Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/181

 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 133 all the raiding propensities of the young men, stimulating opposi- tion to any advancement in civilization; begging when it would accomplish his object; threatening when he thought he had the power to do injury — a base, bad man, and a thorough savage, whom no kindness could bind in the bonds of friendship, nor reason influence to adopt views salutatory to the welfare of his band. His only redeeming trait of character was his advocacy of the cause of temperance. His death, in the latter part of the summer of 1852, freed the whites of the annoyance of his presence and counsels. Being indisposed with symptoms of biliousness indicating cholera, which was then prevalent along the river, he called at Mr. Potter's trading house, and espying a demijohn, he asked if it contained minne-wakon (whiskey). Mr. Potter told him it did not, that it was cha-han-ti-cha (molasses or tree sap). The old fellow immediately asked for a donation, but was in- formed that it belonged to Paska, as E. C. Stevens was called by the Sioux. Iron Cloud then left on a hunt for Mr. Stevens, first stopping at his own tepee and getting a good-sized coffee pot, as though sure of his object. After finding Mr. Stevens he succeeded in getting the molasses. In a day or two this medicine was dis- posed of, but the patient was not much benefited by its use, and importunate for more. Mr. Stevens came to me and inquired what would be the result if old Mahpiya repeated the dose. My reply was that it would kill him as dead as Julius Caesar. But importunity finally obtained the coveted sweets, and in a few hours a messenger arrived from a lodge in the Indian corn-field, who told me that Iron Cloud was very sick and wanted to see me. I accompanied the messenger and on entering the tent found it occupied by the sick man stretched on a robe. His wife had ranged in a semi-circle six of the most popular medicine-men, dressed in very unprofessional costume, or rather in undress, for the united apparel of the whole conclave would not have afforded material enough for a pair of leggins. The doctors looked very sullen at my intrusion, but the patient told me that they had done him no good, and wanted me to do what I could for him. Upon examination I found him past all remedies, so I left. In an hour a Avail told me of the departure of Maphiya-maza to the happy hunting ground of the Indian spirit world. "T'maza-washta, or Good Iron, was the next man of import- ance in the village. Taller than Wacoota, always smiling, a rebuff never ruffled his equanimity. A friend of both the Wacoota and Iron Cloud factions, he successfully performed the difficull feat of carrying water on both shoulders, as the phrase is. On the death of the second chief. Good Iron was excessively amiable, making feasts and otherwise doing those things which we in