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INDIAN REMINISCENCES BY A. D. P. VAN BUREN
Lewis Gen-ro was an Indian well known on Gull prairie at this time. He, when living at Grand Rapids, had been sent to state's prison for "holding Ms wife's father in the fire till he burned to death. " This was done when Gen-ro was drunk. After serving his time in prison he came to Gull prairie. He had learned the shoemaker's trade in prison. Rev. L. Slater built him a shop, and furnished him with an outfit for his trade. But, Indian like, he worked by fits and starts, and finally went north with the rest of his band.
NOONDAY, THE OTTAWA CHIEF, WAS AT THE BURNING OF BUFFALO
In a previous article on this subject published in vol. 9 of these collections, It was claimed that Noonday was not at the burning of Buffalo; that the old chief had persistently asserted this to be a fact. Since then the writer has got fresh information from Mr. Joseph Merriman, now of Yorkville, this county, who settled on Gull prairie in 1836, and lived for many years near neighbor to both Rev. Leonard Slater and Noonday. He was intimately acquainted with both. And he assured the writer that Mr. Slater had told him that Noonday had given him the correct story of his life, and that he was at the burning of Buffalo. But he had enjoined the utmost secrecy in regard to it upon Mr. Slater, as he feared that those who were injured by the burning of Buffalo might yet seek revenge on him. And furthermore it "Was a deed that he had repented of, and were it known among the people here it would create a habile about him and would prejudice many against Wm. Mr. Slater kept his word, and not till after Noonday's death did he ¦divulge this fact. Mr. Merriman is positive that the above statement is true. And he is too well known for sterling integrity of character by his ¦old friends here for any one to doubt the truth of what he says in this matter.
Michigan
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