USA > Indiana > Vermillion County > History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana : with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 2
USA > Indiana > Parke County > History of Parke and Vermillion Counties, Indiana : with historical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
Organization of County
249
Orphans' Home, The Collett
402
P
Perrysville 420
Petit Jury, First 254 J
Physicians of County
I
318
Plats, Original Village
J
1
362
Political Incidents
357
I
Poor Farm
257
HISTORICAL INDEX.
Population Statistics
364
Postoffices 366
Poverty and Happiness 373
Powder Mill Explosion 367 1
Pre-historic Races
1
1
1 1 1
1
235
1
Presbyterian Churches
293
Prices, Comparative
1
I
1 1
361
Prices for Coal
350
1
1
Probate Judges
267
Q
Quaker Hill
428
Qnakers
303
R
Railroad Mileage
341
Railroads
337
Rebekah Degree
310
Recorders of County
263
Regulators
270
Robbery of County Treasury
258
Roman Catholic Churches
304
S
St. Bernice 412
School Enumeration
292
School Statistics, 1887
290
School Statistics, 1912
292
Schools, First
201
Se-Seep, Chief
242
Settlement, First White
246
Seventy-first Regiment
279
Sheriff's
262
Sixteenth Regiment
275
Sixth Cavalry 279
Slaughter of Wild Animals 248
Society of Friends 303
Streams
227
Summit Grove
414
Surveyors of County
265
T
Temperance Organization
366
Thirty-first Regiment
277
Timber
231
Tipton, Gen. John
243
Toronto
412
Transportation Facilities
336
Treachery
272
Treasurers of County
264
U
"Uncle Tom's Cabin"
269
United Brethren Churches
296
United Brethren Union Churches
306
Universalists
304
V
Valuations
259
Vermillion County Attorneys
312
Vermillion County Physicians
318
Vermillion Township
423
Village Plats
362
W
War Funds
282
Water Power
232
1
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX
A
Adams, James W 645
Adams, Joseph D. 709 1 I
Adams, Lewis E. 678 1 1
Adamson, Henry
515
Aikman, Barton S., Hon 434
Aikman, Homer B. 638
Allbright, Henry
674
Allen, R. A.
757
Amis, Joseph W
458
Andrews, Darwin
546
Arthur, James N
556
Ashley, Charles W., Jr. 510
Ashmore, James
706
Aye. Albert
619
B
Bales, Harry 782
Ball, Charles F. 595
Beeler, Frank H., M. D. 447
Bennett, Charles
662
Benson, Alonzo O.
537
Bingham, Thomas
646
1
1
Bishop, Lucius O 448 1
Blake, William P
1 623 1
1 Bowsher, William A 524 I
Brannon, Charles
668
J
1
Briggs, Guy H.
754
1
I
Brockway, Allan T
483
Brown, John D. 769 1
Brown, William F
712
Bryant, Guy
1 686
Burks, John D 789
Burnett, James F.
552
Butcher, Rev. A. C.
750
Casebeer, 1. M., M. D. 643
Catlin, Samuel T. 487
Chaney, Ernest
669
Chaney, James
A
649
Chaney, Omer
658
1
1
Chapman, Ewing 497 F
Chesterfield, Oscar 1
612
Church. Richard F
543
Clark, Albert L 1 1 794
Coble. Samuel
672
1
1
1 Cole, Jacob S. 620 1 1
Collings, William B 689
1 Conley, Hugh H. 734
Cooper, Charles R
747
Cox, William, Sr.
752
1
Cox, William N.
628
1
Cristy, Frank P.
560
D
Daniels, Joseph
J
507
Davis, Bird H.
544
Davis, Holhert
809
Davis, Jacob G.
549
Davis, Samuel B.
512
1 Delp, Juel A. 699
Devonald, William 561
Dickenson, G. E. 799
Drake. Leonidas
565
Dugger, James G
557
Durr, Sebastian
681
E
Elder. James E. 443
Eller. James H.
783
Evans, Dr. E. M.
697
C
Carpenter. B. O. 800
Carter, M. B.
748
Ferguson, Henry 569
Ferguson, James
605
F
Ferguson, Arthur 601
Case. Marvin H. 736
1
1
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Finnegan, G. L. 804
Finney, R. J 766
Fisher, J. A.
651
1
Frantz, Joseph L.
599
1
Frazer, Allen
755
Frist, Jasper N.
