Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-03-03
To MEMORY OF RED MAN.


Congress providing for a colossal
statue of the North American Indian to
be placed in New York harbor will be
reported in the House on March. This
measure was introduced by Represent
ative Joseph A Goulden and Senator
Chauncey M. Depew, of New York,
and provides that there shall be erect
ed without expense to the United
States government, by Rodman Wana-
maker of New York City, and others.
on United States reservation in the
harbor of New York, memorial to the
memory of the North American Indian.
It is further pra.yided that a commits
sion consisting o / the chairman of the
committee on Library, of the Senate,
the Chairman of the committee on Lii
braryr of the House, and the Secretari :
es of State, War, Navy, and Interior
the Attorney General and Robert c.
Ogden, of New York, shall be created
with full authority to select the site in
the harbor of New York and a suitable
design, and to sontract for, and super
intend the construction Of the memor-
ial.
This bill is the result of suggestion
made by Mr.. Rodman Wanamaker, at
celebrated dinner given last May at
Sherry's, New York, in honor of Col
Cody, the famous Indian scout. The
idea Of erecting statue of an Indian,
with arms outstretched in welcome at
the gateway of the New World met
with such instant enthusiasm, that
there is little doubt, but that the
measure will meet with unanimous sup
port.
While the ways and means of provid-
ing money to finance the enterprise
have not yet been decided upon, it is
expected that the statue be national
monument to perpetuate the memory
OF the first American and an opportun-
ity VIII be given to every one who de-
slres to contribute; it is estimated that
one penny from every man, woman,
and child in the United States will
furnish ample means for its erection.
Already various tribes of the Order
of Red Men throughout the United
States have taken steps to contribute
their share to the general fund. 1t is
planned that each of the hundred thou
sand members of the Order Of Red
Men represented in four thousand
tribes in the United States shall contri
butte two cents each, which would
amount to $4,000. A pile of copper
cents amounting to $40, 600 is far more
imposing than single check for that
amount donated by some one Individual
to whom it would mean so little.
The idea of this statue organized with
Mr.. Rodman Wannamaker of Phila-
deiphia, during an exposition made bv
him in 1903, for the purpose of study
ing the lndain on his own ground. His
hrst impulse was to present the statue
to the country, but the consensus of
opinion is that it should be national
gift, and that every child in the country
should be allowed to contribute one
penny IN memory to a race that is fast
becoming extinct.
A bill is backed by the entire New
York delegation both in the.House and
in the Senate, and is receiving the sup
port of the president, the vice president
and many prominent men in political
circles Very valuable aid is being
given to secure the passage of the bill
by Senators, Owen, of Oklahoma, and
Curtis, of Kansas, and by Carter, of
Oklahoma, all of whom trace their an
cestry back to the noble Redman Of the
forest.