The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-06-09
HOW AN INDIAN
FEELS IN AN AERO
Chief White Calf First Red
Man to Fly Like an Eagle.
SAYS CHARM SAVED HIS LIFE

White Brother Who Took Him Up
Averted Disaster When Flying Boat
Tilted-chief Medicine Owl Invoked
Protection of the Great Spirit as the
Flight Started.
In an exciting fight from Dobbs Fer
ry. N. Y, Two Guns White Calf OF
the Glacier National park reservation
In Montana won the distinction OF be-
ing the first Indian to make q trip In
an aeroplane. He is one of a party OF
twelve Indians enjoying their first
eastern trip in charge of Charles b.
Griffin, United States Indian agent for
Montana.
When the machine had been In the
air for ten minutes and was flying at
an altitude of 200 feet a puff of wind
turned IL over on its side and, to the
horror of those watching the flight,
IL fell a sheer hundred feet. Only the
GOODNESS of Ralph NJ. Brown, the pilot.
saved the occupants from disaster.
The flight had been arranged by W.
Il. Thomas of Bath, N. Y, and was
made In q flying boat.
Chief Lazy Boy wanted TO go up,
but as he was considered to have had
his share of honors during the trip
about the country others of the party
frowned on his selection. The main
qualifications of Lazy Boy as given
by himself were that he had served
twelve years on the Indian police and
always had obeyed the orders of his
superiors.
Speech That Won Honor.
Then Two Guns White Calf took the
floor and said: MY father was chief
OF the Piegan nation. He gave to the
great father at Washington all of ella.
cier National park. My father was a
brave man. He was not afraid to die
i, too, am a brave man. | am not
afraid to die. And If | should die
know that my white brothers would
take care of me and bury me beside
my fathers. In the shadow OF the great
mountains that have been my home"
White Calls speech won the day
and even Lazy Boy voted in his favor
None of the Indians had ever seen an
aeroplane. with the exception of Frank
Guardipee ugly Face, who had beer
educated at Carlisle.
The delegation accompanied White
Calf to Dobbs Ferry, and the effect OF
the setting incidental to the fight was
picturesque In the extreme. AS prep
~arations for the flight were going OF
nine of the number, including three oil
the squaws, stood huddled in q grouT
on the beach. Each of them pressed
the hand OF White Calf and spoke
earnestly into his ear. White Calf ex
hibited C charm in the form Of a tiny
stone from his Glacier park home ant
treasured the others.
All this time Chief Medicine Owl, the
medicine man of the tribe. stood a littl,
apart from the group and, with hi:
hands and eyes raised to the blue sky
invoked the protection of the Grear
Spirit over the life OF his brother. As
the machine skinned over the water
the expression on the eleven faces
changed from n of foreboding to one
Va tAiS AhtttNSt. bd66i EYES loiioN'
ed the plane when Ii left the surface
and rose into the air like a giant bird
and the voices of the men arose In the
startling w~arwhoop of the Blackfeet.
Says charm Saved Him.
When the machine fell ii was taken
for part of the performance, and the
only sign of excitement shown was a
tight clinching of hands and a little
gasp from White Calls squaw. In o
minute more the fight was over
Brown righted the craft, brought 1t to
the water and ran 1t high on the beach.
In speaking of his trip White Calf
said:
Machine very shaky or the water.
Stop shaking when we 90 up. Can see
like the golden eagle over the noun.
tains. AS he looks down so did l.
Wind tip machine over. but / had been
told to sit still and did SO. Not afraid
My charm save me. When boat come
back to water l motion with hand,
Go up again. but he would not do it.
White Calf is a son of n chief OF the
same name who ruled the Piegan ma
ton and owned vast tracts of country
The elder White Calf, according to
Hoke Smith of Glacier National park
ceded the territory embraced by the
Il - Il A. 49,