Evening star., 1916-08-10


who lived in New York before the
Irish and the
Iroquois Have Jews arrived
They are popu-
Nos OisdPpcdTeQ. larly supposed to
have disappeared. 1t is not so. They
have merely been overshadowed In its
palmy days the lroquois confederacy
could put about 10000 warriors IN the
field. II they had to the Iroquois could
very nearly do II today. True, the
warriors would not all be pure -blooded
Indians. Neither would they be able
to respond with the old time alacrity.
Some of them would have to desert
important business positions. others po-
litical jobs: many would leave their
fertile farms with reluctance. while
quite few would be compelled to
jump theatrical contracts. Nevcrthe-
less there are nearly as many persons
of Iroquois blood now as there ever
were. The bulk of them are living on
their reservations in New York state:
there are usually thirty forty of
them in New York city-mostly theat-
rical braves. Imm mediately after the
revolution a number of them moved to
Canada. because they had fought on
the British side. A large number of
these are fighting on the British aide
auots have gone from Canada to serve
in the European war
A member of the scientific staff OF
the Heye Museum was recently VISIT
ing the Menomini Indians in Wfscon-
sin, and was amazed at the number OF
veterans OF the civil war he found
among them. There is one chapter of
the Grand Army of the Republic which
Indian. and these old soldiers were
able to tell most interesting stories OF
the war from their own peculiar point
or view. One of them, with his broth
er, took part in Sherman's march TO
the sea. He related that in one en-
gagement the two of them gained the
victory for the Union. The Confeder-
etes were advancing in overwhelming
nothing could save the day but divine
intercession, SO they uttered a prayer
to the Thunder Birds. Forthwith a
terrific thunderstorm came up drench-
ing the Confederates and wettfng their
powder. while the Union forces re-
mained dry and victorious. Historical
research shows that there was such a
battle. and that II was decided by a
shower Of rain. but the books make no
mention of the Thunder Birds.
Some of these Indians did Invaluable
service as scouts and spies in the civil
war. One OF
Invaluable Service them still
During the Civil War. Of nou , S'v u.
escaped after having been captured
by a small detachment of Confederate
soldiers. He had a fine horse, which
had been used for fox hunting, and was
noted jumper The Confederates
made him put his hands in the air and
ride in front of them. Presently they
went down a road with a high fence
on either side. At this point the In
dian had a most peculiar seizure. He
began to squirm and twist and wriggfe
in his saddle. The Confederate officer
asked him what was the matter. He ex-
planned that some kind of a bug had
bitten him right In the middle of the
back, and he was crazy with the desire
to scratch. His contortions were so
expressive that the officer began to feel
itchy himself Finally he told the III
dian, who had been disarmed, to scratch
and be done with it. The Indian had
a gun cleverly concealed in his sleeve.
He carefully scratched around to this
drew it, shot the officers mount. jumped
his own over the fence, and escaped be-
cause there was no other horse in the
detachment that could follow
In addition to studying the Indians
that are still with us, the scientists OF
this new and enterprising museum are
making special study of material near
home. DR.. Alanson Skinner of the sci
entif1c staff, formerly assistant curator
of the Museum Of Natural History, has
just returned from an exploration OF
the SusQuehanna river valley. This
was q most unusual exploring expedi-
tfon, in that 1t generally camped on
Yarns or in the suburbs of cities
Nevertheless, interesting remains were
discovered of a little known and re-
markable tribe of Indians-the An
dastes of Conestogas These Indians
lived along the Susquehanna in the
days before the famous Iroquois con-
federacy reached its greatest strength.
saw much of them alive was Capt
John Smith, who came over about 500
years ago.
x*
He says that these Anda stes were the