University of South Carolina Libraries
THE SUN. NEWBERRY, S. FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1938 — Celebrations in New York Honor "Greatest American of His Day Series of Pageants in Mohawk Valley Recall the Arrival 200 Years Ago of a Young Irish Immigrant Who, as an English Baronet and Mohawk Indian Chieftain, Ruled Over a Wilderness Empire and Helped Shape the Destiny of America in Colonial Days. © Western Newspaper Union. By ELMO SCOTT WATSON I N THE historic Mohawk Valley of New York a series of historical pag eants, memorial services and other gatherings have been held this summer as a bicen tennial commemoration of a great American who is too little known to later genera tions of Americans. He was not only the greatest Amer ican of his day, but he was “a world figure; a great con structive genius; the greatest landowner in North Amer ica; a wise magistrate, a vic torious soldier, a builder of cities amid a wilderness; a redeemer of men. “He was a Baronet of the British Realm; His Majesty’s Superintendent of Indian Af fairs for all North America. He was the only living white man implicitly trusted by the savages of this continent, be- Blockhouse at Johnson Hall. cause he never broke his word to them. He was, per haps, the only representa tive of royal authority in the Western Hemisphere utterly believed in by the dishonest, tyrannical, and stupid pack of Royal Governors, Magis trates and lesser vermin that afflicted the colonies with the British plague. “He was kind and great. All loved him. All mourned him. For he was a very per fect gentleman who prac ticed truth and honour and mercy; an unassuming and respectable man who loved laughter and gaiety and plain people.” He was thus characterized in an historical novel of the Colonial and Revolutionary days. But, let it be added at once, historians have confirmed the novelist’s judgment of Sir William Johnson. It was just 200 years ago that a tall, rugged, handsome young Irishman, aged twenty-three, landed in Boston and went im mediately afterwards to the “small, dull and dirty” city of New York to become the guest of his uncle. Sir Peter Warren, the famous British admiral. Here for a few months young Johnson entered whole-heartedly into the gay social life for which the New York of that period was noted. Then with the true spirit of the pioneer stirring in him, Johnson took a boat up the Hudson to Albany and then went by wagon to the Mohawk valley where he was to be in charge of a large tract of land belonging to his uncle. This land, 13,000 acres of wilderness, lay along the south bank of the Mohawk river near what is now South Amsterdam. He'Becomes a Trader. Within a year Johnson, with the help of several mechanics and a few settlers whom he had brought with him, had surveyed the land, built a house, opened a general store and was bringing other settlers to the place. The principal patrons of his trading store were the Indians of the great Iroquois confederation, es pecially the Mohawks, and before long this trade was vital to the well-being of these Indians. Soon Johnson was one of the greatest traders in the colony with his operations extending far beyond the Mohawk valley. Although Johnson lived at peace with his Indian neighbors, his life was not free from danger. England and France were enter ing upon their contest for su premacy in North America and for several years in the early 1740s Johnson’s post was on con stant watch for a raid by the French and their Indian allies. By 1745 the situation had be come precarious. Commissions had failed in the past, so Gover nor Clinton put Johnson on the board of Indian commissioners and on August 28, 1746, he was appointed “Colonel of the Forces to be raised out of the Six Na tions.” It was left for Johnson to win all the Indians over to tha Johnson Hall, baronial mansion of Sir WiUlam Johnson. English side, which he soon did. They made him a Mohawk war chief and gave him the name of Warraghiyagey, “Chief Big Busi ness,” a fitting name for this en ergetic young merchant, who sat at their council fires, joined in their games and dances, respect ed their traditions and folkways and treated them fairly — a unique experience for them in their dealings with the English colonists. So when the Six Nations met in Albany in 1746 the Mohawks werg immediately won over to the English side by the man whom they considered their brother and the other five tribes followed their lead. Indian relations improved and in 1748, when Johnson re organized the Albany county mili tia under his command, life be came safer in the district. The Appeal of the Mohawks. To equip the braves and to keep them happy with presents required much money and credit. Johnson advanced supplies and money until he was loaded down with debts which the New York assembly was never in any hur ry to settle, and the burden became so heavy that in 1751', to the dismay of the Mohawks, John son resigned all his public offices and commands. At the next In dian council the Mohawks ap pealed to the governor to re- • 11*11 Im,}:, : L> - -«v' ■ vx J | Statue of Johnson in Johnstown, N. Y. instate Johnson because “he has large Ears and heareth a great deal, and what he hears he tells to us, he also has large Eyes and sees a great way, and con ceals nothing from us.” Johnson was at once appointed to the crown council, the upper house of the legislature, where, al though he had no direct respon sibility for