BLACK GUM 



759 



BLACK HILLS 



The second Black Friday was on September 

 19, 1873, when the New York Stock Exchange 

 reported numerous failures, which precipitated 

 what is known as the panic of 1873. 



BLACK GUM, an American tree of which 

 there are two well-known species, one yielding 

 a tough, close-grained wood, used for hubs of 

 wheels; the other yielding a light, soft wood 

 employed chiefly for such articles as berry 

 crates and fruit boxes. Both are handsome 

 trees from eighty to ninety feet in height, with 

 twisted branches and bright green leaves which 

 turn crimson in autumn. The black gum is 

 native to America, but has been introduced 

 into Europe as an ornamental tree. Just why 

 it should be called a gum tree is uncertain, 

 for there is no gum connection in any way 

 with it. 



BLACK HAW, or STAG-BUSH, a shrub or 

 small tree belonging 

 to a family of most 

 valuable ornamental 

 plants. The buds, 

 reddish and downy, 

 appear in winter. 

 This shrub grows 

 sometimes to a 

 height of fifteen 

 feet and has spread- 

 ing, rather stout 

 branches. The flow- 

 ers are attractive and 

 pure white ; the fruit, 

 nearly half an inch 

 long, is oval, bluish- 

 black and covered 

 with a soft bloom. 

 The black haw grows 

 well in dry places. 



BLACK HAWK (1767-1838), a chief of the 

 Sac Indians, one of the most persistent ene- 

 mies of the white men in their westward 

 progress. He was born at Kaskaskia, 111., be- 

 came chief of his tribe in 1788, and from the 

 first showed himself strongly opposed to any 

 concessions to the whites. Despite his in- 

 fluence, the Sacs and Foxes in 1804 agreed to 

 give up to the United States their lands east 

 of the Mississippi River, but Black Hawk 

 repudiated the contract, declaring that the 

 chiefs had been made drunk before they signed 

 the documents. 



During the War of 1812 Black Hawk, 

 tempted by British agents, joined them with 

 about 500 warriors, but soon retired from Brit- 

 ish service. In 1823 most of* the Sacs and 



BLACK HAW 



BLACK HAWK 



Foxes, under the leadership of Keokuk, re- 

 moved to their reservation beyond the Mis- 

 sissippi River; but Black Hawk, with part of 

 his tribe, refused 

 to emigrate and 

 fought with the 

 whites what is 

 known as the 

 Black Hawk War. 

 After several en- 

 counters, the In- 

 dians were de- 

 feated, and Black 

 Hawk and his 

 two sons were 

 taken captive. 

 The three were 

 confined in Fort- 

 ress Monroe until 1833, and afterward joined 

 the tribe in the reservation near Fort Des 

 Moines. 



In 1911 there was erected near Oregon, 111., 

 on a bluff which 

 overlooks the pic- 

 turesque valley of 

 Rock River, a 

 massive rein- 

 forced concrete 

 statue to this in- 

 domitable Indian 

 chief. The figure 

 is fifty feet in 

 height and was 

 constructed by 

 Lorado Taft. It 

 is not a portrait 

 statue, for it pre- 

 sents features 

 from more than 

 one Indian tribe, 

 but its simple 

 strength and 

 majesty and its 

 prophetic gaze 

 down the valley 



once dominated THE GREAT STATUE 

 , ,, . . This majestic figure, the 



by this grim war- work O f Lorado Taft, is of 

 rior gives it a very concrete and stands fifty feet 



in height, 

 real personality. 



BLACK HILLS, a name that describes one 

 of the richest gold-mining sections in the 

 United States. It is a low, mountainous dis- 

 trict, covering an area of 6,000 square miles 

 in South Dakota and extending into Wyoming. 

 The territory was purchased from the Indians 

 in 1876, and mining operations were begun 



