The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1893-10 - 1893-12

              The Word Carrier.
VOLUME   XXII.
HELPING   THE   RIGHT.   EXPOSING   THE   WRONG.
NUMBER   10, 11, 13.
santee agency, nebbaska. OCTOBER-NOVEMBER-DECEMBER, 18Q3.
FIFTY CENTS PEE YEAE.
OUR PLATFORM.
For Indians we want American Education! We want American Homes!
We want American Rights! The results of which is American Citizenship!
And the gospel is tlie Power of God for
tlieir Salvation!
The Mrs. Waldron and Black Tomahawk land case has come to be
one of the test cases which will now
be quoted in law books and courts
for years. Mrs. Waldron being a
person of Indian descent, with two
white grandfathers, claimed Indian
rights and homesteaded a quarter
section of valuable land opposite the
City of Pierre, South Dakota. Some
speculators secured a full blood Indian, Black Tomahawk, to jump her
claim and contest the case. It is
now therefore decided that the child
follows the condition of the father;
and that all half-bloods whose fathers
or any of their fore-fathers were white
men have no rights as Indians.
The weak point in the decision is
that it does not recognize clearly nor
define the status of those adopted into the Indian tribes, both white men
and half-bloods. Some white men
have been formally adopted into Indian tribes. And multitudes of persons having a trace of white blood
in their veins are and have always
been recognized as Indians. In ninety-nine oases out of a hundred the
white blood is originally from the father. So that the decision is an
evident absurdity. The point is not
settled yet. In all probability the
case will be carried further. The
Half-Bloods Association in the Sioux
Country is strong and has too mueh
at stake to let the case drop here.
A monument for the grave of
Stephen B. Biggs has just been
completed at the works of L. W.
Tenney, Sioux Falls, S. D. It will
soon be shipped to Beloit,Wis., and
put in place. It is made of the
Sioux Falls jasper granite with polished front face, hammered corners,
and the other sides rough. The up
right slab is 3 feet 4 inches by 3
feet 6 inches, and 14 inches thick.
It stands on a base of the same
stone 4 feet 4 inches by 2 feet 6
inches. The inscription upon tbe
polished face is simply
STEPHEN RETURN RIGGS.
BORN    MAR.   23.   1812.
DIED   AUG.   2 4.   18 8 3.
MISSIONARY
TO   THH
DAKOTA  INDIANS.
His grave is beside that of his
wife, in whose memory he wrote
"Mary and I." A plain heavy head
stone of Massachusetts granite
marks her grave in token of the eastern home from which she came.
While this stone from the "Landof
the Dakotas" commemorates their
missionary field.
In circular number ten, Mr.
Herbert Welsh has sent out, in the
name of the Indian Bights Association, a statement of affairs at Lower Brule Agency, which according
to our knowledge of the facts is a
partial and partizan account. We
have nothing to say about the efficiency of the new Agent Dr. Treon.
We hope he is all that Mr. Welsh
certifies to. It might, however, after his experience with Capt. LeBoy
Brown at Pine Bidge,  be safer for
him to give the certificate a little
later. Senator Pettigrew's manner of doing things may be open to
criticism, but it is going further
than any one has a right to do to
say that his effort in behalf the
portion of the Lower Brules who
felt they had been deceived and
wronged was "contrary to law and
justice."
CHRISTIAN LrVING.
Dr. A. F. Schauffler once said,
"What mission work in New York
City most needs is consecrated
flesh and blood." From his experience as superintendent of mission work in that city he could
speak with authority. I suppose
that every mission field most needs
the same thing, consecrated human
flesh and blood. The christian
should present his body "a living
sacrifice." He should, is to be, "a
living epistle known and read of all
men." In the parable of the tares
"the good seed are the children of
the kingdom."
The heathen, is perhaps slow to
read our books or to understand their
meaning. He can read character
better and knows if "our actions
belie our words." Alas he often
finds that the missionary is not as
good as the Book he teaches.
Among the Dakotas we can see
the influence of the white man.
The home of a white man with
an Indian wife is better than an
Indianhome. There is usually more
order and cleanliness, furniture,
etc. The children are better clothed
and fed and are more apt to get
an education. But the majority of
the whites among the Indians are
not christians. They have few morals and many vices. The white
man can curse his Indian wife at
pleasure. As he just takes her Indian fashion he can leave her when
he desires.
I heard an Indian cursing his
oxen the other day. "Ah," said a
white man, "he is getting civilized."
In that kind of civilization our
Indians are quite well advanced.
We wish it were otherwise. Hence
we need "consecrated flesh and
and blood" among the Dakotas.
The children just out of school
need christian example and christian sympathy. Let all of us who
live among the Dakotas who love
Christ live for Him that they may
see our good works and glorify our
Father in Heaven.
E. J. Lindsey.
tribe, preaching the Gospel, specially instructing such as would receive
it, and then moving on to new tribes.
"Our own elevation," he said, "has
been the work of centuries; and,
remembering this, we should not
indulge in overwrought expectations
as to the elevation which those who
have inherited the degradation of
ages may attain in our day."