I
580
Fultz, Charles
N
624
G
Garwood. Judge A. 805
Gates, F. M. 621
Gillum, William B.
525
Gillum, William H., M. D. 498
Gilmore, John W
540
Goodin, William
618
Gregg, Fred Alfred. 562
Gregory, James
600
Gregory, Thomas
1
802
Griffin, Fred
Griffin, G. W.
811
1 6 Griffin, J. G. 812
Griffiths, D. W
803
Grubb, Henry
502
Guinn, Robert E
753
H
Haddon, Jesse E 551
Hall, Melvin L., M. D. 741
Hall, Ca.pt. S. J.
729
Hargrave, Arthur
A
504
Harrison, Edgar R
786
Harrison, Robert
758
I
Harrison, Roy C.
598
Harshbarger, John E.
670
Hatfield, G. W
773
Hathaway, Elberson
715
Hayes, William L.
571
Heaton, J. R.
655
Henderson, John
732
Hess, Asa A.
E
550
Hobson, Ira
1
Hosford, Charles
792
Hosford, Monroe G. 587
798
Humphries, L. B. 1
589
Hunt, Elwood
518
4
Huxford, A. J. 466
Huxford, Perry
781
Huxford, Voorhees 660
J
Jacks, George W. 676
Jacobs, Herman H
657
I
James, James D.
793
1
'Jardine, William
718
Jeffries, Stephen H.
532
Jenks, Stephen 713 1
Johns, J. M. 576
Johnson, Daniel C.
508
Johnson, Frank R.
635
Johnson, William A., M. D.
615
Johnston, James T.
476
Johnston, William, Jr
810
Jones. Edward
555
K
Kearns, F. M.
807
Kerr, James H.
538
Kessler, M. V.
814
Keyes, Otis M., M. D.
602
L
Lake, Israel 787
Laney, George ]
640
1
Lang, Benjamin F.
717
Lanning, William
693
Laverty, Aquilla 530 1
Leavitt, H. B.
1 772
Lindley, S. G.
702
Linebarger, George H.
1
631
I
Linebarger, John
456
Lineharger, Levi J.
634
Livengood, Charles A
692
Lockridge, A. B., M. D. 492
Lowe, Harry L.
705
Lowlor, C. M.
806
Lyday, Mark W
578
Mc
McCaman, E. F. 728
1 McCormack, E. G. 720
McCutchan, E. M
764
1
I
McDonald, Thomas L
582
I
I
I
McElroy. Stephen C.
610
McFaddin, John S.
520
1 McMullen, D. B. 653 1
1
1
I
Henderson, Harold
516
700
. Hughes, Ralph V.
1
664
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
M
Manion. Sylvester 771
Mark, J. H.
711
Marks. George E.
I I
Martin, T. C. 763
Maxwell, Howard
490
1
1
Maxwell, W. H.
690
Meyers, Charles H 1
545
Miller, C. F. 795
1 Miller, Dick 813 1
Miller, John
536
1
Miller, John R. Mc.
719
1
Mitchell, Frederick A. 609 1
Montgomery, Hugh
533
Montgomery, John H. 656
Moore, Harry I 654 1 1
Morgan, Brown H. 574 1 1 1
Morgan, Harmon K. 572 Reed, Charles S. 1 606 1 1
Morris, C. C., M. D.
495
Myers, J. H.
677
Myers, Quincy A.
162
Myers, William C., M. D.
604
N
Neal. M. Hudson 703
Nebeker, Mark E. 511 1
1
Neel, E. E.
647
1 Nelson, Thomas H. 591 1 1
Newlin, Ira
1
815
Newton, John R.
665
Nichols, Frank H.
461
Nichols, Maj. Jonathan M.
464
Nixon, Robert H.
452
Nurnberger, Albert
666
O
Overpeck, C. W., M. D.
489
Overpeck, Isaac M.
680
Overpeck, Leonidas E.
650
P
Paine, James
581
Paine, John R 584
Parke County Times
528
Payne, Harrison T
445
Peer, William F
722
1
Pence, Peter
485
1
Phillips, Parke
691
I
Phinney. Walter G. 59
Pickard, Isaac A.
4.3
Pickard, John S.
Pierce, Jesse W.
768
Pike, Stephen A. 500
Pitman, Bennie E. 568
Porter, Worth W. 632
Pritchett, Grover C., M. D. 607
Puett, James W
682
Puett. S. F. Max 473
Puett, Samuel D. 474
Puett, Thomas B.
