Evening star., 1934-12-30

r Tow Sitting Bull was stalked
- by autograph hunters and
had to have help with his
fan mail was recalled yes
terday by Lieut. Col. George Patrick
Ahern, U. s. A., retired, as he celebrat-
ed his 18th birthday anniversary and
reminisced over long Army career in
which his association with the famed
Sioux was one Of the high lights.
Fifty-two years ago, that was-a
long, long time, Col. Ahern says. in
retrospect. 1t was subsequent to the
Custer massacre. and Ahern, a strip
ling second lieutenant, was just out
of West Point. Following the Little
Big Horn battle, Sitting Bull and l54
OF his companions. in flight, headed
into Canada. But the British govern
ment had enough trouble of its own,
without taking on the Sioux, and
mounted police eventually round
ed up the fugitives, and deposited
them very carefully on the American
side Of the border. The leader was
taken to Fort Randall, in what was
then Dakota Territory. and now South
Dakota, and there he was interned.
Ahern Acted as Secretary.
Sitting Bull had come into wide
prominence and the public then was
no different than now, for once in GUS
tody, he began to receive letters from
all quarters, generally containing a
request for an autograph. In view
of the fact Sitting Bull knew no Ian
guage, but that of the Sioux. his cor
respondents had good chance to be
entirely out Of luck, but Col. George
Andrews, commandant at Fort Ran
dali, had an idea, and that was where
Lieut.. Ahern came in.
Under what probably was the oldest
detail ever given in the Army, the
young officer, mastering knowledge Of
the Sioux tongue, was assigned to act
in sort of secretarial capacity to the
Indian leader.
Col. Ahern chuckles:
II was tickled to death. There I
was, raised in New York, and with
my previous knowledge of Indians
confined to those in front Of cigar
stores, coming right up against the
real thing.
Asked for Money.
"I would read the letters to Sitting
Bull, whose invariable and first ques-
ton, was always whether there was
any money with the communication
Generally there was-a dollar or
two. If not. Sitting Bull would say
'sichi'-meaning no good-and there
was no autograph"
But when there was money in
closed Sitting Bull would scrawl his
name-two dots over the 81" and a
long dash over the two "t's"-and
back it would go. With this attended
to, his first port of call would be the
post exchange, with generally a pur-
chase of paint to decorate his fea-
lures, the principal item on his shop
ping list.
For several months Ahern acted as
Sitting Bulls personal companion,
and out Of this grew q warm friend
ship. Historians picturing Sitting
Bull in an unenviable light, have not
been fair to him, Col. Ahern insists.
Was Real Leader.
Sitting Bull was real leader" he
emphasizes. He had to be to reach
his position in the tribe. Politics and
family connections meant nothing to
the Sioux. They demanded leadership
and Sitting Bull had demonstrated
his fitness from the time he was q
boy of 16."
As the result of his friendship with
the Indian, young Ahern came to be
highly regarded by the tribesmen, and
in this he takes great pride.
IT was Irish-and friendly" he
says. They sense sincerity. found
the same thing among the wild people
of the Philippines years later. That's
the reason John Collier (Commis-
sioner of Indian affairs Is successful.
The Indians at once realize his sin
cerity. The same thing applies to
Robert Marshall of the Indian for
estry service. The soft talk of politic-
ians never went with Sitting Bull"
Col. Ahern, perhaps because he is
from race that has known travail,
has a warm spot in his heart for the
Indians generally.
They never had a square deal, but
were kicked around from place to
place" he declares.
Felt Sorry for Indians.
And though he led troops against
both Sioux and Blackfeet, the cam
paigning always was distasteful to
him.
st felt sorry for them every time
went into campaign" he says.
Forestry was another passion, and
at Montana Agricultural College,
where Ahern was professor Of mill
tary tactics, he established the first
course in forestry ever taught IN this
country.
II took that place under just one
consideration" he recalls. IT told
them wouldn't be called professor
It's not that I have anything against
that title, but I didn't feel that I
knew enough"
Col. Ahern later was head of the
Philippine forest service, and also has
written on this subject, well known
works being "Deforested America"
and Forest Bankruptcy in America"
Between times the veteran served
with distinction In the Spanish
American War, winning citation for
gaIlantry In action, and then during