The Coolidge examiner., 1935-08-02

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HE[<1 Through this canyon Of steel and
E.I~HA,7 stone nows an endless streRm Of
H<4 hurryinE humanity and raucous
trafnc For this Is Lake street. The
northern boundary of ChicaEo's famous Loop.
on q summer day In the year 1856.
on a summer day a hundred years ago this
same Lake street. then little more than dusty
trail along the bank OF the Chicago river. was
echonE 10 more hideous discord than could
be produced BY all the modern streets l.
trains street cars and motor vehicles combined
over In the council house beyond the river 50
Indian warriors had assembled thar morning
Now they had crossed the river and were nd.
vaucinE eastward IN Lake street toward Fort
Dearborn.
Their oniy covering = strip of cloth about
the Joins and = profusion of paint of brilliant
coiors with which the face and body were hid.
eously decorated Their hair. long. coarse, and
black. was gathered In a scalp lock on top OF
the head and protuEely decorated with hawk and
eagle feathers. some strung together SO As 10
extend down the back nearly TO the ground Led
by band of musicians. the procession moved
slowly. the warriors advancing with a continual
dance. In front Of every house along their course
a stop was made and extra feats wcre performed.
The musicians produced a dscordant din Of
hldeous noises by beating on hollow vessels and
striking sticks together" Thus writes Milo NJ.
Quaife In bis Chicago and the Old Northwest
But an even more graphic description is 20 fol
iow-the words OF q man who witnessed that
scene
on the corner OF Lake and Market streets
stood vile. two siorled barrack"-Mark Beau
blen's Sauganash. ChieaEos leading hotel
From It's second.story 'parlor" windows. n group
OF white people. mostly women. looked out upon
a terrifying spectacle. one Of the group was =
fka of
John ID. Cation. who has left this account Of what
be saw:
1T vas mid-August the morning was very
warm and the exeriions Of the warriors caused the
Precipitation 10 pour forth almost In streams Their
eyes we're Wild and od-shot. their counte-
nances had assumed expression % al the
worst passions which can ind a place In the
breast OF a savage: fierce anger. terrible hate.
dire revenge. remorseless cruelty. all were ex.
pressed IN their terrible features Their muscles
stood out In great hard knots. as II wrought 10
n tension which must burst them. Their toma.
hawks and clubs were thrown and brandlshed
about 10 every direction with the most terrible
ferocIiy. and with a force and energy which
could only result from the highest excitement.
and with every step and every gesture they Ut
tered the most frightful yells In every imagin-
able key and note though generally the highest
and shrlllest possible
The dance which was ever continued. con
sisted OF leaps and spasmodIc steps. now for
ward and now back or sideways. with the whole
body distorted into every Imaginable unnatural
position. most generally STOPPING forward. with
the head and face thrown up. the back arched
down first one foo, thrown forward and then
Withdrawn. and the other similarly thrust out.
frequently squatfing quite to the ground. and
ali With movement almost as quick as light
ming. Their weapons were brandished as II they
would slay a thousand enemies at every blow.
while the yells and screams they uttered were
broken up and multiplied and rendered all the
more hideous by rapid clapping OF the mouth
with the hand
when the head Of the column had reached
the front OF the hotel. leaplng. dancing gesticu-
latns and screaming while they looked up with
hell itself depicted on their faces. at the che
mokoman' (whIte man's) squaws In the windows.
and brandIshed their weapons as II they were
about 10 make a real attack In deadly earnest.
the rear was still on the other side OF the river.
100 yards of: and all the intervening space.
including tae bridge and It's approaches. was
covered With this raging savagery giistening In
the sun. reeking with streamy sweat fairly
frothing at their mouths as with unaffected rage.
u eeemed as II we had a picture OF hell itself
before US and carnival OF the damned spirits
there confined. whose pastimes we may suppose
should present some such scene this"
What was the meaning OF this orgy OF saw
agery by these SO Pottawatomie Indians7 To
answer that question II Is necessary TO 20 back
two years. In the early autumn OF 1893 the
greatest Indian council ever held In Chicago
gathered there to consider the proposals OF the
American commissioners, Gov. George B. Porter
OF Michigan. Thomas :. V. Owen. Indian agent
~ Chicago. and william Weatherford. for the
cesson of the lands of the Pottawatomies to the
government.
At first the Indians refused the terms offered
NJ the commissioners. But after much per