684
Puffer, Morgan
707
Puntenney, John G.
608
R
Redman, John W
554
Reed, James S.
765
1
1
Reeder, Valzah 749 1 1 1
1 Renick, Charles D. 593 1 1
1 Riggs, William 626
1
Richards, Harry
J
808
Robbins, S. MI
791
Roberts, Phillip
A
I 1
779
1 1 Rohm, E. H. C. 774
Rohm, George W
778
1
Rudy, Milo J
541
1
1
Rusing, R. J
679
Russell, Jesse H.
725
Rutter, J. Carl
704
S
Salmon. George
H
661
Satterlee, Willis
A
575
Scott, Matthew M.
745
I
Seybold, John N.
596
1
Seyhold, Percy
688
Seybold, William
P
586
1
Shannon, Walter B.
636
1
Sherrill, B. O.
738
1
1 Sherrill, C. L. 528 1 1
1
Sherrill, F. L.
528
I
1 1 Shew, Henry 784 1 1
1 1 Shirkie. James 570
Simpson, J. T.
I
744
1 Skeeters, Homer J 439 1 1 1 1
Skidmore, J. F
740
I
Snow, James M. 659 I
1
1
534
BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.
Soules, Alonzo
687
Spellman, E. H 733
Spencer, Frank 724
Spencer, George W.,
Jr
450
Spencer. John H.
467
V
Vansickle, Ross
716
W
Walker, Charles P
696
Walker, Fred
667
Walter, John O. 558
Watson, Henry
630
Wait, William C.
469
Watters, John
559
Welch, Elmer T.
613
Welch, John A., M. D. 616
Welch, Patrick
721
Wheat. Albert
694
White, Hon. Ared F.
429
White, Isaac D., M. D. 761
White, Ren M.
762
White, William J
776
Whittington, James M
523
Williams, Daniel C.
529
Williams, David 675
Thomson, William
M
479
Times, Parke County 528
Tolin, John A.
727
Tucker, W. N.
797
Tutwiler, James
P
585
Tyre, James
652
Staats, Samuel
723
Stark, Alfred H.
454
Stark, John O.
472
Stephens, Edgar
R
I
1
627
Stewart, Lee Roy 1 1 I 780 1 1
I Stone, Clarence 590 I
Stone, Robert I
1 1
Stoner, Lycurgus
T
1
1 1
685
Strain, Joseph W
441
Strong, Daniel S., M. D. 548
Strouse, Isaac R.
480
Stultz. George W.
563
Stuthard, George B 471
Sunkel, George D.
614
Swope, Raymond E., M. D.
484
T
Taylor, Green T
622
Taylor, James A 663
Thomas. Charles B. 671
Thomas, Clay E.
785
Thompson, Dee
698
Winter, C. A. 743
Wood. Fred
790
Wright, Dana F
567
J
639
PARKE COUNTY
CHAPTER I.
EARLY INDIANA HISTORY.
What is now known as the state of Indiana was originally discovered and hence claimed as the possession of France by that government. It was Joliet, a Frenchman of great experience as a navigator and discoverer, who was accompanied by that illustrious Catholic, Father Marquette, who first set the world in possession of the facts concerning the great Mississippi river and its wide, rich valley. Marquette had learned much concerning this stream through the Indians whom he was seeking, in the northern country, to convert to Christianity. In a letter written by Marquette from his mis- sion to his reverend superior, he wrote:
"While the Illinois (tribe) came to this point they pass a great river which is almost a league in width. It flows from north to south and to so great a distance that the Illinois, who know nothing of the use of a canoe, have never yet heard tell of its mouth; they only know that there are great nations below them, some of whom, dwelling to the east-southeast of their country, gather their Indian corn twice a year. A nation that they call Chaounan (Shawneese) came to visit them during the past summer; the young man that has been given me to teach me the language has seen them; they were loaded with glass beads, which shows that they have communica- tion with the Europeans. They had to journey across the land for more than thirty days before arriving at their country. It is hardly probable that this great river discharges itself into the ocean from Virginia. We are more inclined to think that it has its mouth in California. If the savages, who have promised to make me a canoe, do not fail in their word, we will navi- gate this river as far as possible with a Frenchman and this young man that they have given me, who understands several languages and possesses great facility for acquiring others. We shall visit these nations who dwell along its shores to open the way of our fathers who for a long time have awaited
26
PARKE AND VERM11.LION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
this happiness. This discovery will give us a perfect knowledge of the sea, either to the south or west."
