The Washington herald., 1907-03-17
Indians Who Have Made Good
Alec Kennedy Diaz Porter, and Others as Examples

highly interesting. though it could hardly
be Transcribed. He holds uncompllmen-
tary views of every part of the world he
has visited except the Canadian North
west.
Notwithstanding all this, Alec was n
great success; as skiIfuI and effective on
the waters Of the Nile as on the waters
Of the Northwestern rivers. He was per-
sonally attached TO the command of q
young officer named Kitchener. who, later,
after Roberts had had his day. was to
succeed Wolseley as commander-in-chief
Of the British army, and is now in charge
Of the army in India, where. in a COLI
test with Lord Curzon, he got the better
of one who never before had been bested
by any one.
Wolseley's KhaTtoum campaign failed
Of its purpose TO rescue Chinese Gordon.
who was killed by the Mahdi before Vol
seley could reach Khartoum. but Wolss-
ley won great glory from the campaign,
nevertheless. When il was all over Ken
nedy went back to the Northwest, only
to find that Riel had got up another re-
beilion meanwhile. which resulted in
Rel's final defeat and execution
Alec Kennedy has been somewhat Of a
privileged character in the Northwest
ever since his return from Egypt. He is
not at all proud, however, and he does
his work as guide. interpreter. cook, and
general factotum. when out with an eX-
petition of Canadian officials among the
Indians, as well and faithfully as ever.
Like all Of his type. he seems 10 be proof
against hunger cold. and weariness, and
be Is a master OF woOdcraft as well as
water craft
He knows how 10 select a spot for n
nights camp. and he knows how 10 get Il
camp ready in an incredibly short time
better than almost any one IN all the
Northwest. except his cousin Alec Doug
las The latter who guided Mark d.
Wilber, of New York, on his Northwest
eTn journeys in 1902. is quite the equal Of
Kennedy in wood and water craft. but
never having been in Africa, is not 50
famous in Athabasca and other far
Northwestern places
Worlds AbIest Indian.
Dlaz. ruler of Mexico for thirty-two
years. is concededly the ablcst Indian
who has ever borne the white mans bur
denim fact, he has been termed the
ablest ruler now alive and this estimate
has a basis in the evolution OF Mexico
since his hands took the reins of power.
He Is not fuIl-bIooded Indian, of
course. but he is as proud OF his aboriginal
rs OF his Spanish blood, and attributes
his success in great measure to the fact
that he is racially allied TO the great
mass Of his Mexican people as we'll as to
those Of wholly white antecedents. This
story has been told apropos Of the value
he puts upon the Indian strain in his
veins.
Four OF five years ago he had right
lively dispute with one Of his local COM
mIssioners. an old Indian who had been
at the head of small tribe for many
years. Diaz reproved the patriarch Tor
his looseness in administering certain
regulations.
The Indian told the President that the
regulations were unWise; they ciashed
with deep-seated Indian prejudices, and
his people could not be made to tolerate
them The Presidents eyes flashed, and
his brow became knOtted in a frown
DO you forget" he asked, stormily
that T. too. am an indiana Do you
think that do not know how TO manage
Indians as well as you?"
You do not know my tribe, at all
events" calmly answered the old Indian
''as well as 7 do. Do you forget that I
was ruling my tribe when you were a boy
when You were baby-even before you
were boru2 And that / have lived with
them all my life? How can you know
Indians-my Indians-as we'll as r.
These questions demanded COnsidera-
ton. The Presidents face took on a
puzzled look which quickly cleared He
reached out his hand and placed it on the
others shoulder.
do with your people as you will" he
said. You have known them much
longer than 7. and I shall not interfere
again. I wish some other people We're
as frank in speaking with me as you
have been"
.'The Indian Senator"
The most talked of Indian" for some
time in this country is Charles Curtis,
who was chosen for United States Sen
ator from Kansas last January to sue
ceed Burton.
Curtis was then variously described as
a full-blooded Kaw Indian. half-breed
and n quarter blood It also was declared
that he was the only an with aboriginal
blood in his veins who had ever won a
place in the upper House Of Congress.
This last statement was a great mistake
Matthew Stanley Quay. of Pennsylvania
had more than a trace of Indian blood
in his veins and was as proud of it as
Curtis undeniably is.
Curtis is little man with black hair
and swarthy complexion He is forty
seven. His maternal grandmother was
a pure blooded Indian. daughter Of Lew
is Gonville. n Kaw chief in the days
before his tribe had left Canada for the
United States. Chief Gonville's daugh-
ter married n French Canadian. and her
daughter Julian Papan. married c. P.
Curtis. d captain i'm the Fifteenth Kansas
Volunteers, VINO served in the civil war
Capt Curtis was Of Puritanical New
England stock The present Senator's
mother died when he was baby: his
father. WHO lost his health i'm the civil
war; did not survive lnOg, and died poor.
His part-bred Indian grandmother was
still alive, however, and she knew how
badly he wanted to study. lie was Iiv-
ing with her at the time and selling news
papers for a living. One day she said
abruptly:
Charlie. do you really want an educa-
ton bad enough to work for it,"
well. yes. grandmother" said the boy
u think 7 do.
Well then" she said. "I'H help you
with part OF the government money that
is coming to me-" and she did
Curtis had to work for most of the
training he got. however. and the story
of his days as a jockey. as a hack driver.
and law student have lately been told
in every newspaper in the land. This
story Of the way he began his law studies
seems 10 have been overlooked. He Sc
selected Judge a. II. Case. of Topeka,
his home town, as legal preceptor. and
went into his office one summer day.
We'll, Charles. said the judge. you
seem TO be fin a good deal OF a hurry for
such a hot day What's up2''
The boy told the judge of his legal as