Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-06-18

they We're to sur
vive. They select
ed an eght-year-old boy to carry the
news of their plight through the lines
of the Cheyennes and across ~ miles
OF prairie TINT separated them from
Topeka.
Charles Curtis was the lad picked
for that hazardous errand. He took 4
supply OF dried buffalo meat. won his
way through the Cheyennes. and trot-
ted and trudged all the way to Tope-
ka to get the aid that reached the
kaws in time to save them. That was
In 1868. when the West was really
wild and wooIly, when buffalo roamed
the plains, when Indians still fought
and scalped.
The boys father was white mau,
a New Englander Of good birth. His
Indian heritage came through his
mother. ii descendant OF White Hair.
famous Usage chief. White Hair was
the great-great-great grandfather Of
the lad who brought relief to the be-
leaguered kaws. The boy was attend
Ing school ut the Kaw agency. living
there with his mothers people. when
the Cheyennes took the warpath.
The little fellow. destined to be-
come leader of the United States sen
ate and vice president of the United
States, was brought up in the Indian
tradition that fortitude. ability to
stand hardships. and physical superb
GRITTY were traits to cultivate from
the crM1le.
Before his mother died. which was
when he vas three, he had learned
to swim and to ride His mother had
put him on the back OF an Indian pony
when he was year old. Ii was she,
also, who taught him to swim. lie
could follow trail, catch fish and
hunt when he was OF the kinder
garten age OF the present generation.
He was born In 1860 In h log cabin,
near the banks of the Kansas river,
in what is now North Topeka. The
great outdoors of the prairie was his
early school room. There he learned
>tAe lessons that were Of so much help
to him In getting his feet on the first
rungs of the ladder OF success.
After his mothers death he went
to live with his Indian relatives, but
following the Cheyenne raid he re-
{nfn hfy fat e,fa .ttL ~ A., c..
theirs parents at North Topeka. There
he entered the grade schools, attend
ing them during the winters until he
was sixteen.
Almost born on the back OF pony,
he spent his summers as a jockey, rid
ing in races ut the country fairs. He
was famous as jockey all over the
state and the frontier country by the
time lie was ten. He rode the horses
Of his father and other owners In the
sprint races that were such fea-
ture OF western fairs those days.
He was riding at Kansas City
track when Jesse James and his gang
held up the course In 1872. The ban
dts were after money only, but the
lad thinking they might steal his ia
vorite horse, hid the animal until they
rode away.
While he got bad fall when
horse bolted with him in a race, the
marks Of which he still carries on his
face, he didn't quit racing until his
wise Indian grandmother advised him
to leave horses alone and study, that
he might amountto something In life.
She gave him this advice after he
started with her tribe on migration
to Oklahoma, then Indian territory.
Persuaded by her to return to To-
peka. he resumed his schooling. He
drove d hack at night to pay his way
through high school. He turned down
fine contract as a jockey so he
might follow the advice OF his Indian
grandmother and get an education.
He was good student, once hIs
mind was made up to find career
for himself. He made particular
strides In elocution, and delivered the
commencement address when he was
graduated. 1t so impressed the wife
OF lawyer In the audience that she
induced her husband to take the
youngster into his office.
That is how Charles Curtis began
the study Of law that was to help him
reach such high places. He was ad-
mitted to the bar In 1881. He went to
congress In 1892. rose rapidly to d
commanding position as legislator,
and was his party's successful nom-
inee for vice president Of the United
States.
20, by The North American Newspaper Ailiance}