Indian affairs, he was able to use his influence. Several years of comparative quiet followed until the outbreak of the French and Indian war in 1755. Then Johnson, the trad er, the landowner, the councilor blocsomed out as a military lead er of the first rank. In August, 1755, he started for Crown Point on Lake Champlain with a force of Indians and New England mili tiamen and established a camp at the southern end of Lake George. When the French attacked Fort Edward in September, Johnson sent a relief force which was am bushed by the French and was about to be routed when re inforcements under the com mander arrived. Johnson, who rushed into the heat of fire, re ceived a bullet wound and was carried to his tent during the bat tle. The enemy was not pursued because the supplies were low and many of the troops were un fit for duty. Nevertheless, the French were definitely halted. An Important Victory. Johnson’s victory was impor tant. It bolstered the faltering faith of the Iroquois in British prowess. The Indians had seen their white chief triumph on the battlefield and they realized that it would be folly to desert the victor. It was, after all, the first purely American victory over regular European troops. The English parliament was so pleased that William Johnson was made Sir William Johnson and given $25,000, with the thanks of the nation, and in February, 1756, a royal commission made him “Sole Agent and Superin tendent” of the Indians in the North. ^ Later, while Wolfe was captur ing Quebec and Amherst fighting his way toward Montreal, the for mer Irish immigrant, now Sir William Johnson, Bart., was win ning another victory at Niagara and thus securing for Great Brit ain absolute assurance of control of the Middle West and Canada. But no sooner was the danger from the French eliminated than a new one arose. The Indians in the West were restless at the prospect of what would happen to them, now that control of the continent had passed from their friends, the French, to their enemies, the English. So to De troit went Sir William Johnson in 1761, there to hold a council, to exert much of the same influence over these tribes as he had ex erted over the Iroquois and to postpone for a while the inevi table conflict which flamed out two years later in Pontiac’s up rising. But again it was the strong hands on the Covenant chain which turned the scale. For “Sir Williqm Johnson and his brothers by adoption managed to keep all but one of the Six Na tions out of the most bitter Indian war the British fought in Amer ica” and so Pontiac was defeat ed. Worn out from his arduous services on the frontier, Sir Wil liam declined to be considered for governor of New York. A year after his arrival in the Mo hawk valley he had purchased for himself (thereby alienating his uncle. Sir Peter Warren) a tract of land on the north side ot the Mohawk river where he later built Fort Johnson, near the pres ent Amsterdam, N. Y. But after his return from the wars he built a new mansion for himself, Johnson Hall, in what is now Johnstown, N. Y. A settlement quickly sprang up around the hall. Churches were built and schools—here he established probably the first free school in America—and missions for the Indians. A Baronial Mansion. Life at Johnson Hall was on an expansive and expensive scale. Guests came from all parts of the world to enjoy the boundless hospitality of this American bar onet. Rich wine and abundant food graced his table. His stables were filled with fine horses. Fox hunting with hounds brought from England, archery, fencing, rac ing—such sports were the order of the day. Always his Mohawk brethren haunted the place and once a year the Six Nations came trooping in for a council and a feasting which lasted for days. Thus for more than a decade the former Irish immigrant boy ruled like a feudal baron over Last resting place of a great American. his little kingdom on American soil. His last days were devoted to perfecting various schemes for the education of the Indians and protecting them from the encroachment of land-hungry set tlers. The end of his career came on July 11, 1774. He was buried in the churchyard of St. John’s in Johnstown and visitors there to day see only a simple headstone, bearing the words, “Sir William Johnson, Bart. 1715-1774” to mark the last resting place of this great American. One of the most interesting of the pageants presented during the bicentennial celebration this year was staged at Johnson Hall late in July and depicted the council of the Six Nations over which Sir William presided on the day of his death. Just before he died he spoke to a young Mohawk chieftain who stood at his bedside and who had aided him in that council. “Jo seph, restrain your people. I have to go away,” he said. The man to whom these words were addressed was one of the most remarkable Indians in American history. Thayendane- gea (“Bundle of Sticks”) was his Indian name but he is better known as Joseph Brant. He was bom in 1742 on the banks of the Ohio, whither his mother, a Mo hawk widow, had gone to live. Al though it has never been proved, historians have good reason to believe that Sir William was Jos eph Brant’s father. Certainly the close association of the baronet and the Mohawk boy during the last three decades of Sir Wil liam’s life indicated that he had a special interest in him. The baronet, seeing his unusual talents, sent him to Dr. Whee- lock’s school at Lebanon, Conn., where