Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-05-06


poise equal to the advantages he
enjoyed in other ways he would have
been able to accomplish things worth
while. Unfortunately, according to
the best information this writer can
obtain, Niger Godfrey was essen
TALLY cruel, hardhearted, and utter
ly unreliable; possessing little, if
any of that esprit de corps which US
ually plays a CONSPICUOUS part in the
lives of men. 1t is said of him that
a few years subsequent to the period
of which we write, he was employed
as an agent of the government, a
kind of scout, during the Indian up
rising in Minnesota when so many
whites were massacred by the Sioux,
among them an entire company of
the Fifth regiment of Minnesota vol
unteers, which occurred at Red
wood, in that state. :.
According to report, Niger Cod
| frey made practice of directing
the white settlers to places where he
assured them they would be safe
from the Indians, and then he would
treacherously inform the Indians
where they were to be found. Thus
! it was that this unprincipled villain
became the direct cause of the mas
sacre of many whites, who, if he had
been faithful would probably have
escaped. So it is not to be wondered
at that when these Indians were
eventually captured and brought to
trial, Niger Godfrey turned states
evidence and through his testimony
thirty-nine of them were convicted
and made to pay the penalty of their
crimes at Mankato, where they were
hung by the neck until they were
dead. Now, just how much founda-
, ton there may be for the oft repeat
ed assertion, that woman is by ma
I ture possessed of remarkable meas
ure of curiosity, ii is not within the
province of this author even to ha-
card an opinion he can only affirm
that Frances Armstrong having nor
mally the enquiring propensity of
the what is boldly affirmed to be
characteristic of the universal sister
hood-could not curb the natural
impulse even in the present trying
| 81 tbnrnfnrn no nd
timidly to enquire of the man of col
or if he was not the person who was
concealed behind the lilac bush on
the night of her party?
Certainly, my cherub! that hon
orable distinction was conferred up
on me by my discriminating friend
here, who has on this suspicious oc-
casion, the honor to be of the escort
of the person of my fascinating guest
who has manifested so affable, so de-
! lightful condescension as to hon
, or this extremely pleasant little ex-
cursion with her charming presence,
, thus giving much eclat to what would
otherwise be so jejune as to render
it extremely humdrum and to de-
prive it of all interest; fact so ap-
parent as to need no advertisement
at my hands,
stop workin' yer jaw for min
ute if such thing is possible, God
frey, an cut out that fool Frenchify-
ing stuff, / hear somebody comm
this way; don't you hear emf"
you are quite right my young
friend. your sense of hearing is
acute; it does you honor, as does al
so your charming indifference to the
beau-monde in its wider aspects, aad
Iyour-shall / say it?-reticent tact
turnity; your very parsimoniousness
as it regards every other thing but
the particular matter in hand. That,
my knight of the alert ear, is excathe-
dra! From what direction do the
sounds appear to be approaching"
1t was not because he was una
ware of the noise Cobb had heard,
for his keen sense of hearing, an in
heritance from his Indian father, en-
abled him not only to hear the
sounds but also to know what they
were, and whence they came.
"Oh shucks!" retorted Cobb, with
fine touch of irony; what in Gre
alton are you tryin' to empty your
self of, anyhow? Can't you hear
emf"
well now! my excitable fellow
traveller since you have so oppor-
timely called my attention to it, and
so urgently press it upon me, per-
haps it would be quite as we'll for us
to leave a few invisible footprints up
on the sands of Winneshiek and HE
us away from these inhospitable re-
gions to more congelial ATTITUDES;
what say you, mon ami? always re-
Numbering maggiore fretta, minore
atto!"
I'll tell you what 1t is Godfrey,
we haint got no time to be foolin
round here spittin out frog talk;
it's nv opinion you'd better make