And so it happened that, whenever and wherever he traveled in
the years to come, he sowed the
seed as he went. Far and wide he
flung it; and far and wide, even to
this day, his name is remembered
with respect. The principle which
actuated him through it all is contained in those well-known words
of his: "The end of the geographical feat is only the beginning
of missionary enterprise."—David
Livingstone bg Montifiore.
LIVINGSTONE'S MISSIONARY POLICY.
Livingstone believed far more
could be effected by native agencies
than by European; that the vast
needs of Africa could only be met by
raising up a suitable supply from
the practically inexhaustible material at hand. His views, however,
differed from the accepted ideas
of missionary labor. Projected
over a series of years and much toil,
they revealed the true proportion
and perspective of events and efforts. He became convinced—and to
be convinced with Livingstone was
to be enthusiastic as well—that the
evangelizing of Africa was not to
be achieved in its earliest stage by
building stations and settling permanently among one people; but rather by staying a few years with each
CHESTER ARTHUR.
Four year ago a boy of fifteen
who had been for a few years at school
at Ft. Berthold decided to go away to
the higher school at Santee. He
bravely started off from the mission
house in company with our beloved
Alfred Mandan who was returning
to sehool after a summer vacation
spent with his people. Chester's
father and mother stood watching, holding back their feelings
till the boy was out of sight.
He had been for one year in our
mission home school at Ft. Berthold,
and this with Alfred Mandan's help
influenced him to go to the higher
christian school, his father consenting to let his son go with a young
man in whom he had confidence.
There he gave himself to God,
and   made good   progress  in  his
studies. He developed into a strong,
manly christian.   He was always
anxious to make progress.     This
led him to prolong his stay at Santee for  a third  year.    When   he
returned home for a vacation  at
the end of that time, he tried to
teach his people about the Christ
he had found.   Especially did he
talk to his father of the gospel way.
He gained the respect of the white
men on the agency by his earnestness.   In the fall, notwithstanding
the death of Alfred  Mandan,  and
the death of his older sister, he still
decided to return to  Santee  and
continue his studies.   He hoped to
be able to become a preacher and
teacher to his people.   He seemed
strong and able, and to be growing in
christian character,   and  we  had
great hopes of his usefulness.   His
return last summer in such a low
bodily condition was a surprise and
a sorrow to us.
After visiting at his father's home
for some days, he came and spent
, a while with us. Then he returned
j home, and later went to the hospital at the new agency, to be near
the doctor. He failed steadily till
the end, October 25.
All through these last days he
was patient, and brave, and helpful to those who came to see him.
He tried to persuade those who were
not christian to take the right way.
In one of my last visits to him,
his little nephew went with me to
see him for the last time. He cried
when he saw Chester so ill, but
Chester said: "tell him stop." I
said, "Chester, do you want to say
anything to me, before I go ?" He
thought a moment and then asked,
"What shall I do with my Bible."
I   mentioned  his nephew's name,
and said, "talk to him and tell him
to use the book as you would do,
if you were not going away from
us."    After the  funeral later  his
mother told me, that he said that
Nathan was to have the Bible, but
if he  should  become  foolish  and
thoughtless he was to give it back.
I   asked again  if there  was  any
other word he wished to say, and
as I bent over him he said, "Shall
I wear my uniform?"    His Santee
school uniform was to him a part of
his confession of faith, a sign of his
partnership with God's people in effort for better living. A few days later
I was sent for, themessengercoming
twenty miles. Chester was going and
wanted me.  1 reached him, it was
Sunday night. He expected to die before morning, a number were sitting
about his bed.   He had been dressed
in his uniform pantaloons and white
shirt and collar.    After I came he
made them prop him up on the bedside, and put on his vest, though it
cost him great effort.    I told him to
rest, for he would not die yet, I
should see him again in the morning. I left him quietly Monday morning trusting.
Two days later I arrived just
after his death. The next day we
buried him on the bluff two miles
back of the new mission house at
Elbow Woods. His father could
not be there, as he was an invalid across the Missouri river. The
mother and a number of weeping
women, and a few men followed to
the grave.
There was no attempt at heathen
scarification. The mother, though
tired out with nursing day and
night, bore herself bravely. She
said Chester told me to tell his
father not to cry, for he said, "1
know where I am going. I want you
to take this way and we shall be
together in heaven." His mother
gave me his Christian Endeavor
hymn book. She said he wanted
me to have it.
The next day I crossed the river
and rode  five miles to break the
news and give the message of the
departed son to the invalid father.
I found the father, who had been
a very  strong man, weakened by
illness.   I sat by him a few minutes
while he wept on seeing me.   Then
I began to talk of his son's courage
and faith, and of my talk with him.
Soon he asked me if he were dead?
Then I gave the  message  and by
and by he said through his tears,
"I will hear  my son's words and
yours and not cry much. He assured
me also that he would listen to the
words  concerning following in his
son's way to God. I prayed earnestly with him and left.    The mother
seems in earnest to follow her son's
God.    I believe that his  life  has
been the means of salvation to the
mother and father and to many
others.    Nineteen   years!  a brief,
but fruitful life.    We pray for wisdom and love to gather its fruits.
All his teachers, who have labored for him, will rejoice with us in
his triumph over the last enemy.
"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord
Their works do follow them."
C. L. Hall.
Fort Berthold, :.'. D., November 4, 1893.