he learned to read and write. But the confinement of the white man’s school was- too irk some for the Indian boy so he re turned to New York and became an employee of Sir William’s In dian department. He also served as assistant and interpreter for Reverend Charles Jeffrey Smith, a missionary, and when Pontiac’s war broke out Brant was with Smith in the enemy territory. The mission ary was forced to return to the settlements but Brant remained to lead a party of Iroquois against Pontiac’s warriors and it is probable that he helped Sir William in the negotiations which brought peace to the harried frontier. In 1765 Brant married the daughter of an Oneida chief and settled at Cahajoharie, N. Y. Meanwhile Sir William’s wife ix/' v' . j*"' V , ■ skV • > jfiii- %% *5* JOSEPH BRANT (From the painting by Romney) had died and he had fallen in love with Molly Brant, Joseph’s sis ter. She became his common law wife and bore him several children. While she lived at John son Hall, Joseph Brant was a frequent visitor there. After Sir William’s death, Col. Guy Johnson, his nephew and son-in-law, succeeded to his posi tion as Indian agent and through the influence of Colonel Guy and Sir John Johnson, Sir William’s son, the Mohawks cast their lot with the British at the outbreak of the Revolution. Thereupon Jos eph Brant was elevated to the post of principal war chief of the Six Nations and given the title of captain by the British. In November, 1775, Brant ac companied Col. Guy Johnson to England, where he was enter tained and made much of by many prominent people. He be came a friend of James Boswell, biographer of the great Samuel Johnson, and sat for his portrait by the famous painter, Romney. On his return he made a haz ardous journey on foot from New York to Canada to aid in the plans of the British for an inva sion of New York from the north. Brant played a prominent part in the Revolution and although his name will always be associat ed with the massacre at Cherry Valley, his career is full of in stances of humanity to his ene mies. These are in striking con trast to the cruelty which some of the Tories practiced upon their former friends and neighbors in the Mohawk valley who had espoused the Patriot cause. After the Revolution Brant again visited England to see that justice was done to his people who had supported the Crown during the war. Upon his return, he settled in Canada and devot ed his life to the welfare of his people. He died on November 24, 1807 at his home at the head of Lake Ontario. He was buried in the Mohawk .reservation which lay along the Grand river, east of Hamilton, Ont., but in 1850 his remains were transferred to a new tomb at Brantford, Ont., where an imposing monument was erected to perpetuate the fame of this great Indian. Star Dust ★ ‘Trial Separations* ★ Seth Comes Back I ★ Elaine a ‘Must* Bj Virginia Vale of T HAT “trial separation” Mr. and Mrs. Richard Arlen’s has disturbed a lot of people who have never met either the delightful Jobyna Arlen or her handsome hus band. They were such a pleasant young couple, and their marriage had been RICHARD ARLEN such a success for so many years, that they were outstanding in Holly wood’s scrambled matrimonial background. They had a beautiful home at To luca lake, a fine young son, the sort of home life that is all too rare in the picture capital’s history. Well, here’s hoping that the trial separa tion will be a dismal failure, and that soon the Arlens will be back together again! * Here’s good news for all of you who remember the “Seth Parker” programs that so many of us used to look forward to on Sunday eve nings. Remember the delightful group of people who met each Sun day evening in Seth Parker’s parlor to sing hymns? All over the country that program was a “must” on Sun days, and frequently groups of listeners got together and sang the old hymns with the radio folk. Well, Seth is returning to the air this fall, with a big sponsor backing the program. And Phillips Lord, who was “Seth,” and has been con nected with “Gang Busters” more recently, will once more be saying “Start it off, Ma.” * A Play Outfit; a Basic Dress 14-82 Speaking of severed matrimonial bonds, Margot Graham is finally having hers cut, in Reno, but no body is surprised. For a long time now it’s been predicted, what with her living and working in Holly wood, and ber husband, Francis Lis ter, living and working in England. It’s been rumored that when she is free the pretty English girl will mar ry Alan MacMartin, the fabulously wealthy Canadian. All Hollywood was saddened by Jack Dunn’s death; it was one of those tragedies that people go on talking about for a long time. A superb skater, he had the sort of good looks and personality that made him a “natural” for the mov ies. But, although he was signed up when Sonja Henie was, after their exhibition in Hollywood, he just couldn’t seem to get anywhere. Fi nally came the announcement that he would have the Rudolph Valen tino role in a picture based on that actor’s life. His death, almost im mediately afterward, was the re sult of rabbit fever. * T~\0 YOU need something new to dawdle in or to dress up in? Here are two new designs, one for play and one for afternoon, that are so smart you really should have both. It costs so little, in time and trouble, to make them for yourself, with these simple de signs that even beginners can fol low with no difficulty. Play Suit and Sports