The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-03-09
CHAP. uI.-OuR CHIEF.

Not many moons ago the Red Oak
Reporter sprung the story on the I'M
suspeCting public, that it had just
been discovered by Montgomery coun-
ty enthusiasts that the bones of Chic
Mahaska were resting in the town of
Sciola, which had an alleged popula-
tion of 11S at the last Federal census,
also a bank andI an express Office.
What in creation Chief Mahaska
would want to go away out to Mont
gOmery county to be murdered for,
when he could have the job performed
so much easier ard quicker in Des
MOines. is a problem that no rchaeol-
ogist of any standing whatever would
even consider. We will therefore
IN these chronicles stick to the &C.
cepted theory that the bones are rest
ing in Les Moines, that K if no Des
MOines citizen has ever found it out
In case he has, the bones have long
since been carried off, as no Des
Moincs is a problem that no Archacol-
allow anything to lie around loose for
any length of time.
- = -
At any rate Mahaska has long been
a good Indian. All authorities agree
that he has been dead since about
1874. And wherever his remains
may rest, we have got his monument
in the public park at OSkaloosa, and
we are going to keep it there if we
have TO rcorganize the Skunk River
Army to do the fighting. 1t is up
to us to do something of a substar-
tial nature to honor the fellow after
whom our county was named. Sher-
ry Frye, the famous Iowa sculptor.
made the statue and it was set up
by J. d. EdmunGsOn of les Moines,
in honor OF his father, William Ed
mundSon, who was one of the com.
missioners who helped lay out the
county, and who on several occasions
entertained Chief Mahaska at a
house party, or in the language OF
our society editors, "a weeks end
visit"
We do not know where Sherry got
the model for the statue, but the gen
eral make up of the chief, and the
countenanCe which stands out in such
charming relief bear silent and sol
emn witness TO the Veracity of the
contentious of all the early settlers
that Chief Mahaska was a fighter, but
with all was a gentleman Indian
that is, he sCalped and swore without
mercy, but never failed to keep his
word. In this respect he was differ
ent from other gentlemen whom we
have heard of,-who often use bias
phemous language and good English,
but have trouble in establishing a
line OF credit at the bank, Mahaska
also left other mems wives alone as
he had seven of his own, and accord
ing to the short and simple annals of
the Iowa tribe, they kept him out of
mischief at home and abroad.
-
History records that Mahaska's fay-
orite wife, Rant che-waime, accom-.
panied him to Washington, when he
went down there to see President Mon
roe and fix up the title to the land
he was about to part with. While
conyersing with the abstractor3 and
real estate men in the capital il is
said that the Chief also met some
members of the Personal Libersy
League and liked their fire-water so
well that he forgot an appointment
he had with Rant-che-waime. Arrfy.
ing at his hotel about two hours be-
hind time. and with his feathers badly
rutiied he found his wife awaiting
him with brass curtain pole. The
proceedings which Immediately took.
place aroused the hotel clerk from his
evening nap at the desk. and he sent
the bell boy UP TO see II thy needed
any ice water There was no tele-
phone connection With the rooms in
those days, and BY the time the boy
reached the room Quiet had been RI
stored, Poor old Mahaska. however,