The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1914-06-12
HOW AN indian
FEELS IN AN AERO
Chief White Cali First Red
Man to Fly Like an Eagle.
SAYS CHARM SAVED HIS LIFE

White Brother Who Took Him Up
Averted Disaster When Flying Boat
Tiited-chief Medicine Owl invoked
Protection Of the Great Spirit as the
Flight Started.
In an exciting flight from Dobbs Fer
~. 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 a trip In
an aeroplane. lie is one of a party OF
twelve Indians enjoying their first
eastern trip In charge of Charles h
Griffin. United States Indian agent for
Montana.
When the machine had been I'm the
air for ten minutes and was flying at
an altitude of 200 feet a pun of wind
turned IL over on its side and. TO the
horror Of those watching the flight.
II fell a sheer hundred feet. Only the
GOODNESS of Ralph NJ. Brown. the pilot.
saved the occupants from disaster.
The flight bud been arranged by w.
Il. Thomas of Bath. N. Y. and was
Hlaut IN u Hylng BOAT.
Chief Lazy Boy wanted to go up,
but as be 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 We're 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 Gla-
cier National park. My father was a
brave man. lie was not afraid 20 die.
/. too, I'M a brave man. | am not
afraid to die. And IL l 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 I'm his favor.
None of the Indians had ever seen an
aeroplane. with the exception of Frank
Guardipee ugly Facet. who had been
educated at Carlisle.
The delegation accompanied White
Calf to Dobbs Ferry. and the effect of
the setting incidental to the flight was
picturesque In the extreme. As prep
arations for the flight were going on
nine of the number. including three of
The squaws. stood huddled in a group
on the beach. Each OF them pressed
the hand OF White Calf and spoke
earnestly into his ear. White Calf ex.
hiblted n charm In the form of a tiny
stone from his Glacier park home and
treasured the others.
All this time Chief Medicine Owl. the
medicine man of the tribe. stood a little
apart from the group and. with his
hands and eyes raised to the blue sky
invoked the protection of the Great
Spirit owe the life of his brother. As
the machine skinned over the water
the expression on the eleven faces
changed from one OF foreboding TO one
of Intense interest. Eager eyes follow.
ed the plane when 1t left the surface
and rose into the air like n giant bird,
and the voices OF the men arose in the
startling warwhoop OF the Blackfeet.
Says Charm Saved Him.
When the machine fell IL 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 q
minute more the flight was over.
Brown righted the craft. brought Ii to
the water and ran II high ON the beach
In speaking of his trip White Calf
said:
Machine very shaky on the water.
Stop shaking when we go up. Can see
like the golden eagle over the noun
tains. As he looks down $50 did /.
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 a chief of the
same name who ruled the piegan ma
tion and owned vast tracts of country.
The elder White Calf, according TO
Hoke Smith of Glacier National park,
coded the territory embraced by the
park to the United States. 1t includes
1.hOO square miles.