The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-03
"BLACK HAWK" Galena, I'LL.

ton or the weather, never so much as taken
trip, or changed the cut of her Clothes that it
would be cruel to uproot her and sell her either
down the river or up. have known her since
a small boy, and am downright attached to her.
Some things mean more than money. Ny squaw
is not for sale. She knows too much about Paris,
past and present, to risk out of sight, and in
addition know of no other man who can boast
of that rarest of all earthly blessings, wooden
sQuaw who cannot talk You have no idea how
satisfactory she is at tines"
Consider also the case of "Chief" who stands
in front Of a cigar store in Colorado Springs,
Colo Frank and Clinton Osborn proprietors
of the store say that they have had frequent
offers ranging all the way from $500 up to 81 900
for this compound metal warrior whom they OBJ
tanned at an auction sale of unclaimed goods
In a storage warehouse in that city some 20
years ago. But they have steadfastly refused all
offers for Chief"
Like the Osborns there are other owners Of
cigar store Indians who won't part with their
prizes for any price. There's Bob Parsons, pio-
neer tobacco dealer at Ashland, Wis, whose
store still is guarded, after 40 years, by fierce
eyed Chief Sitting Bull. Parsons is intensely
proud of his Indian. Thousands of tourists have
visited his store to view the brave Indians, too
come sometimes, but reverently.
Sitting Bull is an exact model of the great
chief who ruled the Dakota plains when white
men first pushed beyond the Mississippi river"
saws Parsons HE was carved for me by hand
from white pine by Herman Kruske, a wood
worker at Ashland, half a century ago."
Sitting Bull, a tall, bright yellow figure, DOM
mates the drab street that is his tribal domain.
The black braided hair, that holds a single
upright feather falls over the shoulders Of his
fringed buckskin coat. His left hand grips his
tomahawk; his right supports the end of huge
cigar He is the glorified realization of MEM
cries of cigar store Indians.
Each morning Sitting Bull is rolled to his
position before Parsons shop, which clings to
traditions of the past and sells tobacco only.
Each night he's rolled back into his tepee to
keep vigil over the darkened shop.
Parsons has refused several offers for Sit
ting Bull and declares he'll never sell him. He
hopes that when he's gone, the old chief Will De
cared for by the Chequamegon Bay Old Settlers
association
Chief Semloh CALIFORNIA; oldest Indian and
q veteran of the gold rush, stands before the
shop of S. e. Holmes In San Francisco. This
wooden brave was shipped around Cape Horn
on a sailing vessel in 1850 from New York, con-
signed to a pioneer tobacconist in Marysvtlle,
C.lif Marysville, 140 miles from San Francisco,
then was thronged with prospectors. CHIEF
Semloh did duty for 60 years in this mining
town and was well known to several generations
the rough treatment he received.
Ten years ago, new owners irreyerently COM
mitted Chief Semloh to the basement. Resur-
rected by his present owner, the old chief under
went surgery year ago and now is perhaps the
most modern Indian in the United States. At q
cost of several hundred dollars, Chief SENIOR
was equipped with a speaking voice and the
faculty of smoking cigars. Now he pufs away
and gives advice to smokers as he keeps guard
before Holmes shop.
An eighty-twoyear vigil before the door of the
Maltzberger cigar store, in Reading, Pa. ended
In 1929 for Old Eagle Eye, a blue-eyed wooden
Indian cut from a solid block of wood by 9
New York carver. He was purchased by cigar
store proprietors of the city and placed In the
Reading museum.
Several years ago, Old Eagle Eye was stolen
The Maltzberger hearts were heavy until 8
stranger dropped In, Juggling the aged warrior
In his arms. A friend had played trick on him
he said. Awakening from a nap, he found OLD
Eagle Eye in bed with him.
The weather-beaten brave went to the museum
still an unusual Indian, although bit battle
SCARED from his with the years and the
elements. The culver of arrows on his back II
hemmed up today with an iron brace and hi
war paint is little faded. But the plume on hi
bonnet is still intact, his right knee Is at TIKI
same brave angle and the blue eyes still starr
as stonily as they did fourscore years ago.
wooden Indian, popular in Cleveland
Ohio, disappeared mysteriously. Years late
workmen excavating for downtown bank build
ing there uncovered a red hand. Shocked. the.
stampeded and foremen completed the exnuma
ton, bringing up wooden Indian. 1t was identi
fed as the old Erie street warrior Of Gregor Al
bert and later was placed In the museum OF tn
Western Reserve Historical society.
&c by Western Newspaper Union,