Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-09

NEW YORK. August S.-FOr some
years past the Importance and pobu-
, lariiy OF the American Indian have
increased almost as fast as his numbers
have dwindled. Ills remains in the
shape OF skeletons aud broken pottery
haN" been assiduously collected and
! studied Learned men have journeyed
T, long distances to gather the stories OF
tn" tribes from the lips OF the few
survivors. Indian poetry has been
translated and set TO music and sung
indian art has been studied. praised
ana initiated. In word, now that they
hay" for the most part either died or
lost their identity by intcrnarriage the
Indians are famous
Fame IN America always leads TO
Hroadway and at Broadway the Amerl-
can Indian has now arrived Ills re.
mains are going to be housed in a
building At lj5th Street that Viii COS,
$4,000. 1t will be called the Museum
,'"f IN" American Indian. Ucye Founda-
ton, and VIII hc the first museum in
the world devoted eNclusiveiy TO tho
collection and study OF the artifa,,s Of
the American aborigine. The museum
mas already been organized and il at
present occupying several floors Of n
business building on East Thirty Tn ird
street. where its DISTINGUISHED scIenti.
I nc staff Is now struggling with y
mass OF interesting material which is
being sent In by expeditions in South
America. The West Indies. and Arkan-
Sas FOR this Ia very up-to-dnte
active sort Of a museum. 1t is hack .d
BY number OF New Yoik's best
known millionaircs. Including james T.
Ford Minor c. Keith and Archer Hun
tinctcn II is going after the antiqu,-
t!eS In the most modern manner.
Whatever else We may have done 70
poor 10 We have not neglected him
While II" lived We equipped elaborate.
n al IL, IA
him. and now that he is dead. we spend
millions fitting out still more Ella boz
rate expeditions TO dig up and preserve
his remains
The basis OF this new museum Is the
remarkable collection OF George q;
Heye. Mr.. H"yc is man OF cre.;
wealth, who shares the collecting in
Stinci which seems TO be ono OF tn.
common characteristics of the Ameli-
can millionaire. When a young man
Mr.. Heye went TO Arizona. and saw
there the quaint towns OF the Pueblo
tribes. the old adobe missions Of the
spanish padres. the herds and hogan
OF thS nomad Navajos. The romance
ana picturesque quality OF The South
west which is an unspoilcd bit Of the
lonG ago. inspired the young man. lie
determined 10 devote his life and
wealth TO the study o: pre- columbian
America lie has sent over thirty eX-
petitions TO All parts OF North aud
'pou'h America and the West Indies.
Grent Collection Accessible.
Ills collection contains about 500. 900
specimens, and is worth over $500. 900
II has never before been accessible
either 10 the public or TO scientists
u rs said to includ" some works in
marble and gold from South America
winch show that the ancient ciyiliza-
iI"u OF that continent were not far be-
hind those OF Europe in some Of the
arts.
rms collection is now to be laid be-
Tore the public and the scientific world
while competent STAFF will work
with every facility TO increase and
perfect 1t a special feature of the
new museum will be a study room
where scientists will be given special
opportunities for the examination OF
the specimens.
This up-to ,datc institution is not
going I" confine it's activities TO the
study OF the dead Indian. 1t is keeniy
aware that the Indian is Still with us
True. he has been modified by civiliza-
tion ana intermarriagc; but he is still
an indian at heart. generally n pagan.
and the lore and story of his people
are safely preserved I'm the wonderful
memory which belongs 10 all races
mat nave not invented the written
word SO tho live Indian will be the
object of much attention from this new
museum
'"Nc 'nc 'rouuoiS' or rive Nhtlons,
who lived in New York. They are
popularity supposed to have disap-
peared. 1t is not 80. They have mere
~ been ovcrShadowed. In its palmy
days the Iroquois confcdcracy could
put about 10000 warriors in the field.
Ii they had TO. the IroQuois could very
nearly do it to-day. True, the war
riors would not all be pure blooded
Indians. Neither would they he able
TO respond with the old-timo alacrity.
Some Of them would have 20 desert
important business positions. others
political jobs: many would leave their
fertile farms with reluctance, while
quite "a few would he compelled to
jump theatrical contracts
Many Iroquois still Living.
Nevertheless. there are nearly as
many persons OF Iroquois blood now
are living on their reservations in
New York State: there are usually
thirty or forty OF them In New York
City-mosuy theatrical braves. I'M
mediRtcly after the Revolution a num-
Der of them moved to Canada. because
they had fought on the British side
large number Of these are lighting
on the British side now. Whole COM
panies Of Iroquois have gone frome
Canada to serve in the European war.
a member Of the scientific staff OF
tho Iieye Museum was recently visiting
the Menomini Indians in Wisconsin, and
was amazed Mt the number of veterans
OF the Civil War he found among them.
There is one chapter OF tho Grand
Army OF the Republic which has q
membership almost exclusively Indian,
and these old soldiers were able to
tell most interesting stories of the
war from their own peculiar point of
view.
Some Of these Indians did invaluable
service as scouts aud spies in the
Civil War. One of them still tells the