The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-09-11

an age far past the proverbial threescore and
ten it marked the passing of the last of the
really great chiefs who fought so valorously
for their rights in the sixties and the seventies.
The Indian the buffalo nickel, however, is
not the only one for which notable red man
was the model. The other day a statue which
has stood at the foot Of Eighteenth street In
Chicago for nearly 40 years was removed from
its stone base and taken to the Chicago His
torical Society building for safekeeping until
its final disposal is determined. So travellers
coming into the Twelfth street station in Chi
cago over the Illinois Central or Michigan Cen
trail will no longer catch fleeing glimpse of
the spirited bronze group which once stood
near the site of the historic Fort Dearborn
massacre.
The group is representation of one Of the
most stirring incidents in that tragic affair. 1t
shows Black Partridge, Pottawatomie chief
tain, saving Mrs. Helm, wife Of one Of the Of
fcers of the Fort Dearborn garrison, from the
tomahawk of a bloodmad young brave. And
there's an interesting story connected with the
Indians who were used by the sculptor as his
models in making this piece Of statuary. For
they were other than Chief Short Bull of
the Brule Sioux, high priest Of the Ghost Dance
religion, which came so near to resulting in
great uprising Of the Sioux in 1S9O-91, and
Chief Kicking Bear Of the Miniconjou Sioux,
a fierce warrior who was irreconclable to DOM
ination by the white man and saw in the Ghost
Dance excitement chance to rouse his people
against their enemies.
How it happens that these two Indians from
the plains of the Dakotas came to be the models
for memorial to a tragedy on the shores of
Lake Michigan, is told in book published in
1898 "The Chicago Massacre of 1872" by Joseph
Kirkland as follows:
Carl Rohl-Smith Danish sculptor who had
already won distinction in Europe and America
and, who came to Chicago under the strong at
traction which preparations for the Worlds
Columbian exposition offered for all artists, won
notice and praise by his statue of Franklin cast
for the entrance Of the electrical building. He
was invited to prepare a model for a group
concentrating the Fort Dearborn massacre
of 1872.
MIR. Rohl-Smith set himself to work with ut
most diligence Fortune favored him; for there
happened to be just then some Indians Of the
most unframed sort at Fort Sheridan (only
few miles away in charge Of the garrison as
prisoners Of war, they having been captured
in the Pine Ridge district whereof the affair
of Wounded Knee was the chief event. By
General Miles permission Mr.. Rohl-Smith was
allowed to select two Of these red men to stand
as models for the principal savage figures in
the group. The two best adapted were Kicking
Bear and Short Bull
Concerning them Mr.. Rohl-Smith says Kick
ing Bear is the best specimen Of physical man
hood 1 have ever critically examined. He is
wonderful man and seems to enjoy the novelty
of posing besides evidently having a clear un-
derstanding Of the use to which his figure will
be put The assailant Of Mrs. Helm, the one
with the uplifted tomahawk (Short Bully fills
the historical idea that the assailant was
young Indian, naturally one who would not be
as fully developed as the vigorous, manly Black
Partridge The presence Of these Indians has
been of great value to me in producing the fig
ures. 1 have been enabled to bring out some
of their characteristics not otherwise possible
''The savages were accompanied by an inter-
prefer and the newspaper of the day gave some
amusing accounts Of their demeanor in the stu
dio-their mixture Of doclity and self-assertive-
ness, etc. 1t CHANGED that the real dispositions
of the two principal models were the reverse
of their assumed characteristics and Kicking
Bear (who when wearing his native dress and
war paint, carried string Of six scalps) was
much amused at the fact that he was assigned
the more humane part. 'Me. good Injun!" he
cried Him. bad Injun." And he laughed loudly
at the JEST
So the paradox connected with the model
for the Indian the buffalo nckel-that Of
press agent story with some basis Of fact not
being believed and press agent story with no
basis Of fact becoming an American myth-has
its counterpart in the paradox connected with
the model for the Indians In the Fort Dearborn
Massacre monument statue. So long as its
bronze endures Short Bull who was a vision
airy, a dreamer, man Of peace who did not
desire war with the whites, will continue to
threaten the life Of a woman Of the white race
And the figure Of Kicking Bear a warrior, q
hater Of the white man and leader who sought
to use religious frenzy to stir up his people
against the whites. win continue to hold out
restraining hand to save white woman's life I
q by Western Newspaper Union.)