This knowledge came to the ears of the French authorities at Quebec, and indeed over in Paris, and naturally enough stimulated further inquiry. There were three theories as to where the Mississippi river finally emptied its waters: One that it was discharged into the Atlantic ocean, south of the British colony of Virginia; second, that it flowed into the gulf of Mexico; and third, which was the most popular theory, that it was emptied into the Red Sea, as the Gulf of California was called, and if the latter, that it would afford a passage to China. To solve this important problem in the world's commerce, it was determined, as appears from a letter from the governor, at Quebec. to M. Colbert, minister of the French navy at Paris, expedient "for service to send Sieur Joliet to the country of the Mascoutines, to discover the South Sea and the great river-they call the Mississippi-which is sup- posed to discharge itself into the Sea of California."
Father Marquette was chosen to accompany Joliet on account of the information he had already gained from the various Indians he had met, as he wrote Father Dablon, his superior, when informed by the latter that he was to be Joliet's companion, "I am ready to go on your order to seek new nations toward the South Sea, and teach them of our great God whom they hitherto have not known."
Before proceeding with a description of the wonderful history of this voyage of Joliet and Marquette, it will be well to note that Spain had a prior right over France to the Mississippi valley by virtue of previous discovery. As early as 1525, Cortez had conquered Mexico, portioned out its rich mines among his favorites and reduced the inoffensive inhabitants to the worst of slavery, making them till the ground and toil in the mines for their unfeel- ing masters. A few years following the conquest of Mexico, the Spaniards, under Pamphilus de Narvaez, in 1528, undertook the conquest and coloniza- tion of Florida and the entire northeast coast-line of the gulf. After long and futile wanderings in the interior, his party returned to the sea coast and endeavored to reach Tampico, in wretched boats. Nearly all perished by disease, storm and famine. The survivors, with one Cabeza de Vaca at their head, drifted to an island near the present state of Mississippi, from which, after four years of slavery, De Vaca, with four companions, escaped to the mainland and started westward, going clear across the continent to the Gulf of California. The natives took them for supernatural beings. They as- sumed the guise of jugglers, and the Indian tribes through which they passed invested them with a tribe of medicine men, and their lives were thus guarded
27
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
with a superstitious awe. They are, perhaps, the first Europeans who ever went overland from the Atlantic to the Pacific. They inust have crossed the Great River (Mississippi) somewhere on their route, remaining "in history, in a distant twilight, as the first Europeans known to have set foot on the banks of the Mississippi river."
It was in 1539 when Hernando De Soto, with a party of cavaliers, mostly the sons of titled nobility, landed with their horses upon the coast of Florida. During that and the following four years these daring adventurers wandered through the wilderness, traveling through portions of Florida, Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, crossing the Mississippi river, it is sup- posed, at some point within the present state of Mississippi. Crossing the great river, they pressed their way onward to the base of the Rocky moun- tains, vainly searching for the gold so marvelously described by De Vaca. De Soto's party endured hardships that would depress the stoutest hearts, while, with sword and fire, they perpetrated atrocities upon the Indian tribes through which they passed, burning their villages and inflicting cruel- ties which make us blush for the wickedness of men claiming to be Chris- tians. De Soto died in May or June, 1542, on the banks of the Mississippi, below the mouth of the Washita, and his immediate attendants concealed his death from the others and secretly, in the night, buried his body in the middle of the stream. The remnant of his survivors went westward and then returned back again to the river, passing the winter upon its banks. The following spring they went down the river, in seven boats which they had rudely constructed out of such scanty material and with the few tools they could command. In these boats, after three months' voyage, they arrived at the Spanish town of Panuco, on the river of that name in Mexico.
Later, in 1565, Spain, failing in previous attempts, effected a lodg- ment in Florida, and for the protection of her colony built the old fort at St. Augustine, whose ancient ruins still stand out boldly today, as showing where the first settlement was effected in this country. It also stands as a monument over the graves of the hundreds of natives there killed. after serv- ing in bondage, by their Spanish conquerors. These unfortunates had aided in the construction of the massive walls of masonry, converted into dun- geons. dark and gloomy, and in which they finally perished.
