The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-05
CEN. HARDY HERE
Veteran Kaw Indian Makes
Visit to Topeka.
lie Was in the Flood of
1914.
WATER WAS HIGHER.
Talks of the Effects With
Caution.
Rained Forty DAYS Continuous
~ at That Time.

There is in Topeka today a man who
made this his home a generation before
Colonel C. x Holiday and his associ-
ates laid OUT Kansas avenue nearly
half century ago. He is General w. z.
Hardy of the Kaw tribe of Indians,
and he is here today from his home on
the Kaw reservation in the Territory TO
see Congressman Curtis. He is secre-
tary of the Kaw national council and
one of the chief men of the tribe.
If you should meet General Hardy on
the street you would probably take him
to be an elderly business man of per-
haps 90 years of age, full of vigor and
life. AS matter of fact he will be SO
on his next birthday and as long ago as
1897 he traded" from st. Louis up to
the headwaters of the Missouri river. He
wears a standuD collar and cuffs and
there is even nothing in his speech to
betray the fact that he is an Indian.
You see. 1 have come to a realization
of the fact that : must be civilized or
move on" he said today so 1 have
discarded the blanket and wear the
clothing of civilization. 1t may be a
little late in life to face this PROPOSE
ton but we have come to it If we had
AE1AlHCQ II years dSO anu Kept Jul ldAlOS
we would be far peter oft today then
we would be far better off today than
we are, although the kaw tribe is pIet-
ty weil-to-do. Our reservation used to
be up in Morris county. We moved from
there to the Territory IN 1873 leaving on
May L."
General Hardy was here at the time
of the great flood of 1874. but he viii
not talk about it for publication be-
cause, he says, il might discourage the
la mil wi 40 arc H.
ing their homes. He knows how it goes,
for he was one of tie original North
Topeka flood sufferers of 1874.
Yes. 1 was here, he said when ask
ed about it. i was with the Papans
over on Mile No. Three. where North
Topeka now is. When the water came
up we got on flat boat and came over
on the south side to the hills where
Sotuh Topeka now stands. I think this
land was owned by the Shawnees at
that time.
WAS the water as high then as it
was this year?" he was asked.
Yes. I think it was higher the gen
eral replied, but I don't like to recall
it for it might discourage those people
who are over there putting on fresh
paint and trying to fix UP their homes.
a flood like that is terrible thing, but
of course there were few people here
at the time of the flood of 1914, 1t rain
ed forty days steady then.
What do you mean by Mile No
by the treaty ofo4s25 the govern
ment allotted twenty-three half-breed
Kaws a whole sectiori of square miles
each along the north bank of the kaW.
These were called Mile No. One, Mile
No. Two and so on. Mile No Three
was allotted to Julia GOnVille. who be-
came d Papan and was the grand
mother Of Congressman Curtis.
BY the way. we think that Charles
Curtis is all right. 1t is to him and to
o. e. Mitchell the United States agent
for the Kaw tribe, that we owe our
good treatment.
I'VE have a reservation of over one
hr1dred Thousand acres. Each of the
pa members of the Kaw tribe. accord
ing to the rolls of December 1. 1901.
have been given a deed to a homestead
Of 1860 acres, and in addition the sur
plus will be divided among the mem
bers of the tribe Each will receive
about 24O acres of the surplus. making
a total of about 400 acres for each
member of the tribe, and it is fine land,
too. Then the principal of the money
belonging to the Kaw tribe in the
United States treasury is to be pro-
rated to each member of the tribe in
ten annual payments
General Hardy is a good conversa-
tionalst. He has been to Washington
and is better posted than q good many
office holders in Kansas. He says he
is regaining bis eyesieht. which has
beer somewhat impaired, and he is
thinking of preparing something in the
way of memoirs.