Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-05-12
GREAT polNGs IN oskALoosA AT
UNWILLING OF CHIEF MA
AAskA's STATUE.
EXCURSIONS BRING
THOUSANDS TO CITY
Ceremonies of An Elaborate Character
Participated in by High Officials of
Red Men and Others-chief Mahaska
a Prominent Figure in Pioneer Days.
Other State News.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Oskaloosa, May 12-This city con-
tanned more people today than ever
before in its history. They were at
tracted here by the elaborate exercises !
Men of the state for the unwilling of /
the statue of Chief Mahaska, the /
Ioway Indian whose memory is re-
vered by the old settlers and whose
pressed upon the minds of the younger
generation.
Thousands of visitors came from all
sections of the state and Red Men came
from adjoining states Excursion trains !
were run on all the lines centering
here, and while the weather was not all
that could be desired, the elaborate
program as arranged was observed
with little variation.
Al noon a dinner and old settlers
reunion was held in the city park. At
so was q grand parade Of Red Men.
automobiles and school children, with
addresses of welcome and music.
The statue was unveiled by Mrs. T.
G. Phillips and Mrs H P. Martin,
pioneer women who came to Mahaska
county before the county was organ
lied. The presentation of the statue
tn the city was made by Maj John F.
Lacey. and the acceptance was by Hon
Carl F. keuhnle, of Denison. Wilson
Brooks, of Chicago. delivered an adj
dress on behalf of the Red Men, and
the exercises closed with an Indian
sun dance. a band concert and exem-
pldcation Of the work.
History Of the Chief.
Three interesting stories are closely
linked together in the erection and
dedication in the public park in Oska-
loosa, of a rare statue of a sturdy
young Indian chief of the olden days.
One is the story of tribe of red men
now extinct and their notable chief;
another is the story of a notable pio-
neer in whose memory the statue is
to be erected, and the third is the story
of the young Iowa sculptor to whom
international honor and fame have
come thru his brilliant execution OF
his subject.
/ The statue is of Mahaska, noble
chief whose name is closely associated
with the history of southern Iowa in
the early years of the last century and
perpetuated in the name of one of
Iowa's prosperous counties. 1t will
4 stand as memorial to William Ed
mundson, one of the early settlers of
southeastern Iowa and organizer of
Mahaska county, the gift of his son,
j. D. Edmundson, prominent citizen
of Des Moines. It was designed and
executed by Sherry E. Fry, a Creston
boy. whose struggle with poverty in
his first artist days and his subsequent
rise to the very topmost heights of
success as a sculptor comprise one Of
the notable romances Of the modern
art world.
There is romance in all these tales.
but especially in the story of Mahaska
and the Ioway Indians
Mahaska Was Good Indian.
The Ioway Indians We're known to
pioneers as good Indians. for they pre-
ferred peace with the white invaders
If their hunting grounds rather than
war, probably because of sad expert
ence as 70 THE result of any other poll
. icy. Under Mahaska they never made
war against the whites, because Ma
haska once vowed that his heart was
at rest and that he would make va,
no more. Yet these peaceful Indians
met the same fate as others of theil
race and they are now extinct. AS fal
as men can learn, there is not a full
blooded Ioway living today, nor ever
a half breed, and the tribe whose name
is so closely associated with Iowa ant
its history has gone the way of TIL
: buffalo and the wild pigeon and othe
lone-time denizens of these prairies.
The Character of Tradition.
Mahaska is the Ioway about whom
centers most of the traditions, AM
tales that are familiar in southeastern
iowa concerning the Ioways. He va
striking figure among the Ioways TO
years until his tragic end, and Their
was dignity and majesty that sur
: rounded him always, even when hi
h tribe was driven from pillar to pos
IN Tradition says that he was a man c
/, large stature, more than six feet tai
- powerfully muscled, and champio
i among The aost nc. and tho stToa
Il, men of his tribe. Tradition says, to-
l. that he wss a man who treasured hi
own god rane and that of his trih
most highly, and whose pledged wor
- was always fulfilled
Mahaska, whose name means wni'
u cloud, came early into the chieftainshi
Of his tribe, but only thru the doc
- Of tragedy. The cruel murder of h
father, Maui haw-gaw, or Woundir
.. Arrow, by the Sioux while he was
9s guest Of that tribe at a great feas
Y. made Mahaska CHIEF Of the 1oways.
:. But he refused to accept the chic
90 tainship at once. He said he was tt
% young, that he was as yet unworth
- and that he wanted to show that
~ had a right to serve as chief of h
~ tribe by fighting az brave in the
ss raid for revenge against the siou
o. The council Of the tribe yielded, al
" so Mahaska went out to show h
:. bravery and his right to rule. Trad
70 ton of the tribe says that he was
90 90 perfect demon when the Ioways ma
% y. their assault upon the Sioux. that
60 60 fought bravely, and desperately.
~ any rate, when he came back sever
- - scalps hung at his belt, and amo1
% them was one whose, CORY skin a.
% % hair he priced above all the others
e the scalp of the Indian in whose tie