While Spain retained her hold on Mexico and enlarged her possessions and continued, with feebler efforts, to keep possession of the Floridas, she took no measure to establish settlements along the Mississippi, or to avail herself of the advantage that might have resulted from its discovery. The Mississippi river excited no further notice after De Soto's time. For the next
28
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
century it remained a sealed mystery until the French, approaching from the north by way of the Great Lakes, explored it in its entire length and brought to public view the vast extent and wonderful fertility of its valleys.
Retracing our steps to the notes made in the carefully kept journal of Father Marquette, who, with Joliet, descended the Mississippi, it may first be stated that Joliet and Marquette's voyage made one of the most thrilling and romantic chapters in the history of the country, especially to those inter- ested in the original of things connected with the states of Illinois and In- diana. The following is extracted from Marquette's journal :
"The day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, whom I had always invoked, since I have been in the Ottawa country, to obtain of God the grace to be able to visit the nations on the river Mississippi, was in- cidentally that on which M. Jollyet arrived with orders to the Comte de Frontenac, our governor, and M. Talon, our intendant, to make the discov- ery with me. I was the more enraptured at this good news, as I saw my designs on the point of being accomplished, and myself in the happy neces- sity of exposing my life for the salvation of all these nations, and particu- larly for the Illinois, who had, when I was at Lapointe du Esprit, very ear- nestly entreated me to carry the word of God to their country.
"We were not long in preparing our outfit, although we were embarking on a voyage the duration of which we could not foresee. Indian corn, with some dried meats, was our whole stock of provisions. With this we set out in two bark canoes, M. Jollyet, myself and five men, firmly resolved to do all, and suffer all for so glorious an enterprise.
"It was on May 17, 1763, that we started from the mission of St. Igna- tius, at Michilimakinac; where I then was.
"Our joy at being chosen for this expedition roused our courage and sweetened our labors of rowing from morning till night. As we were going to seek unknown countries, we took all possible precautions that, if our enterprise was hazardous, it should not be foolhardy; for this reason we gathered all possible knowledge from the Indians who had frequented these parts, and even from their accounts traced a map of all the new country, marking down the rivers on which we were to sail, the names of the nations and places through which we were to pass, the course of the Great River, and what direction we should take when we got to it.
"Above all, I put our voyage under the protection of the Blessed Virgin Immaculate, promising her that, if she did us grace to discover the Great River, I would give it the name of the Conception, and that I would also give that name to the first mission I should establish among the new nations, as I have actually done among the Illinois."
29
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
After some days they reached an Indian village, and Marquette's diary continues : "Here we are, then, at the Maskoutens. This word, in Algon- quin, may mean 'fire nation,' and that is the name given by them. This is the limit of the discoveries made by the French, for they have not yet passed beyond it. The town is made up of three nations gathered here, Miamis, Maskoutens and Kickabous. [This village was near the mouth of Wolfe river, which empties into Winnebago lake, Wisconsin.] As bark for cabins in this region is scarce, they use rushes, which serve them for walls and roofs, but which afford them no protection against the wind, and still less against the rain when it falls in torrents. The advantages of this kind of cabins is that they can roll them up and carry, them easily where they like in hunting time.
"I felt no little pleasure in beholding the position of the town. The view is beautiful and picturesque, for, from the eminence on which it is perched, the eye discovers on every side prairies spreading away beyond its reach, interspersed with thickets or groves of trees. The soil is very good, producing much corn. The Indians gather also large quantities of plums and grapes from which good wine could be made if they choose.
"No sooner had we arrived than M. Jollyet and I assembled the Sa- chems. He told them we were sent by our governor to discover new coun- tries, and I, by the Almighty, to illumine them with light of the gospel; that the sovereign Master of our lives wished to be known to all nations, and that to obey his will I did not fear death, to which I exposed myself in such dangerous voyages ; that we needed two guides to put us on our way ; these, making them a present, we begged them to grant to us. This they did very civilly, and even proceeded to speak to us by a present, which was a mat to serve us on our voyage.
"The next day, which was the tenth of June, two Miamis whom they had given us as guides, embarked with us in the sight of a great crowd, who could not wonder enough to see seven Frenchmen, alone in two canoes, dare to undertake so hazardous an expedition.
