The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1905-04-04
FROM THOMAS
JEFFERSON
Silver Medal of Great Historic
Value.

Mrs. N. B. Breedloye, of this city,
has In her possession a silver medal Of
peculiar family interest, and of real
historic value. Its history goes back
tn 1901 when Thomas Jefferson was
president of the United States, at
which time it passed officially from
Mr.. Jefferson, as president, into the
hands of one John ID. Chisholm, who
was one of the delegate Cherokees Of
the Eastern nation, who made a
treaty with the United States govern
ment while Mr.. jefferson was presi-
dent, concerning certain matters af-
fecting the tribal government.
Mr.. Jefferson, it seems, in recogni-
tion Of his services, and fitting tes-
timonial of his high regard for the
Cherokee people and their honored
representative, had the medal made,
and presented the same to Mr.. CHS
holm.
Mr.. Chisholm retained it with par
ticular fondness because of its history
as an official and family relic Of the
greatest value until his death, when
it fell into the hands of his son,
Thomas Chisholm, who was the faith
er of Mrs. Narclssa Chisholm Owens
who resides in the Indian Territory
near Caney, Kansas, and who is the
mother of Robert L. Owen, the well
known attorney of Muskogee. Mrs.
Owen is also a half-sister to Mrs
Breedloye above named. The medal
was retained by Mr.. Chisholm until
his death, when his widow, Mrs.
Breedlove'S mother, obtained it and
turned it over to her son, who after
wards moved TO Fort Gibson, and
died there about the year 1860.
Sometime before his death the
medal was stolen from him, and not
heard of any more for about half a
century, when in verification of the
saying that Truth is stranger than
felton," it was unexpectedly found
by one M. E. Francher, in connection
with various Indian curios and war
implements, while searching a cave
near Mountain Park, Oklahoma. Mr..
Francher found it and on account of
its inscriptions and character deemed
it of important value and concluded
to advertise for the owner.
Mrs. Owen, above named. saw the
advertisement in newspaper, and
calling to mind the lost treasure,
wrote to Mr.. Francher, which resulted
in its complete Identification, and at
her request the medal was sent di-
rectly to Mrs. Breedloye, who received
it only a few days ago.
Mrs. Breedlove; when a child, played
with it in her fathers home, as q Toy
about the house, but has no recollec-
tion Of its description, except the
clasped hands on one face of the
medal, which impressed her so vIvidly
that time has never effaced it from
her memory, and to her it is now a
very precious memento of the past
and the present, going back as it does
in the family line for more than a
century, when her honored ancestor
obtained it in such an honorable way,
from such a distinguished president
as Thomas Jefferson.
DESCRIPTION OF MEDAL
The medal is of solid silver, circular
in form, about four inches across the
face, and contains a projecting rim
around the edges. On one face are
inscribed these words: "PEACE AND
FRIENDSHIP. /" "Peace" at the top,
Friendship" at the bottom. Immed-
lately below the word, "Peace" and
between it and the word "And" are
to be seen the metal imprint of an axe,
with a'pipe diagonally across and on
top of it, indicating that the hatchet
and tomahawk were laid aside for the
axe, and the peaceable pursuits Of
civil life.
Across the center are the clasped
hands, representing the hands Of the
Cherokee chief and President Jefferson
now bound together in the lasting
bonds Of friendship.
On the other side is the metal