Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-07-18
Stories of Nebraska History By =: E Sheldon

rather the house of satan and the gate
of hell. Two kegs of whisky were car
ried from the house this morning by
Indians. They win trade their horses,
their guns, and even their blankets for
this poisonous drink.
II was against the law then, as now to
sell liquor to Indians, but Nebraska was
I far out on the frontier and the white
traders could make greater profit by
selling whisky than in any other way.
In September, 1895. Mr.. Merrill moved
his family TO the otoe Mission on the
Platte river. about eight miles west OF
Bellevue. Here the government built a
log cabin and a schoolhouse, which en-.
abled him to carry on his mission work
away from the evils OF the trading post.
1t was a beautiful site, with an open
prairie sloping to the Platte. with rich
meadow for stock and gardening, and n
large body of timber close by Half Of
tho Otoe tribe moved there and made
their village at the mission.
The Otoes we're very poor these years
and became poorer. They hunted deer,
eld and buffalo In the summer of 1886
and brought home very little meat Their
appetite for whisky was greater than be-
fore. and the more bad luck they had
the more whisky they wanted. Many
were sick with fever this summer and
Mr.. Merrill gave them food and medicine.
cared for them and tried hard to have
them give up liquor and look after their
CROPS and families. He urged them TO
keep away from the places whore whisky
was sold. and this stirred up the traders
=, h. x.v.Na IL. NraA A
their best business. For single tin cup
full of whisky the trader would often get
so worth Of furs.
When the people became sick and began
to die the traders told them that God
was angry with the Otoes for having the
missionaries among them. Two pupils in
Mr. Merrill's school died In the fall and
the traders said they were killed for
learning to read. AS the whisky habit
grew In the tribe the men became mis-
cradle and quarrelsome. The United
States had sent a farmer and black
smith to teach the Indians how 10 farm
and 10 make tools for them. These men
and their families lived near the mission.
Drunken Otoes shot at the farmer. and
both he and the blacksmith moved their
families back to Bellevue. leaving Mr.
and Mrs Merrill alone among the In
dians at the village.
| Two OF Itan's wives ran away with
two Otoe young men. ltan was in a very
great rage and said that he would Kill
the young men when they came back
News was brought that these braves
were IN the village and ItAn took his
gun and pistol 20 XII them When he
passed tho mission house Mr.. and Mrs
Merrill went out and begged him not e
begin a bloody fight He was wild for
revenge and went on. The two young
men came out TO meet Chief Itan singing
their war song. The chief fired his mus
ket at one OF the young men and missed
him. Then one Of the chiefs friends
fired at the same young man and he
fell. He rose. however. and shot the
chief through the body. A brother Of this
young man then shot Itan second time
One OF Itsn's friends shot the brother
A third young man shot Itan again and
was at once shot himself. The three
young men and Chief Itan died that even.
ing. Two OF them were Mr.. Merrill
pupils. This happened on April 2S. 1897.
The whole otoe tribe was torn into fac
tons by this tragedy Some wanted 10
kill the friends OF the young men. others
TO avenge their death. The bloody feud
over the fight lasted for many years.
After ItAn's death Melhunoa, the second
chief OF the tribe. came 10 take breakfast
with Mr.. Merrill. He wanted presents
and said that the traders told him II was
bad bor the teacher to live near him and
ne.er give the Indians presents or fine
clothes, and sugar and coffee. as the
traders did. Hr. and Mrs. Merrill tried
! 10 show him that they were poor and
..