The Brandon news., 1910-03-03
PROPOSED INDIAN MONUMENT TO
BE ERECTED IN NEW YORK
HARBOR.

A bill introduced in both houses of con-
gress providing fer colossal statute of
the North American Indian to be placed
in New York Harbor will be reported in
the house on March I. This measure
was introduced by Representative Joseph
a. Goulden and Senator M. Depew, of
New York, and provides that there shall
be erected without expense to the United
States Government, by Rodman Wanama-
ker, CT New York City, and others, on a
United States reservation in the Harbor of
New York, a memorial to the memory of
the North American Indian. 1t is further
provided that comission consisting of the
chairman 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 at
torney general and Robert C. Ogden, of
New York, shall be created with full au-
thoritv to select the site in the Harbor of
New York and suitable design, and to
contract for and superintend the construc-
ton of the memorial.
This bill is the result of suggestion
made by Mr.. Rodman Wanamaker, at a
celebrated dinner given last May at Sher-
ry's, New York, in honor of Col Cody,
the fanouc Indian scout
The idea of erecting a 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 support
While the sways and means of pro-
viding money to finance the enterprise
have not yet been decided upon, it is ex-
pected that the statue will be national
monument to perpetuate the memory of the
first American, and an opportunity will
be given to every one who desires 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 tributes 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 five hundred thousand mem
bers of the Order of Red men represented
in the four thousand tribes in the United
States shall contribute two cents each,
which will amount to $4,000 is faf more
imposing than single check fc- that
amount donated by some one III n;ividpal
to whom it would mean so little.
The idea of this statue originated with
Mr. Rcdman Wanamaker, of Philadelphia,
during an expedition made by him in 1908,
for the purpose OF studying the Indian
on his own ground. His first impulse
was to present the statue to the country,
but the consensus of opinion is that it
should be a national gift, and that ever7
child in the country should be allowed to
contribute one penny in memory of race
that is fast becoming extinct
The bill is backed by the entire New
York delegation both in the house and IN
the senate, and is receiving the support
of the president, the vice president, and
many prominent men in political and
financial 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 Representative
Carter, of Oklahoma, all of whom trace
their ancestry back to the noble Red man
of the Forest.