The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-04-28
"HONEST lNJUN."
Now the Chickasavs We're Taught
the Meaning of the Expression.

Row the Chickasaws We're Taught
the Meaning of the Expression.
Among the earliest corners to the
Eatchee country, in western Tennes-
see. was a Mr. Barnes, a blacksmith,
who became friend OF the Chickasaw
indians and often mended their guns
without charge Barnes was a poor
man, but obtaining on credit donkey
named Moses, which was valued at
considerable sum, he imported the ami
NAL and stabbed it at the smithy, says
Ehe Youths Companion. 1t was the
irst in that region. One morning he
sound the door open and Moses gone.
He followed a trail to the bank of the
river and lost it. The stream was in
Rood. ana he believed his valuable ami
nal was drowned. Unless he found
some way to raise the money to pay
for it he was a ruined man.
Two months later a trading scow
aRme down the Hatchee from Bolivar,
and on the roof, spread out in the sun.
was the hide of Moses, unmistakable
Il its soft and handsome grays. Barnes
related his story to the trader and re-
seiyed the skin, which had been
Bought at Bolivar from trader there.
As no white man would have shot a
donkey Barnes concluded that the In
dams, who had never seen one, but
who were then hunting on the Hat
chez, were the offenders.
To trap them he tried a little strata
gem. He organized a shooting contest
and offered as prize ''the handsomest
SKIN ever taken on the Hatchee, the
2elt of a beautiful animal"
a Chickasaw brave was the winner
Of the contest and claimed the prize.
Barnes brought forward the skin of
Noses and spread it on the ground.
''There is your prize" he said.
"Me shoot UNI! Me shoot umr' cried
the winner, running to the skin and
pointing to a bullet hole Then he told
how he had been wandering down the
river bank and had seen this strange
wild animal, like nothing he had ever
seen before, breaking through the
cane He had shot it and sold the
tide at Bolivar. He was delighted to
get it back.
This was what Barnes had hoped
gDr Standing, he addressed the Chick
aSaWS.
MY brothers," he said, you know
me. / am a poor man, but | am a
friend to the Chickasaw. l mend his
gun for him and deal fairly by him.
This animal was my white mans pony
bought it far away and brought it
Acre. 1t cost me much wampum, the
price of many Indian ponies. To lose
l. will lose me AN 1t escaped me and
vent to the woods, and there a Chick
ssaw killed it,
when [ am in Chickasaw country, l
abey ChickaSaw law When Chicka-
8aW is in white mans country, he
should obey white mans law. White
mans law is that whoever kills my
Hony must pay me for it. What will
s1hickasaw do?
The Indians had listened attentively.
When he had finished, they went to
their ponies, tethered near by. The
whites watched them meanwhile with
Intense interest. The Indians unteth-
sred their ponies and brought them up.
'"Ts ke um,' they said. Indian have
snly ponies Give um ALL
How many?' asked Barnes.
"You say how many"
Barnes appointed an appraiser, who
selected number of ponies equal in
value to the donkey. These the black
smith sold to his neighbors
The Indians gave UP their hunt and
went back to their villages, poorer, but
satisfied. They had maintained, for
their tribe at least, some claim to the
title, Honest Injun."