Frock. This new design gives you both! The .play suit has beautifully cut shorts and a nice bodice top with the sunniest kind of sunback. The frock is created merely by fasten ing that straight skirt around you, and the bolero goes with both! Notice how cleverly the ricrac braid is used to simulate a square yoke in the front. The smartest thing for this design is linen in a dusty pastel shade; calico, per cale and pique are good, too. Dress With Bodice Detailing. Here’s a design that brings a breath of fall smartness in the bosom detailing that you’ll see in expensive models this coming sea son. Also in the Victorian sleeves, high at the shoulders and fitted to the arm below. The straight pan el in the back, the gathers at the waistline in front, give you a love ly figure-line. Make in silk crepe, linen or georgette. Later in sheer wool, satin or velvet. The Patterns. 1557 is designed for sizes 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20. Size 14 requires 5% yards of 35-inch material. 10 yards of ricrac braid to trim. 1482 is designed for sizes 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44. Size 34 re quires 4% yards of 39-inch ma- A Way With Dogs The old theory that a man can be trusted if dogs like him, and is to be distrusted if dogs dislike him, is pure nonsense. Some peo ple have a way with dogs, and can get along with most of them; oth ers never get along with dogs. Moral character has nothing to do with the matter, for some of the worst scoundrel® that ever lived had devoted dogs. Governor Baxter, of Maine, once sent a dog to the state prison, and it prompt ly made friends with the prisoners regardless of their past records. terial with long sleeves; 4% yards of 39-inch material for short sleeves. Send your order to The Sewing Circle Pattern Dept., Room 1020, 211 W. Wacker Dr., Chicago, HL Price of patterns, 15 cents (in coins) each. NERVOUS? Do you feel so nervous you want to scream? Are you cross and irritable? Do you scold those dearest to you? If your nerves are on edge and you feel you need a good general system tonic, try Lydia £. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound, made upeciaUy for wmun. For over 60 years one woman has told an other how to go “smiling thru** with reliable Pinkham’s Compound. It helps nature build up more resistance and thus helps _ nerves and lessen discomforts from annoying symptoms which often ac company female functional disorders. Why not give It a chance to help YOU? Over one million women have written in reporting wonderful benefits from Pinkham’s Compound. Our Ills Pain Us We are often more patient with others’ ills than our owtv bloodshot asutow are cured without pain in one day by Leonardi’s Golden Eye Lotion. No other eye remedy in the world as cooling, healing and strengthening for weak eyes. LEONARDI’S GOLDEN ETK LOTION MAKES WEAK EYES STRONG 1 mUirwaka New Urm -W wHk Jmpttr—JO cents 8. a. iiiawsi« c*. m«w a»«adi». h. t. tiifffi Above the Clouds O Dance, swim. golf. Kids horseback to tbs musical roar of the mountain breeses. O Come, live, aiid enjoy the refreshing luxury of this WORLD FAMOUS RESORT. # America’s most beautiful patio open eve nings with dancing beneath the star Lite skies to the famous Lookout Orchestra, . . . O Swimming pool, tennis, beauty and gown shop. Rates 16 up daily including meals, tennis and swimming privileges. (Special family and seasonable rates.) Lookout Mountain Hotel Overlooking CHATTANOOGA, TENN. Write, win ,r telephone, S. John LimcaiiMN. Mho. Din.' -’I »i| S* '. John Barrymore told Twentieth Century-Fox that he just wouldn’t play unless his wife played too—in ‘Hold That Co-Ed.” They wanted John, so they had to take Elaine. An incident was written in especially for her, based on her meeting with him in New York, when she inter viewed him for her college paper. Bnt—the whole thing has been han dled so that that incident can be removed without affecting the story. V I, “The Road to Reno” goes on and on, at Universal. They’d thought it would be finished in 24 days. But then, her tests took 17 days, (for two reels) instead of half of one. Miss Hampton is determined to re turn to the screen, from which she bas been absent for ten years. * ODDS AND ENDS—Carole Lombarc had a lot of fun when she took over the publicity department at Selznick-lnlema- tional, and her next picture, “Made for EafJi Other,” got a lot of publicity . . . Edgar Bergen has to report to an insur ance company when he leaves town, tell ing iust what provisions have been made for Charlie McCarthy’s safety while he’s away because Charlie is insured for HO,- 000 . . . Paul Taylor, the man who made choruses popular on the air, thought last week that someone had stolen the trailer in which he departs for the country after the Bing Crosby broadcasts—and remem bered, fust before calling the police, that he’d let his daughter use it for a Camp Fire Girls’ outing. © Western Newspaper Union. Your automobile requires pure oil ... oil that will not break down into sludge, carbon or corrosion forming elements. Acid-Free Quaker State is a scien tific achievement in motor oil purity. In four, great modern refineries, oper ating under the most exacting control .., selected Pennsylvania crude oil is freed of all impurities. Every drop of Quaker State is rich, pure lubricant. Retail price, 35^ a quart. Quaker State Oil Refining Corp., Oil Gty, Penn. ^"/Acid-Free Quaker State IT MAKES CARS RUN BETTER LAST LONGER