Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-06-10
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(Original.]
Old Peter Burnham was in his time
one of the shrewdest Of Indian agents.
For many years he labored with
and made promises to the Indians, ar
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 ray 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 a nautical expression,
they were clearing the decks for &C.
t1on." 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
another. Burnham reported the mat
ter to Washington, with the result that
a small number Of troops-all that
could be spared from the then meager
United States army-were sent to "pac-
fly" the Indians.
All this happened when an Indian
war was serious matter. The troops
sent to conquer the redskins were q
mere drop in the bucket of what were
required. Burnham knew that II the
war opened in earnest the government
would have to send a dozen times
their number, and even then, owing to
the nature Of the country, it would be
long while before the Indians were
reduced to obedience He wrote out
an agreement on the part Of the gov
eminent to redress the wrongs that
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
60 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 ventriloQuist
and cOnjurer. As he looked plan
occurred to him of keeping the peace
with the Indians. He made the ven
trtoquist and the conjurer liberal
proposition to 60 back with him, and
they accepted.
As soon as he had returned he an
nounced to the chiefs that he had a
proposition from the great father at
Washington to make to them and in
vited them to a conference. At the
appointed hour they appeared at the
place designated, an open space IN
closed by timber, and I'm 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 eyi-
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 a blunder-
buss and fired It at target, where
It hung in perfect orde1 suspended by
hook. Then he bred rabbits 80 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 a 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 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.
ITO have confidence in the promises
Of his servant, the agent. The great
father will see that his promises are
carried out"
"And what will the great father do
Il 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 we'll. 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 a new
treaty then and there. They asked to
be shown more wonders done by the
great fathers offspring, but Burnham,
fearing familiarity would breed con-
tempt, refused them.
Meanwhile the great father remained