The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-03-04
THE FIRST AMERICAN.
Proposed Indian Monument 70 Be Erect
ed in New York Harbor.

4 bill introduced in both houses OF con
gress providing for colossal statue OF tn
North American Indian TO be placed II
New York harbor will be reported in tn
house soon. The measure was Introduce
by Representative Joseph \. Goulden AM
senator Chauncey VI. Depew OF New York
and provides that there shall be erecte'
without expense TO the United States gov
eminent by Rodman Wanamaker OF New
\ ork city and Others, on a United State
reservation in the harbor OF New York, q
memorial to the memory OF the Nortl
American Indian. Ii is further provided
that a commission consisting OF the char
man Of the committee on library Of the
senate. the chairman OF the committee on
! library OF the house, and the secretaries of
state, war, navy, and interior, the attorney
general and Robert c. Ogden of New York
shall be created with full authority to Sc
lect the site in the harbor of New York
and suitable design. and TO contract for
and ,uperintend the construction of the
memorial.
This bill is the result of suggestion
made by Rodman Wanamaker at cele-
bratcd dinner given last May at Sherry :,
New York, in honor of Colonel Cody the
famous Indian scout The idea OF erect
ing a statue of an Indian, with arms ur;
stretched in welcome at the gateway of the
New World, met with such instant enthu-
siasm that there it little doubt but that
the measure will meet with unanimous
support.
While the ways and means of providing
money to finance the enterprise have not
yet been decided upon it is expected that
the statue will be a national monument
to perpetuate the memory of the first
American, and an opportunity will be
given to everyone who desires to contrib
ute: 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 100000 members of the Order
Of Red Men represented in the 1900 tribes
in the United States shall contribute two
cents EACH which would amount to $l0,-
100. A pile of copper cents amounting to
10000 is far more imposing than single
heck for that amount donated by some one
to whom it would mean so little
The idea of this statue originated with
Rodman Wanamaker of Philadelphia dur
ng an expedition made by him in 1908 for
he purpose of studying the Indian on his
,wn ground. His first impulse was to
present the statue to the country, but the
onsensus of opinion is that it should be
national gift, and that every child in the
ountry should be allowed to contribute
ne penny in memory of race that is fast
extinct.
The bill is backed by the entire New
'ork delegation both in the house and in
he senate. and is receiving the support of 4
he president, the vice-president, and many :
rominent men in political and financial
rcles Very valuable aid is being given to
ecure the passage of the bill by Senators
wen of Oklahoma and Curtis of Kansas
nd by Representative Carter of Okla
oma, all of whom trace their ancestry
ack to the noble Red Man of the Forest.