qnh.di&'V./ . "i rf U
Coneervative
,
I
Conservative.
J. STERLING MORTON , Editor.
A Weeldy Journal devoted to the Dis
cussion of Political , Economic and Socio
logical Questions.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
Ono dollar and a half per year , in advance ,
postpaid , to any part of the United States or
Canada. Remittances made payable to The
Morton Printing Company.
Address , THK CONSKHVATIVK , Nebraska
City , Neb.
Advertising Rates made known upon appli
cation.
Nebraska City , Thursday , July 21 , 1S9S.
therefrom as far as they extended were
menaced with a demand for ten dollars
each which the Indians claimed could
alone remunerate them for the occupa
tion of the lands until the succeeding
spring , in lieu of the deferred payment
by the government. So persistently
was this claim of the Indians made and
so general did the fright become among
all the squatter's on the described terri
tory , that a convocation at the office of
Governor Mark W. Izard , in Omaha , of
prominent white citizens and the head
men and braves of the Omaha tribe was
authoritatively assembled. Henry Fonta-
nello acted as interpreter. Many
speeches were made by both Indians and
white men. At last the orator "White
Cow took the floor. He was of com
manding figure , standing about six feet
three inches in his moccasins. His chest
was broad and deep and strong. His
head was well set on , and symmetrically
proportioned. His hair was perfectly
blackjthough here and there were threads
which indicated that Time with its dye
of years was beginning to tell that
youth had departed , that middle life had
also passed and that age was soon to
drift its snow all over his locks. His
pose was always one of gracefulness and
strength. He wore a breechclout and
leggings of buckskin and a large and
beautiful buffalo robe. "While speaking
he allowed the robe to rest wholly upon
the left shoulder and exposed his right
ami and right breast which were scarred
with battle wounds so that all the aud
ience could see that he was a veteran in
war. His hands were delicate and well
molded. He moved them and his fore
arm in gesturing with all the flexible
gracefulness that the more civilized Del-
sarto method has given to the gestures of
Bernhardt. His oration was delivered
one sentence at a time in the Omaha
language. The interpreter then gave it
to Governor Izard and the audience
in English. After speaking for some min
utes , standing squarely in front of Gov
ernor Izard , telling him with great
vehemence , and at times with touching
pathos , of the wrongs which had been
inflicted by the white men upon his race ,
lie at last said : "You remember only
two months ago I came and had a talk
with you , my brother. " To this the
governor nodded his head in assent.
White Cow proceeding said : "Then
you must remember the words which I
gave to you from down deep in my
heart. "
The governor was not a man of much
tact , nor did he understand Indian char
acter or the best methods of dealing
with Indians. Therefore very honestly
and in a somewhat apologetic tone he
said to Henry Fontanelle : "Tell him I
have forgotten what ho said. " No
sooner had this been translated into the
Omaha tongue and given to White Cow
than ho folded his arms and with a look
of the utmost derision and scorn upon
his featureswhirled on his heel like a top
and with his back to the governor , said
to Fontanelle : "Tell him that a man
who thinks and feels for his people as I
think and feel for the Omahas cannot
afford to waste his time in tallciug to a
person who has not mind enough to re
member what was said to him for even
two moons. "
The effect of this savage sarcasm and
the imperturbable look of superiority
and disdain which pervaded the coun
tenance of the speaker were superb and
beyond description. It was some mo
ments and after a good deal of diplo
matic parleying before.the composure of
the governor and the audience in gen
eral was restored. At last , however , a
satisfactory conclusion was reached and
the meeting adjourned.
\VIIITK cow GO Kg Several years
TO WASHINGTON , after the foregoing
event White Cow accompanied some
other leading Omahas to Washing
ton , in charge of General J. B. Robert
son , the then agent of the tribe. Every
where on the route and in Wasliingtou
the majestic figure and stately walk of
this splendid specimen of aboriginal
manliness and strength attracted atten
tion. White Cow , as he walked Penn
sylvania avenue or Broadway , a real
Indian , seemed the incarnation of the
ideal Indian whom Cooper and others
had portrayed. Much attention was
paid to him. His picture was taken by
many artists. Presents were made to
liim by men and by women in nearly
every city where he sojourned going
and coming while en route.
But at last the excursion was com
pleted and White Cow was again on his
native plains. For years ho was known
to all the settlers of Dakota county on
the north and Burt county 011 the south
of the Omaha reservation. No other
thoroughbred Omaha had achieved so
marked and distinctive an individuality.
Ho was always the friend of the wlu'to
man and generally an entertaining con
versationalist if one could speak his lan
guage or if an apt interpreter was at
hand.
Finally , after the election of Presi
dent Lincoln , Governor Robert W. Fur-
nas was made agent of the Omaha tribe
and located on the Blackbird reservation.
Very soon there sprang up between him
and White Cow a genuine friendship
which grow out of mutual respect.
Many and many were the talks which
the old Indian and the young agent had
together. Generally they were of the
most satisfactory and agreeable nature.
At last the agent came to understand
pretty thoroughly the facial expression
of his aboriginal ward and chum. It
came to such a pass that Furnas could
almost forecast the object of any visit
or proposed council which Mr. White
Cow evolved. But ho has admitted tome
mo that he never was more embarassed
by any speaker than by this aboriginal
orator. The occasion was this :
Wliite Cow called at the agency store
house with the interpreter , who in
formed Governor Furnas that they had
come 011 business of great importance to
White Cow and that ho hoped Furnas
would give them time for a big talk.
To this the agent assented. Thereupon
White Cow , shaking hands with Furuas ,
squared liimself for a verbal assault and
said :
"My brother , I have conie to you on a
matter of great importance to me and
my people. You know I have always
been your friend and the friend of every
white man. Not one drop of blood of
your people ever stained my hands.
Always I nave been to you and to your
race like a real brother. Our Great
Father at Wasliiugton knew this and so
he had me make him a visit there. Go
ing and coming I saw all of your big
villages. In every one of them the head
men and braves saw and talked with
me. They all know me. Everybody ,
from oui' Great Father back to the Mis
souri river , knows about White Cow.
All of the Indians on the plains
know of White Cow , the great
Omaha speaker. The Brule-Sioux
the Yanktons , the Dakotas , the Man-
dans , the Choyenues , the Arapahoes ,
the Otoes and the Pawnees all Indians
everywhere they , too , know White
Cow. And now , my brother , I came to
tell you that I am going up to see the
Poncas at the mouth of the Niobrara
river. I am going to make them a visit.
They are looking for me now. And
when a man of such distinction goes
visiting he must make large presents to
the people among whom ho stays.
Therefore I have come to ask you to
give mo three caddies of plug tobacco
that I may distribute them among the
Poncas while I am their guest. "
The speech , as Furnas now declares ,
was somewhat verbose and long-drawn-
out and ho had become rather tired of
the resonant flow of aboriginal elo
quence long before the peroration had
ended. Consequently in a rather listless
sort of tone and with no expression of
any particular satisfaction on his face ,
Agent Furnas said to a clerk in the of-