternoon while they were gone, Col.
rode out Of town about three miles to
the top Of a peculiar mound called
Soldier Cap The view from Soldier
Cap is extensive and fine. As they stood
enjoying the scene they saw an Indian
horseman gslloping toward them from
the west. The reins were loose on the
neck OF the horse and the man was wav-
ing both hands above his head.
"Col. Phillips, who had been in com
mand of Indian troops during the civil
war, understood the sign and said:
It's Cheyenne. He brings bad
news. There's mischief abroad
He signalled the rider to him and-in
the strange but expressive pantomine of
the red man the Indian told his story.
Pale face. Twelve. Heap bad. Heap
fire water. Get Indian drunk Get In
dians' skins. Indian burn. Indian killI
bad news, indeed! And no time
must now be lost. They hurried back
to town and gave the alarm, and while
Col. Phillips hurried westward to meet
and, if possible, turn back the furious
savages, others telegraphed to Gov.
Crawford, who left Topeka at once by
special train for Salina, where, within an
hour after his arrival, he raised and
headed company Of volunteers to go to
the scene Of the trouble.
sWhen the train, on which the IN
scrupulous pale faces reached Salina
from the west, Mrs. Bickerdyke was pre-
pared to meet them and also detain
them. The men called for their watches
which had been placed in the hotel safe.
Mrs. Bickerdyke was urbanity persona
fed She inquired about their trip; how
far out they went; the crop prospects
and hundred other things Of apparent
IL vital importance to her, but exasper-
atiDg to the hurried travellers, as ali her
sociability delayed her in her search for
the key to the safe. At last when the
key was found it wouldn't unlock the
safe.
Somebody's been meddling,' she
said. 1t beats all how body is both
cred when in hurry
THE men lost their patience and swore
at her for stupid, but she assured them
that there was time enough-the train
wouldn't go for an hour Before the
hour was up the safe was unlocked-the
lock aud key were really in perfect order
and the watches were delivered, but
just then the sheriff happened ~ in
with United States warrants for the ar
rest OF the angry men.
''The Indians dashed up to within 50
short a distance Of the town that they
we're fred upon from the third story
window OF the Biekerdyke hotel A