The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-03-09
DIES LIKE A SACHEM.
Falling Day. Head of the Snipe Clan
of the Senecas, Kept the Faith
of His Fathers.

Chancev Abrams. sachem OF the
Snipe elan of the Seneca Indians, died
on Monday on the Tonawanda Reser-
walton and was buried yesterday with
the rites Of the tribe, says the New
York Sun. Nis-Nya-Net, Falling Day.
was his Indian name, AMI as Failing
Day he should be known IN death, fo1
he died a pagan. A man OF educa-
ton, we'll read, living and dressing
after the manner Of the whites, he
clung. as is right for sachem, to the
cod of his fathers. Most Of the Sen
ecas have listened to the missionaries
Of one tribe or another, but never
Failing Day. who died Of a broken
heart
Last month his wife died, and Fall
ing Day wept himself into the grave.
He retired to his own house and
mourned, and presently he took to his
bed. It was fortnight ago when
that white man known to the Indians
as Gvantwaka-: 1.-THE Planter' a full
member of the tribe, went up to the
reservation. on a visit. He heard that
Falling Day was sick and went to
visit him. The other Pagan Indians
Of the tribe were squatted about the
room, watching, and on chair near
the bed were Falling Days leggings,
his bead belt, his war club, his head
dress, with the eagle feather at its
crest, all the paraphernalia Of Snipe
sachem. To the eyes Of Seneca this
showed two things. First, the old
chief expected death, and second, he
was going to die in the faith. For
when a chief of the Seneeas dies he
faces it in war regalia and on his
feet.
It was Monday morning when the
white physician who had attended
him instead of medicine man told
the watchers that the end had come.
His two oldest friends were waiting.
They clasped on his legs the leggings
of old time government broadcloth
which had been his fathers; they
slipped his moccasins on his feet, his
war-bonnet on his head: about his
waist they slipped the belt with beads
woven in the woof, and to it they
hung his war club. So they put his
arms over their shoulders and lifted
him to his feet. A weary while they
waited, for he was long time dying;
but at last he drew long breath and
his head fell on his breast. He had
faced death like a chieftain
For a sachem, his life was peace
able one He was just farmer, a
power among his people, and a good
Indian. The traders said that he was
honest and straight, and the mission
people admitted it reluctantly, for he
rejected Christianity. He was a
grandson Of Chief Blacksmith, who
saw Washington on behalf Of the Sen
ecas and to whom Washington prom
ised a perpetual reservation for the
Senecas-a promise which stands out
among promises to the Indians in that !
it was kept. Falling Day, as u boy,
used to sit on the knee Of Blacksmith
and hear the tale Of the visit to Wash,
ineton. He has often repeated it toi
Planter as his grandfather, an Indian
Of the old school, told it in his grand
eloquent Indian speech
'He was a tall man and strong,
with the look Of chief. He stood be-
fore us. His heart was good and his
words were straight. And he said:
" 'You and your people shall have
these lands Of the white man forever.
None shall take them from you unless
he conquers the white man. As long
as the waters run and the beavers
build, as long as the leaves fall and
the eagle flies, as long as the grass
grows and the rabbit runs, so long
shall these lands belong to the Sene-
cas- -
When he was young Failing Day
went to mission school and was ed
ucated. He resisted conversion, but
the learning he kept, and he was fond
of reading, especially history. He
could write an intelligent and inter
esting letter, and though he had an
Indians reserve, he talked delight
fully when the shell was broken. In
later years he became sachem of the
Snipe clan by election of the women,
for woman suffrage prevails among
IL