The Coolidge examiner., 1935-08-02
agfs

already they were strangers 10 the land OF their
nativity.
Before quitting forever their ancient council
ground the warriors INDUCED in a last great war
dance. The matchless charm OF Irving has I'm
mortaliEed the Moors farewell to his beloved
land. More dramatic in It's picturesque sayagery.
and worther far OF the life be bad led. was the
PotsawAtonle's farewell TO Chicago Driven west
ward by tle advancing tide of civilization. in the
nnal moments Of their expiring tenure OF their
homeland the warriors gave a demonstration OF
their deyotion TO their ancient Ideals. by staging
before their conquerors such an exhibition OF
sayagery as appalled, the Stoutest hearts"
That exhibition vas the farewell dance which
took place on Lake street thar August day 100
years ago and Of which Judge Cation has left us
such a graphic description The story Of u forms
the last chapter OF Quaife's Chicago and the
old Northwest the last paragraph OF which
reads:
Thus did the red man play hls savage role
10 the end II was a brave show which he
enacted that summer morning. but II was nothing
more. For bin the seepter OF power bad depart
ed and this was his anal farewell few weeks
later De took up bis weary Journey toward the
sunset and Chicago knew him no more. The
red man had vanished and Chicago and Chi.
cngo's future were committed 10 the care Of
another and mIghtier race"
Today remnants OF the once powerful Potia.
waiomies the People Of the Place of the Fire.
live in Kansas and Oklahoma, far from the west.
ern shores OF Lake Huron where the early
French explorers irst found them. Their tribal
name is written large ia the history of the Old
Northwcst--as allies Of the French in the wars
with the English and as aids OF Pontiac In bis
vain attempt TO halt the advance OF the Brlton
after he bad wresied control OF North America
from the Frenchman. During the Revolution,
however. they sided with Great Britain IN her
war against her rcbelllous colonies and again
10 1872 they took up the hatchet agains, the
Americans Although many an American from.
iiersmnn had felt the wrath of the Pottawato.
niles. IL was the Fort Dearborn massacre on Au-
gust Is 1872, which wrote the name OF the "Fire
Nation" imperishaby In red In the annals OF the
United States. 49,
Just as the Potfawatomies were great as a
people. so were some OF their chiefs and warriors
outstanding among those Indians whose names
are recorded in the white mans history. There
was Makahta-penashe. The Black Bird" fierce
header 10 the massacre OF Dearborn's hapless
garrison. There was winamac. "The Catfish"
who boasted OF his part In the tragedy until
Spemicalawba the Shawnee friend Of the white
men. killed him and ended his boasting. And
there was Pesotum the slayer OF the famous
Capt. William Wells and one OF those who cut
out and ate the heart Of that gallant frontiers
man to win for themselves some OF the courage
for which he was famed
But not all OF the Pottawatomle names con
nected with the massacre connote savage cruelty
For there was Topnabee, wh& tried TO restrain
the murderous fury OF the young braves. and
pa- -Na,, ar,H has
meg. who tried in vain to save Wells after he
had been wounded incidentally. It was this
same Wlnamac who brought the fatal s-der for
the evacuation OF Fort Dearborn from General
Hull TO Captain Head and whose fame Is per
petuated in the city OF WInamac, Ind)
Be IL remembered also that it was Potta-
tonne chleftain Makata-pake, The Black Part
ridge" who saved Mrs. Helm. the wife OF young
lieutenant OF the garrison. from a warriors scalp
Ing knife and who later buried the remains OF
Captain Wells. Then there we're Sauganash
tBIlly CaldwelD and Che-chu- pin-quay CAlexan-
der Robinson)-half breeds but Pottawatomie
chiefs. nevertheless-who saved the lives Of more
than one white man that day
Nor can the roll call OF the outstanding Potta-
waiomies be completed without mention of
Metea. their great orator, Big Foot, whose home
village is now the resort town of Lake Geneva,
Wis. and Shabbona (or Shabonee), he who was
Built Like Bear" the peace chief Of the tribe.
II was Shabbona who proudly bore the title of
Friend OF the White Man" and proved his right
to It during the Winnebago and Black Hawk
uprisings not only by keeping his people from
going on the warpath but by risking his life
more than once to warn settlers that the hostiles
were coming. 9Iw
The passing OF the Pottawatomies took place
a full century ago but the fame of such men as
these win help keep alive the name of the "Fire
Nation"
eWsstern Newspaper Unlea.