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MICHIGAN THE OLD INDIAN DOCTOR
He was a man of great good sense, of noble bearing, of great integrity, and in every way a dignified gentleman. He was called a great orator among his people. He was a true friend to the whites. I have heard him make speeches to his people, and although I could not understand him, his manner and voice were very interesting, and the effect of his speech on his people was very great. He was the only Indian I ever saw who was polite and attentive to his squaw. When they came to the store at Schoolcraft to do their trading he would help her off her pony, and when they were ready to return he would place his hand on the ground by the side of her pony and she would place one foot in it and he would lift her with apparently great ease into her saddle, and no white man could have shown more respect and politeness. If he wished for any credit at the store he had it and paid promptly. Any Indian that he told us it was safe to trust was sure to pay us. He always told us never to trust his son Cha-na-ba, who was a very worthless fellow. * * In regard to the number of the Indians that lived in Kalamazoo county and vicinity in that early day, I can make no estimate that would be of any value. They were continually coming and going and scattered about in little squads. In regard to the effect it had on the character of the Indian in his contact with the white race I have no doubt but it was bad.
He seems (as many writers have said) to take in all the vices of the white man and reject all his virtues. Whiskey (the great demoralizer of the white man) was and is the principal factor in the destruction of all that is good in the Indian character when he comes in contact with the white race. The longer the Indians remained here among the whites the more worthless they became. Game became scarce, they were too indolent to work, and they became drunkards and beggars. The great end and aim of the most of them was to get whiskey to get drunk with, and as its cost was only about twenty five cents per gallon they generally got all that they wanted.
Michigan Indians
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