Daily Kennebec journal., 1922-02-10
Simple Rites Mark ',
Passing Oldest Indian

Cass Lake. Mimi, Feb. 9-The
body of Gable Nah -Gewn- once,
Americas Oldest Indian and probab
ly the Oldest man in America, was
buried here today with simple ser
vices, according to the white mans
creed and with none of the rites of
his tribe. He was in his 13Sth year.
During the funeral ceremony busi-
ness here was at a standstill Indians
from all parts of the Northwest
thronged the town to pay their re-
spccts to the Chippewa chieftain.
1t is declared to be reasonably au-
thentic that the Indian Ga Be- Nah
Gewn- Wonce was about 125 years
Old.
The United States Bureau of In
dian Affairs, the American Scenic
and Historic Preservation society.
and various other historical societies
that have interested themselves in
this famous aborigine, in fact, had
been led to accept the claim of Ga
Be Nah -Gewn- Wonce and his fellow
Indians on the Minnesota reservation
that he was "the oldest living person
in the world"
The date of his birth had been
figured back by some authorities as
carly as 1887. which would have
made him 135 years old tOday-iust
about as old as the Constitution of
the United States-while others con-
tended that he was born in 1898,
which would have made him 12S.
Ga-Be- Nah -Gewn-W was also
known as Wah- ha -gunta, and would
even answer to plain John Smith.
According to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs, he was fire maker of the
once powerful Blackfeet tribe. His
declining days were spent on the
north bank of Mud lake. IL miles
from the village of Ball Club, Mime
sofa. where he lived in a hut of
birch bark. He outlived several
wives. and when long past the CEN
tury mark he was still young enough
to WOO another.
His once powerful frame had slow
ly wasted. his hair turned pure
WHllc. anu HIS ldCe DtNeitllC SNsihitu
like walrus hide, but his step was
still sprightly and he never stepped
from his hut without humming some
tune. His unusual fondness for music
was one Of his peculiarities. Often
he walked the II miles to Ball Club
to hear piano or violin, his favor
ite musical instruments. When a
,;,. cty II tho old
Indian would smile broadly. his black
bcady eyes would sparkle, and he
would lift his shoulders and snap his
fingers in real cabaret style.
Historians made use of the Indians
remarkable memory to corroborate
stories of the Indian fights. some Of
them back as far as 1900. Smith
was often able to give the year,
month, and sometimes the day of In
dian happenings that had been lost
track of.
One event in his early life which
the aged Indian related in detail and
which he declared is imprinted even
more firmly in his memory than i'm
portant happenings of the last few
years, is q massacre by the Sioux In
dians in Minnesota near the present
sites of the Twin cities. The maSsa-
ere resulted from an effort by mis-
sionary known to the Indians as
Pah- degree, to effect a conciliation
between the Sioux and Chippewas.
Many hundred Of the latter We're
slain. Smith says he was but ten
yaarS old at that time
The falling of the stars" the
shower of meteors TINT occurred in
1888. he recalled minutely. He was
about 40 years old at that time.
In recent interview Smith said.
through an Interpreter, that 40 years
ago he could speak English quite
fluently, but that in recent years
since his mind became less active,
the language almost deserted him.
Indian customs. closely followed,
he considered the big factor in OK
tending life so long. His Oldest ac-
quaintances never recall having seen
him sit in chair or lie in q bed.
He was Just as much opposed to
many other customs of the whites,
for he contended that they were con-
trary to the laws of nature.