The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-03-03

for wood. ] had long carved Indians. I also
carved the figure of notary for a notary's door
in Montreal. But for years have done mostly
angels and apostles and saints
Johns art will not altogether die with him.
He leaves behind him a nephew Edouard Mar
cote, trained in his craft, and Ste. Anne though
the great master of wood carving is no more,
will not be deprived of sacred iconography"
While some dealers commissioned" home
talent carvers to execute" their Indians, the
wide demand gave birth to a new trade. Re
search has failed to disclose any evidence Of
a factory for making wooden Indians, but the
braves were carried as a line by the drum
mers" for wholesale tobacco houses and pic
lures of Indians graced their catalogues.
Edward Hen one of the leaders in the to-
bacco business in the East, found profit in the
propagation of the Indian race and adj
vertised the braves for sale as early as 1856.
In 1871 Hen assembled in an old five-story
building in New York city congress of wooden
Indians. certainly fearful sight. Hundreds OF
red men, squaws and white figures. all freshly
and daringly painted, lined the walls.
twenty-five dollars was the average price for
the commonest variety of wooden Indian-often
braves which had been traded for other figures,
and repainted. But what a difference time has
made in the cigar store Indian market 1t might
be possible to buy for s25 in these depressed
times, but it's very doubtful
Several years ago the Cleveland Plain Dealer
conducted wooden Indian contest" which
brought to light number of these interesting
relics and as a result of them, Seneca
john" alias 1.-THE Tifin Tecumseh,' achieved
a lasting place in the annals of American an
Equities when he was sold by Albinus Elehert,
a farmer living near New Riegel Ohio, fol. 500
to Henry Ford, who has given the redskin
permanent home in his museum of American
antiques at Dearborn, Mich. Mr.. Ford had had
a "squaw' for some time, but desiring a mate
for her, he instituted a search for one which
resulted in his acquiring Seneca john
year or so ago Mark Sullivan, writing in
the New York Herald Tribune the many
signs of rapidly changing America, said "An-
other news item that makes vivid the quick pass
ing of recently familiar features of American
life is this In the New York Herald Tribune !:
Penn Yam. n. Y.-One of the last members
of a vanishing tribe of wooden Indians has been
purchased for 500 by an antique dealer here.
year ago the hand-carved Indian was sold by
a Montour Falls tobacconist for s10.
"a 1000 per cent increase in value within a
year suggests extreme rapidity in the process
of antiquation. So quickly does change come in
America that before one knows 1t, an institution
or familiar detail of the surface of life be-
comes antique"
AS matter of fact It would seem that both
Mr.. Ford and the antique dealer in Penn Yam,
N Y, got real bargains when they paid only
500 for their wooden Indians. For NJ L. Blum
entha writing In the Saturday Evening Post
only short time ago, reported finding "a much
battered wooden Indian of the sort without
which no cigar store considered au fait or
even de rigueur twenty-five years ago. I'm junk
shop and the dealer asked $3.50 for 1t. declaring
that the price was mot out of the way at all.
It's male Indian-squaws are cheaper-and it's
a good example of early American carving"
But his statement that squaws are cheaper
is not borne out by the following item which
appeared soon afterwards in the Paris (Mo)
Mercury: ut is not generally known. but cigar
Indians formerly the outdoor sign of cigar
stores have become valuable antiques. and good
specimens bring as high $500. firm Of deal
ers has been negotiating with the Paris Cigar
company for the very plump and handsome
squaw that has graced Main street. Paris. now
for more than forty years. but Frank Jones,
owner and manager, Is man OF sentiment, and
has, it is said, turned down an offer OF $500 Tor
her. You see.' he said. she's been here so long
and never knocked about either the CONVERSE