THE LATER YEARS
Yet the panic of the 1930's bankrupted us --not confessed but really
so. All the strenuous work of coal years, no real wealth came to him
--no compensation worthy of the times was received for the vast amount
of work he had done. Through the 1930's and 1940's it was a continuous
struggle to live. Minor holdings in the brewery helped carry on --pay
taxes on unsalable real estate. Blue Eagle days were about all that
was left of government.
Desperation
forced the public to resort to common sense. But World War II came
--and I was made a war victim --with two years service in raising the
army --clerk of the Local Draft Board, having over 7000 names on the
record for service. Estimates made at the close showed my loss to be
about all we had. But a quick revival of confidence showed that the
country would survive. Sale of a lot of timber saved the foreclosures
--and signs of recovery of property began to brighten. A few trades
resulted in clearing heavy debts. And sales of lots helped out
materially, when along about 1950 the mortgages were liquidated, and
the property clear.
Have been getting old for several years --a day at a time.
Along about 1940 I was slowly retiring --at 75. Retiring from active work, but not from active thinking about it.
About
this time we had disposed of all city property and were
permanently
housed at the Wigwam. No attempt to go back to farming the fine ground. It grew into wild grasses and weeds. But the automobile was in good
trim --did considerable driving around the estate and into the country. Selling lots both down the front and along the Remvale plot --some money
coming in constantly from ground sales. This kept the debts down and
finally eliminated them altogether. And so, at 92 we still live alone as
man and wife at the Wigwam. Both tottery.
Near twenty years of service as school director --twelve of them as
president of the Board. As owner of the street railways and Electric
Light companies --later sold and now is Penna. Electric Corporation.
Owner and operator of Hotel DuBois --later sold. Securing the Car Shops
--mostly personal work. Spading the cornerstone and establishing the
DuBois Brewing Co. --now the one largest and richest plant in the
district. For the town, bought the water works --now the most valuable
property it owns. Principal promoter for the first cross-state concrete
road --Buffalo-Pittsburgh Highway --from Bradford to Indiana --and
Pittsburgh.
Alice B. Humphrey became the wife of M. I.
McCreight at 7:00 o'clock A.M., July 20, 1887. On July 20 this year,
will show that they have lived together seventy years --and that is
unusual if not rare. As she appoaches ninety, she is the housekeeper
and boss as she always has been. For years, we seldom had more than a
day or two in a week at home. When a trip was due, it was her right to
join --and she always did --generally to have one or more of the
children as extra luggage. To the south, to the Pacific, to Canada, to
France and Austria --always she went along.
Once on a trip to
the west coast, she left rigid orders to wire if any sign of illness
came to any of the family. While at Glacier Park Hotel, a message was
handed us; it read, "Remmy sneezed twice --others OK."" But we
continued on West. This, or a similar trip, she stayed in San Francisco
to shop, while partner went to Santa Rosa and spent the day with Luther
Burbank.
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Hogansburg, N.Y.
Jan. 1,1957
Mr. McCreight
Sago Skenno-Kowa Tonikonrate,Brother
Your Christmas greetings arrived here and I have put it in our record book
of the Akwesasne Mohawk Counselors so that our members can read your
words and think on your thoughts. Brother, your message tells us that
soon you will take the sunset trail to the land where our ancient
Fathers will welcome and greet you as one of themselves. It will make
our hearts unhappy when you leave us because we know that you are a
good and faithful friend and a Brother, one whom we will remember all
of our days upon this Earth. Brother, after you leave us, you will be
remembered by the truths that you have written in your many books and
articles about the Indians, our Fathers. Your words will be read by
many and they will read them. So, though your body may pass on, your
thoughts will continue to live, will speak for us. During your life on
this earth, you have done many, many good things and for this all of us
who know you are very grateful. Always know that our hearts are with
you. Though we are many miles away from you, yet you are close by in
our hearts and thoughts, all who know you. You are an Indian born again
in a white body, sent here by our Creator to tell the world today the
true story of our people. When you leave Mother Earth, you will return
to your real self and our Ancient Ones will welcome you wih
outstretched arms. The prairies and forests will look golden and green
to you and your moccasins will walk on smooth grasses. The sky will be
blue and here and there from skin and bark lodges you will see smoke
rising into the sky. Your ears will hear the good music of singing
voices which will blend with the tom tom music that belongs to this
great Island. The faces that you will see will be dark faces and they
will be smiling at you as you walk to greet them. Remember this,
Brother, this is how it will be for you.
Your Brother,
Aren Akweks
As
the despicable weather of the past January begins to moderate there is
promise of sunshine once again. And daily housekeeping goes on a day at
a time, in the Wigwam.
Feb. 1957 M. I. McCreight
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Nearing Sun Set
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Lincoln was being lowered in his tomb as our infant eyes were opened to the gloom of a national calamity!
