Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1904-12-30
INTRODUCTION

beautiful lake. kah~ gay ash koOn- 81
Tag, eight miles long and four miles
broad, was. an Indians, village Of
birch bark wigwams and canoes, sur
rounded by sugar maple groves. lakes
filled with fish and wild rice. In the
woods were blueberries birds, moose,
bear, elk, deer and fur animals In
abundance
In 1868 the United States treaty re-
moved the Chippewas one hundred
miles west to White Earth and gave
them farms. About 1858 there came
from Canada a young man interpreter
accompanying travelling preacher.
This was Enmegahbowh who had been
taught to read and write and inter-
pref. In the group Of listeners was
modest maiden, the granddaughter
Of the Chief. After the meeting he
asked if he might speak to her and
her friends.
In due time he became her husband
and Gull Lake his home. So the
charming maiden gained for her
people an instructor and counsellor
who for sixty years stood before them,
as his name implies, and led them on
to Christian knowledge faith and life.
He died at White Earth, June 18th,
1909 and Mrs. Whipple has recently
erected, in the church-yard of St.
Columbia. a monument of granite to
his memory.
In January, at the age of SO, he
wrote his last historic message at the
request of Hon. Nathan Richardson,
mayor Of Little Falls, by whose cour
tesy we publish it for the free bed at
St. Barnabas Hospital. It is a state
ment of his own personal experience
at critical times, without reference
to his helpers, the Bishops, Clergy
and Christian people whose prayers
and aims sustained his work. The
manuscript is printed verbatim
PREFACE.
Major D. B. Hartman. in his final
report from the Chippewa Agency,
Sept. 10, 1867, says: Il believe the
missionaries within this Agency to be
doing all they can for the benefit of
the Indians according to their system.
| They must be generally awarded the
credit Of sincerity in desiring the
good of the Indians
No lese than five whiskey shops are
only FIVE miles from this Agency.
have frequently caused persons to be
arrested for. violating these laws, but
| never yet been able to procure convic-
tion in single instance. notwlth-
standing positive proof, juries always
disagreed.
The troops at Fort Ripley having
been removed, the wiskey seller has
| mad nothing to fear from that quarter.
In July, 1857, three young Indians,
named Charles Gigabish, James, and
20 Shamboo, tie latter being mixed
blood, went to Grow Wing, twelve
miles from their home, and as usual
obrained fire. water. Coming back near
sunset in the pine forest by Round
lake, they were seen by an Indian
| woman, who watched behind the
trees. to attack and rob white man
dragging him to the lake, as she
thought, to drown him. She informed
Enmeaghbowh Of the occurrence, and
wrote an account of 1t, a porto of
which has been preserved and is given
! below.
The removal Of troops, and the
/ abandonment Of Fit. Ripley caused the
lawless whites and drinking Indians
to think and to say: There is no
one now to arrest us whatever We
! d." Like city without police the
boldest criminals ruled. Turbulence of
every kind was invited by this condi-
tion. The mission of DR.. Beck amcng
the Pillagers at Leech Lake had been
abandoned in June, and the mission
aries at Gull Lake were soon in peril.
The Rev. E. Steele Psake remained
there, hoping to save the church and
| the school for Indian children, tut the
murder of Fritz, the German tramp
and the consequent action Of the mob
near Little Falls, taking the three In
dian. prisoners from the sheriff and
hanging them IN chains to the trees,
brought the final crises which could
only be averted by reoccupying the
Fort with Q. S. troops at once.
Chapter I.
Indian Disturbances of 1857.
The following IL Enmegahbowh's
account Of the affair: FL.
An Indian woman told me that she
saw the three Indian boys attack and
abuse Fritz, and after knocking him
down, they were dragging him to the