Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-09-20
DAILY. STORY
A PEACEMAkER.
[Originai.l

anu uluue PROMISES W tut iHditih'' 90
gued with the whites and made repre-
sensations to the great father at WASH
ington. Since the Indians were not
the aggressors the whites would not
desist, and, the great father at Wash
ington being too busy to pay attention
to the agents communications, the
trouble went on.
Slowly the Indians began to prepare
for revenge and resistance. They did
not do so openly, but Burnham could
see that, to use nautical expression,
they were clearing the decks for ac-
ton" Then one night settlers shack
was burned and the settler and his
family murdered. The Indians were
called upon to produce the culprits,
but avowed that they did not know
them. A few days later another set
tier was murdered, then another and
I another. Burnham reported the mat
ter to Washington, with the result that
q small number of troopS-all that
could be spared from the then meager
United States army-were sent to ''pac-
| ify" the Indians.
All this happened when an Indian
war was serious matter. The troops
sent to conquer the redskins We're a
| mere drop in the bucket of what were
required. Burnham knew that if the
war opened in earnest the government
| would have to send dozen times
their number, and even then, owing to
| the nature of the country, it would be
Il long while before the Indians were
reduced to obedience. He wrote out
| an agreement on the part of the gov
had been inflicted, which he designed
to submit to the chiefs, but he had SO
| long put them off with promises he
| was not permitted to fulfill that he
had no hope of persuading them to
accept the proffered terms.
The railroad was then being laid
| across the continent and ran some
| fifty miles north of the scene of these
troubles. Burnham had occasion to
go to the terminal for supplies, one of
those wild west places where there are
gambling and dancing and all manner
of shows. He stopped before one of
these shows and viewed the perform
ers, among whom were a ventriloQulst
and q coniurer. AS he looked plan
occurred to him of keeping the peace
with the Indians. He made the ven
| triloquist and the conjurer n liberal
proposition to go back with him, and
| they accepted.
AS soon as he had returned he an
= 60 hat hn ho1
proposition from the great father at
| Washington to make to them and in
vfted them to conference. At the
appointed hour they appeared at the
place designated. an open space in
closed by timber, and in order to be
prepared for treachery brought an
ample number of warriors. When they
were all seated cross legged Burnham
announced that the great father had
sent two of his sons to give them evil
dence of his power and introduced the
cOnjurer.
| Then followed wonders such as the
simple Indians had never conceived of.
The conjurer took Burnham's watch,
rammed it into the mouth of Il b)under-
buss and fired it at a target. where
it hung in perfect order suspended by
Ia hook. Then he bred rabbits so fast
that they tumbled over one another
trying to get out of the basket where
they were born. These marvels were
continued for some time, when the per-
former took a hat, set it on box be-
/ fore him and proceeded to extract
from it munitions of war ad libitum.
Pistols, cartridges, cannon balls fol-
lowed one another in endless profusion.
BY this time the Indians were duly
impressed with the great fathers mar
velous powers, and Burnham concluded
to give them a talk-wonder that would
include some good advice. The ven
triloquist stepped forth and sat on a
camp stool, holding on his knee an
image that he introduced as the great
fathers grandson. The process was
necessarily slow, since the performer
was obliged to speak through an in
terpreter, but there was not much to
interpret, and that was to the point.
"What has the great father to say to
the chiefs?" asked the ventriloquist of
!, the image.
"To have confidence in the promises
! of his servant, the agent. The great
father will see that his promises are
, carried ont
"And what will the great father do
If his red children put on the war
paint?"
"He will send his son to make pow
|: der and ball for the soldiers
, HAS the great father any other mes
: sage for his red Children"
mo. The great father does not talk;
he acts"
This ended the show and the con-
ference as well. The Indians had
been struck dumb by the marvellous
! powers for making destructives dis
played by the great fathers son, and
the words of his grandson had deeply
impressed them. They signed new
treaty then and there. They asked to
t be shown more wonders done by the
! great fathers offspring, but Burnham
fearing familiarity would breed con.