Chicago Tribune 6/14
NOT ENTHUSIASTIC OVER COLUMBUS.
Indians Aroused at the Sight of the Discoverer's
Image in Manufactures Building.
Wild west Indians, whose tents are
pitched under the shadow of the elevated
bed of the Illinois Central railroad just outside
the world's fairgrounds, made a formal
visit to the exposition yesterday. The big
chiefs were piloted through manufactures
building by Chief Allison, who explained to
them through an interpreter the significance
of the big show. They had no eye for art,
but the exhibits of furs in the northwestern
part of the building interested them greatly.
They stroked the smooth and silky sable seal
tenderly and signified their appreciation of
the skill which had preserved it so perfectly.
Leaving the fur section reluctantly they
were led by Mr. Allison down the aisle
which passes the plaster model of the Columbus
statue on the lake front opposite the
Auditorium. This great figure is impressive
because of its size, if for no other reason,
and Mr. Allison believed it would help
the savage mind to appreciate the importance
of Columbus in the memory of the new
world.
"This is Columbus," he said, “the great
father of fathers, who discovered this broad
and beautiful country and made this great
exposition possible."
Mr. Allison had some other pretty things
to say after the interpreter should have
translated this, but he was surprised to see
that it did not create any enthusiasm. The
untutored auditor was by no means too
stupid to understand, but he understood too
much. His thoughts went back 400 years at
a bound and the only demonstration was a
few ugly grunts. Asked what it meant, the
interpreter said the red men were not
pleased at the recollection of an event
which deprived them of a country, and it
needed only a word more to cause them to
pounce upon the image before them and tear
it in pieces. What was Columbus' gain was
their loss.
Mr. Allison hurried his guests on to another
exhibit. The incident added a new
page to his Columbian history.
