The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-26

oRoNHYATEk.HA.

Two twenty ear-old lads stood &c.
ing each other on Canadian Indian.
resefyation one day. IN 1851, while
around them crowded brilliantly uni,
formed officers, civic magnates and
gayly Spparelled IndlanE
One Of the boys was tall, slender,
swSarthy and WAS clad in helfull re.
gala OF a Mohawk chief. He was Or
ofiiiyatekha, lineal descendant Of the
great war chiefs Of the "Six Nations"
The other boy I'm, llght-haired, Of
medium height and; afrayed In the uni.
form Of d British coionei-was Albert
Edward, prince Of Wales, the recently
DECEASED King Edward VII. Of England,
indian chief and British prince faced
each other in moment Of awkward
silence, while oronhyatekha ransacked
his brain for the hoWery English
speech Of welcome he had so carefully
prepared. He knew Just what he want:
ed to say. But in this moment Distress
his hardly.acquired knowledge Of the
English language utterly deserted him.
The Prince and the Indian.
The braves who had chosen the
young fellow as their spokesman
,scowled at him and lmuttered under
their breath. The gorgeous, military
and civic STAFF fldgeted nneasily. Sud.
denly oronhyatekha's heavy face light
ed with an inspiration. He burst forth
into the speech he had planned. But
instead Of speaking English, he dellv-
cred. the address; in the purest classical
Greek! The prince OF Wales and his
stan listened With opel.mouthed
Smazement. They had expected TO
hear a dusky orator grunt out few
illpronounced sentences LIN broken
English. Instead, this moceasined
deerskin.clad savage was addressing
his sovereign with perfect auelscy in
d dead language that, comes only halt,
ingly to the lips Of many q college
president. That speech made the
young chiefs fortune.
oronhyatekha was born on the Six
Nations reservation, near Brantford,
Ontario, Canada. on August 10. 1S41.
While he excelled, as child, III the
rough sports and exercises Of his fell
Iow.tndIang, he had almost a mania
FOR study. He sew that education
alone could lit him above the sordid
life OF his fellow-Mohawks. He learned
all that the local Industrial school
could teach him. Then he managed
to raise funds to take him to tho cele-
brated old Wesleyan academy at
North wilbraham, atass. There he
quickly reached the head OF HE class
aud-was graduated with high ;honoEs:
From schoolto school he wandered.
He had no money, tso'he turned his
hand to any sort Of work that would
let him pay for books and tuition. Toll
ing in. the daytime as cobbler and
woudchopper, he stldied GFef and
the higher mathemat sNpef afteE
midnight. At lasts Is c AsIbtS rs Ra y
ready to enter one obs ne lakb u6i;
yersities. But he lacked money for
such q 'c6sltsb. Hswass st this crisis
that his e6ta bee" came
The yoS1g prince az Wales was
making a 't6dr of'the United States
anu Canada. He was due to visit
the Six Nations ressrEHtion on ascar-
tain day. 0renhyatekha, ast thsabest
educated of the Dcal Indians, was
chosen to make the speech ofswelcorne.
When the prince Of Wales heard the
impromptu Greek Grafton he became
at once keenly interested in the speak
err. A few questions drew forlt the
Indians life story. The prince at once
took charge Of Oronhyatekha's Eiuca.
ton. He sent the Indian to oxford
university. There he placed him I'M
der the tutorship OF the royal ply
sician, Sir Henry Acland.
BY the time he returned to Canada
Oronhyatekha .,was a physician Of
splendid ability. He.settled In Ontario
and quickly built up a large practice,
Then in 1851 lie CHANGED to yet Control
,ofa decrepit insurance company. This
he strengthened an enlarged until
from 1t arose the famous fraterHal so.
ciety, the Independent orderof Forest
ers. His wealth and his Importance in
the community grew with each paSsing
,Fear. - ''t1 3N'F
Acanadlan Celebrity -
Meantime, while taking naturally to
the life Of prosperous Willie man,
oronhyatekha did, not wholly forget
the warllke instincts of his ancestors.
rHe took the field with the militia in
more than one uprising and proved
himself fearless, brilliant soldier. He
was also one Of the finest marksmen
in all Canada Despite his speesssl,
oronhyatekha was. IA thei last;an In
dian Of the highest type. BE worked
constantly for his peoples welfare and
uplifting. His wife was an Indian girl.
great.granddaughter d BraHt. the
mighty Iroquols war chief. White men
and red alike honored the Mohawk
Millionaire" as oranhyatekhs was
ilicknamed. He used his fast increas,
Ing wealth to build himselt a princely
homie and to hll his life with every
luxury. He. travelled d all over the
world. was blessed l1yytItet pope, was