Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-07-22

years he labored ith the committees Of
the two houses Of lcongress having to do
with Indian mattets that his tribe might
receive their Just dues. And for years
the committees on Indian affairs turned
the old man down. Finally the late Sena-
tor from Pennsylvania, Matthew S, Quay,
who was a student of the Indian character,
became interested in Johns matters as
they related to the Seneca tribe, one of
the great tribes which constituted the six
nations. and having taken a position on
the senate committee on Indian AFFAIRS, so
that exact justice might be done between
the Indian and the government" as sena-
tor Quay said, Andrew Johns bill against
the government for the taking Of lands and
the interest on moneys deposited to the
credit of the Seneca nation began to take
form. When President Mckinley was in
the White House he became a patron OF
the ex-chief of the Senecas and gave him
letter that brought 70 standing stone
many friends. President Roosevelt, know
ing much OF the complaints of the senecas
and believing that their demands upon the
government were right, helped wherever
he could in the claims brought by the
Seneca tribe against the United States
treasury and the pathos of 1t all Is that
Andrew John, who assisted most materially
in the collection OF the Senecas' bill against
the government amounting to S2OOoOOO ana
more died just week after the govern
ment had issued treasury warrant to pay
for the same.
Andrew Johns side Line.
Andrew John was great mixer, as
we understand It, particularly among 'he
Indians. who come TO Washington from
time to time either on business for the
Indian office or to see the Great tether
| These Indians live at a quaint old hotel
near John Marshall Place, known as Bev-
eridge's and here Andrew John lived NO
matter ~ the Indians were Sioux. Conan
ches Apaches, Kiowas or Kickapoos, Jonn
was friendly and he showed them the
sights of Washington. He would give them
a ride on the "rubber-neck" wagon, or
20 with them in their walk through the
crowded streets and then at the end ne
| would land them in the bureau OF ethnology'
! of which DR.. w. H. Holmes is chief, and
take them to the photograph gallery pre-
sided over by Mr. Delaney GILL; scientist
| Of note. who would make a picture OF the
red men garbed appropriately with their
war bonnets and their gaudy apparel, and
/ then. II the Indians were willing, john
/ would take them over to the Smithsonian
]
! a full blood Indians picture John received
| 81, and II the Indian was willing to sit
for his mask he would receive IS. While
| all the Indians who came to Washington
were willing to sic for their picture, many
! Of them objected to having the plastic put
! upon their faces. The securing of Indians
for their pictures became Johns side line
and II business was low he would run in
half-bloods and quarter-bloods, and even
| go so far as to ask Mr.. Gill to make pic
! lures of Indians he had made before. And
| this proved Johns undoing. One day
Andrew John presented a group of five
Kiowas to Mr.. gill and the latter, having
made thousands OF Indians pictures, recog-
nized in the group one or two whom he
believed he had photographed before. Going
to his cabinet of negatives he took out two
that greatly resembled two of the Kiowas
in the room, and he asked them II they
had not had their pictp,'s taken and they
I said yes, and then he showed them the
negatives and both agreed that their
pictures were in the bureau. John was cut
out of considerable money by overplayine
his hand, but generally he was looked upon
as good Indian and a good citizen.