The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-05-28
4 PRETTY GOOD MAN
 WAS LONG AGO INDIAN

II 4
 AS DIR EASTMAN DEsCRIBED HIM l IN A LECTURE AT RHDDING Ian His Later vices Came About
 Through HIS Contact With White ls Race No Settlement of Sanford
 Land Case.
 Bedding, May 2sTo correct soma popu1ar misconceptions regarding the Kind of man the North American Indian was before he degenerated in consequence of his association with the white race was the aim of the 1ec- fure which pr. Charles A. Eastnan. a, full blooded Sioux. gave at the San ford school gymnasium last Saturday evening before a large audience which included the pupils of the Center and Ridge pu hiic schools. The lecturer |1Wore tribal costume of white buck skin and feathered headpiece- pr. Eastman asserted that in his original Of all the races, being devout wor- shippers of the Great Mystery whose mani ifestations they were see king In every trees flower. animal and the ris- Ing and setting sun- Tn no sense, how ever. were they idoIators All animals
 
 beast ever flar med Elaerp with the ex- ceptfon of the grizzly bear and the grizzly only in self defence. The Iec- turer then told a long tale of grizzly which was brought up as a member Of his own family For six years this animal was the lecturers playmate and sleeping mat his little brother " hile cub and big brother when grown
 Generosity was one Of the Indian s leading trails. If one Of them return ed from the chuse with a deer he gave three quarters of the venfson to those who came back empty handed What white man would give 75 per cent. of his wages to associates who were out of work and make such division reg u1ar rule of conduct. In his system of government the Indian mad choice ability The authority was also divid- ed among several so that no single leader should get the big head or have opportunity to commit the abuses which usually accompanied the exer- cfse of one man. unregu1ated power The Indian also had philosophy of his own which did not come from nature with which he loved on such Intimate and friendly terms. As an. illustration of this Dr. Eastman told of some of the comments made by a party Of sixteen Dakota chiefs whom he pi1oted to Washing gton The sight of the hurrying crowds in Chicago. prompted one of them to remark, I'hese people do nothing but walk. In three years one-third will have walked theInse1yes to deaf Their visit to the Corcoran Gallery in Wash fngton drew out this observation The white man cut down trees and tears the face of the earth. Then he
 makes picture of what he has de- stroyed and a,dznires 1t although he cared nothing for the original
 PhysieaI culture and life fn the open air upon the nportance of which so much emp phasis was now being laid were with the Indian matters of course. His fare was simple and his athletic exercises made him wonder fully hardy and capable of perform ing feats requiring astonishing endur- ance- Instead of receiving a warm bath their infants were rubbed with snow and then hung in tree for a nap. The Indian had no knowledge of money valu ess True he made some use of wampIIn as. medium of ex- change, but 1t served that purpose to a very limited extent. It was this dis regard of the value of money that largely caused the Indians undoing because he bartered his land for trinkets. light co1ored cloths or what ever struck his fancy.
 When the white man came the In dian was unselfish, religious. brave. loyal. truthful, abstentious. hardy and of chi1diike simplicity Association | the vices of cruelty, greed, intemper- Iance, deceit and other bad qualities by which he has been mainly bat most unjustly Judged. pr. Eastman closed by warmly praising the Sanford tschool especially commenting the
 
 Twas part of it's system Following the lecture pr. Eastman's s daughter Irene appeared in an attrac- I tive Indian costume and sang charm l ingly and in voice Of rare sweet ness a number of songs. one Of them in the Indian language. The music 1 also was adopted from Indian sources 1 E.. Sanford says that there is absolutely no foundation for the ru- mors alleging that s settlement has 1 been made or Attempted of the land condemnation5 suit in which he is 2 respondent. He also dernurs to what l has been printed on the subject be- cause. as he explains. mention of the sum of SIS. .000 might give rise to the supposition that he stood ready to compromise on that basis. Several 1 of my acquaintances. continued MT. Sanford. have mentioned this figure and also figures considerably larger as amounts which the opposing parties might properly agree upon. To all such suggestions have preserved a strictly non-commfttal attribute. When l overtures looking to compromise have been made it will be time enough to discuss figures. So far there has been nothing in the way Of such over lures. The water company brought the pending suit without even asking me at what price would sell. Neither did they make definite offer to my father. going only so far in this di- rection as to say what they consider ed the property worth. =
 How much further the water com pany intends to go in acquiring addi- tionaI Pleasant Valley property the residents would very much like to know, but will probably not know un-