THE WILLIAM PENN ELM TREE
The Tulsa World of May 2, 1933, contains an account of
the ceremonies connected with the planting of an elm tree
upon the campus of the University of Tulsa, on Monday,
May 1st, 1933, in which Mrs. Eugene B. Lawson, a. grand-
daughter of Rev. Charles Journeycake, last tribal chief of
the Delawares, presented the university with the tree. This
scion is a lineal descendant of the Elm under which William
Penn made the famous treaty with the Delaware Indians in
1682. This young tree was presented to Mrs. Lawson by
J. Henry Scattergood, assistant commissioner of Indian
Affairs. Mrs. Lawson presented it to the university as "a
living link in American history." Chancellor John D. Finlay-
son accepted the tree for the university.
Mrs. Eugene B. (Roberta Campbell) Lawson of Tulsa,
a member of the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Histori-
cal Society, sends to the Chronicles the following tribute to
this little elm tree.
"Little Elm Tree from Pennsylvania, I wonder
if you know just who you are. No? Then I shall
tell you:
"You are the lineal descendant of a noble elm
tree which stood two hundred and fifty years ago in
Pennsylvania on the banks of the Delaware River in
what was later known as Kensington, now a part
of the great city of Philadelphia. You were a gift to
me by Mr. J. Henry Scattergood, Assistant United
States Indian Commissioner.
"Little Tree, you have heard Mr. Ferguson and
Dr. Weeks tell of that wonderful man, William Penn,
and those equally wonderful Delawares, a tribe of the
Algonquin stock of American Indians; of how they
met in solemn conference, making a treaty of peace
and friendship which was never sworn to and never
broken. Hence, it is recorded, not a drop of Quaker
blood was ever shed by an Indian.
"This ceremony, Little Tree, was in November,
1682, with the lately fallen leaves forming a carpet
for the feet of that solemn, friendly group.