Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-03-17
CHAPTER XIV
Ducit Amor Patriae

Ducit Amor Patriae
It was the last week In August when
John Levine was summoned before
the commission. Lydia and Amos
were summoned with him.
There were two long tables at one
end Of the room behind one of which
sat the three commissioners. At the
other table were the official stenog-
raphers end Charlie Jackson. Before
the tables were chairs and here were
John Levine and Kent, Pa Norton,
and Billy, old Susie and younger
squaw, with several bucks.
Lydia gave sigh of relief when
Levine caught her eye across the
room and smiled at her. She looked
at the commissioners curiously. She
knew them fairly well from the many
newspaper pictures she had seen of
them. The fat gentleman, with pene-
trating blue eyes and clean-shaven
face, was Senator Smith Of Texas.
The roly-poly man, with black eyes
and a grizzled beard, was Senator FL
way of Maine, and the tall, smooth
SudV6u Uudu Will rcu udlI WAS SCu-
ator James Of New York.
"Mr. Levine" said Senator Smith,
I'VE have found that you had carried
on so many-er-transaction that we
finally decided to choose three or four
sample cases and let our case stand
on those. Jackson, call Crippled
Bear"
Charlie spoke quickly to one Of the
bucks, who rose and took the empty
chair by Charlie.
He began to talk at once, Charlie
interpreting slowly and carefully.
81 am mixed blood. Many moons
ago the man Levine found me drunk
in the snow. He picked me up and
kept me in his house over night.
When I was sober, he fed me. Then
he made this plan. 1 was to gather
half dozen half-breeds together, he
come up to the reservation and talk
to us. 1 did this and he came. We
were very hungry when he met us In
the woods and he gave US food and
money. Then he told US he was going
to get the big fathers at Washington
to let us sell our pines so we could
always have money and food. Never
be hungry any moreover.
''Then he said while he was getting
that done, he would pay us little
every month to go through the woods
and chop down the best trees. The
Big Father will let whites get dead
and down timber out Of Indian woods,
he said. But not let whites cut any.
SO we say yes, and though full bloods
are very mad when we cut down big
trees, we do it. For many moons we
do 1t and in winter, white men haul
It to sawmills.
Every little while, Levine comes
up there and we have council and
tell him everything that happens. All
about things Marshall and other
whites do. And he pays us always.
Then he tells us that the Big Father
will let mixed bloods sell their pine
lands but not full bloods. So then we
agree when he wants any full blood
land to swear that any full blood is
mixed And we have done this now,
perhaps twenty times"
The mixed blood and Charlie paused.
Mr.. Smith took up paper. II have
here, Mr.. Levine, statement Of your
dealings with the Lake City Lumber
company. You have had sawed by
them during the past six or eight
years millions of feet of pine lumber.
I find that you are holding Indian
lands In the name of Lydia Dudley
and her father, Amos Dudley, these
lands legally belonging to full bloods.
Amos Dudley is also the purchaser Of
land from full bloods, as Is William
Norton, ST., through you"
Levine rose quickly. Gentlemen"
he exclaimed, surely you can find
enough counts against me without In
Guiding Miss Dudley, who has never
heard of the matter you mention"
Commissioner James spoke for the
first time. Suppose we go on with
the witnesses before we open any dis
cussion with Mr.. Levine. Jackson,
what have these squaws to tell?"
Charlie called old Susie. And OLD
Susie told Of the death Of her daugn-
ter from starvation and cold, this
same daughter having sold her pines
to Levine for a five-dollar bill ana
dollar watch. She held out the watch