The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-01-25
Jasper RIines SHES His Castor Into
Ring and Throws Bomb at
Cherished Tradition
of That City.
SAYS RED BIRD PLANTED
That Frenehman, Tasson, Was Of Lit
tile Account and Indian Carried
Trees from Mouth OF
Missouri

That, after all that has been writ
! ten and told about lesson planting
! the famous Montrose apple trees
/ carefully protected by that munich
psiity, lesson never did plant them
and himself was che-wal-is-wi, is
the historical bombshell that Jasper
Biines throws without warning at the
most cherished legend of Lee county.
This truthful and historically valu-
able account of the Montrose apple
trees, and of the many prominent
Indians who were well known to
their own people and to the white
pioneer settlers of Lee, Clark. Han
cock and all the territory within a
radius of hundred miles, is here
given prominence because of its
merit in local history" he says in
his article, which is one Of series
in the Kahoka Gazette-Herald.
And this is how he proceeds to
give prominence TO the story of the
Montrose apple trees and some other
things:
Red BIRD Was Coed Indian.
8 half-breed Indian Of the Sac and
Fox nation. by the name of Red
Thomas Abbott, had his wick-e-up,
OF tent, near the spot where the
apple trees are, as early as 1890. He
and / knew him well, D. w Kill
as saying. He was an intelligent
and noble Indian.
have sat under these very trees
20 -,
alton and have had from his own lips
what / believe TO be reliable his
tory OF these identical trees.
The first time / knew them my
curiosity was excited, and / took no
little pains to ascertain the facts in
to them Red Birds story
was confirmed by Black Hawk and
other aged Indians OF the tribe.
Got Them at st. Charles.
Biines continues to quote XIII
bourne thus:
1t was the custom OF the Indians
to make at least annual pilgrimages
to St. Louis 10 visit their good father.
General Clark, agent OF Indian af-
,airs. and 10 receive their supply Of
blankets and other necessaries.
Now, somewhere between 1880 and
L7eS, Red Bird paid his annual visit
to st. Louis, in the spring.
On his return he stopped few days
a. st. Charles, on the Missouri river,
lnd when about TO leave for home
: Che mo-coInan (good white mani
made him a present of about twenty
petite apple trees. put up il a bundle.
with the roots protected, and in
structed him how 10 plant them near
his own wick-e-up.
The Indian Planted Them.
Red Bird brought them all the way
IN MS hand and planted them pro.
among the forest trees
near his own home.
He protected them by placing
stakes around them. and they grew
up slim and tail in consequence OF
baing much shaded
| know il has been claimed BIZ
some that lesson. a Frenchman.
planted these trees. He did stop
awhile with Red Bird. fleeing from
some epidemic that prevailed for q
time in ST Louis.
Red Bird and other Indians often
told me that lesson was q very poor
man. that he lived while there
around in the different wick-e-ups,
and that they lodged and fed him.
and ne never furnished them with
provisions, as he claimed. and that
re never purchased an acre OF land
from the nation Of those who had
authority TO sell
Red Bird Called lesson Names.