"We knew that there was, three leagues from Maskoutens, a river emptying into the Mississippi. We knew, too, that the point of the compass we were to hold to reach it was the west-southwest, but the way is so cut up with marshes and little lakes that it is easy to go astray, especially as the river leading to it is so covered with wild oats that you can hardly discover the channel; hence we had need of two guides, who led us safely to portage of twenty-seven hundred paces and helped us transport our canoes to enter the river, after which they returned, leaving us alone in an unknown country in the hands of Providence."
30
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
This portage has given us the name of Portage City, at which location it was, and is situated in Wisconsin, where the upper waters of Fox river, emptying into Green bay, approach the Wisconsin river, which, coming from the northwest, here changes its course to the southwest. The distance across this neck is a mile and a half, over the beautiful prairie above described by Marquette.
Marquette's journal continues : "We now leave the waters which flow to Quebec, a distance of about five hundred leagues, to follow those which will henceforth lead us into strange lands.
"Our route was southwest, and after sailing about thirty leagues we perceived a place which had all the appearances of an iron mine, and in fact one of our party who had seen some before averred that the one we had found was very rich and very good. After forty leagues on this same route we reached the mouth of the river, and finding ourselves at forty-two one-half north. we safely enter the Mississippi on the 17th of June with a joy I can- not express.
"Having descended as far as forty-one degrces and twenty-eight min- utes, in the same direction, we find that turkeys have taken the place of game, and pisikious [buffalo] or wild cattle that of other beasts.
"At last, on the 25th of June, we perceived foot-prints of men. by the water sides, and a beaten path leading to some Indian village, and we re- solved to go and reconnoiter ; we accordingly left our two canoes in charge of our people, cautioning them to beware of a surprise ; then M. Jollyet and I undertook the rather hazardous discovery for two men, single and alone, who thus put themselves at the mercy of an unknown and barbarous people. We followed the little path in silence and going about two leagues we dis- covered a village on the banks of the river, and two others on the hill a league from the former. Then, indeed, we recommended ourselves to God with all our hearts, and having implored his help we passed on undiscovered. and came so near that we even heard the Indians talking. We then deemed it time to announce ourselves, as we did by a cry which we raised with all our strength, and then halted without advancing any farther. At this cry the Indians rushed out of their cabins, and having probably recognized us as French, especially seeing a black gown, or at least having no reason to dis- trust us, seeing we were but two and had made known our coming, they deputed four old men to come and speak to us. Two carried tobacco pipes well adorned and trimmed with many kinds of feathers. They marched slowly, lifting their pipes toward the sun, as if offering them to it to smoke, but yet without uttering a single word. They were a long time coming the
3I
PARKE AND VERMILLION COUNTIES, INDIANA.
little way from the village to us. Having reached us at last they stopped to consider us attentively.
"I now took courage, seeing these ceremonies, which are used by them only with friends, and still more on seeing them covered with stuffs which made me judge them to be allies. I therefore spoke to them first, and asked them who they were. They answered that they were Illinois, and in token of peace they presented their pipes to smoke. They then invited us to their vil- lage, where all the tribe awaited us with inipatience. These pipes for smok- ing are called in this country calumet, a word that is so much in use that I shall be obliged to employ it in order to be understood, as I shall have to speak it frequently.
"At the door of the cabin in which we were to be received was an old man awaiting us in a very remarkable posture, which is their usual cere- mony in receiving a stranger. This man was standing perfectly naked, with his hands stretched out and raised toward the sun, as if he wished to screen himself from its rays, which, nevertheless, passed through his fingers to his face. When we came near him he paid us this compliment, 'How beautiful is the sun, O Frenchmen, when thou comest to visit us! All our town awaits thee and thou shalt enter into all our cabins in peace.' He then took us to his, where there was a crowd of people, who devoured us with their eyes, but kept a profound silence. We heard, however, these words ad- dressed to us occasionally : 'Well done, brother, to visit us.' As soon as we had taken our places in the cabin, they showed us the usual civilities, the pre- senting of the calumet. You must not refuse unless you would pass for an enemy, at least for being very impolite. It is enough, however, to pretend to smoke. While all the old men smoked after us to honor us, some came to in- vite us, on behalf of the great Sachem of the Illinois, to proceed to his town, where he wished to hold a council with us. We went with a good retinue, for all the people who had never seen a Frenchmen among them could not tire looking at us ; they threw themselves on the grass near us by the wayside : then ran ahead of us; they threw themselves in front of us, and turned back to look at us again. All this was done without noise, and with the marks of great respect and entertained us well.
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