Born of life and hope; nurtured by a wonderful mother; schooled in the
distracted world of hard knocks--to youth and early manhood; learning
Life from the big wide bare plains of the northwest, where friends and
neighbors lived from time immemorial in a world of Nature!
Children
of the Universe, they comprehended only a Good Spirit and and Evil
Spirit! The sun, author of all life, nourishment, health and happiness,
was their only God to worship and to offer prayer!
Darkness,
disease, danger and death, were fruits of the evil spirit, condemned
with the same enthusiasm as was manifested in the grand sundance in
worship of the good spirit!
Theirs was a simple and sane religion!
Discovered to them, not by priest, pope or prelate, but by common
truths of natural laws of the Universe!
Years of intimate
association with these honest and sincere people; joining with them in
ceremonies of the sun dance; dealing with them daily in the regular
course of trading and traffic, left in the mind and character indelible
skepticism regarding the many creeds of the white man!
When we read
the philosophy of and the religious creed of an aged Aztec Indian,
expressed on his death-bed, years before Columbus came, it is to
increase our admiration for and confirm our respect for the Red Man's
interpretation of true religion. Here is what he said:
"All
things on earth have their term, and, in the most joyous career of
their vanity and splendor, their strength fails and they sink into
dust. All the round world is but a sepulcher; and there is nothing,
which lives on its surface, that shall not be hidden and entombed
beneath it. Rivers, torrents and streams move on to their destination;
they rush onward to bury themselves in the deep bosom of the ocean.
Things of yesterday are no more today, and the things of today, will
cease perhaps tomorrow. The cemetery is full of loathsome dust of
bodies once quickened by living souls, who occupied thrones, presided
over assemblies, marshalled armies, subdued provinces, arrogated to
themselves worship, were puffed up with vainglorious pomp and power and
empire.
But these glories have all passed away, with no other
memorial of their existence than the record on the page of the
chronicler. The great, the wise, the valiant, the beautiful--Alas!
where are they now?--they are all mingled with the clod; and that which
has befallen them shall happen to us, and to those who come after us."
This great prince wound up his final charge to his subjects with:
"The horrors of the tomb are but the cradle of the Sun. The dark shadows of death are brilliant lights for the stars."
To
be a modern Christian, is to acknowledge the existence of a super-man,
the representative of a supreme being, or a human delegate born on
earth of a woman who conceived not by man, but a spirit. With profound
respect and enthusiastic approval of the teachings of Christ, a Jew,
while he lived in Palestine, it is impossible to believe in the
fantastic tales of him, written a century or more, after his
crucifixion by a Jewish rabble for interference with their religious
beliefs and customs.
The life and doings of the Man of Galilee
was written by humans long after his death-historians of that day--much
of it authentic account of both his life and of the activity of the
people and conditions existing at that time! Making allowance for the
fanatical 'revelations' and religious forms and ceremonies then
practiced by its writers, we find the Bible a delightful historic book
to read! Yet, to accept it literally as Truth, is not possible in this
enlightened age! That would be contrary to all the laws of nature and
wholly without the bounds of scientific knowledge!
Unnumbered
religions exist throughout the world--all different--have existed ages
before the coming of Christ, yet, it must be conceded His is the best
system for guidance of human conduct, but, we must not overlook
Confucianism or the influence of Mahomet--for Browns and Yellows are in
the majority still. Whether Islam or Christianity is responsible for
most bloodshed, misery and torture, is a moot question, for arising
from each, the peoples of the world suffered in grief, agony, despair
and death, more than from all other wars known to history! And all
this, contrary to the teaching of both Jesus and Mahomet! Or of that
taught by Confucius, or Buddha.
That there is another world--other than the one in which we live--is not proven--never can be! We can only wonder--we can hope!
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My Religion
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I believe there is no other heaven than the owned home--with a big and
happy family in it. No man or woman need look for a better one! No
Pope, priest nor preacher ever did or ever can supply one as good. And
that is the kind I have--have always had. Christ never urged another
kind!
For churches I have no quarrel; their pastors are all alike to
me. Each believing a different creed, they all devote their time and
energies to advocating his special remedy for sin; though following
different trails, they aim for the same star--and hope to reach the
same refuge. They have always had my good will--and what support I
could afford always without taking sides or affecting any choice of
creed.
They all promise a better life in a better world--but none of
their promises have ever made good. They must prove it before I
believe. And they would if they could; like me, they can only hope.
I
believe in the majestic, all-powerful and unalterable law of Nature and
the unknown and unknowable Universe--all of which is controlled in its
behavior, by the sun. This part of my religion, came from my
association with the Red Race. The never-ending, never changing source
of all life on earth is, to them, the only thing worthy of worship--and
maybe they are right! Who knows?
If George Washington, Thos.
Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Tom Paine and Robert
G. Ingersoll were agnostics, then you can class me as one!
Wigwam Oct '46
M.I. McCreight
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