The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-01-27
THE FRONTIER.
LETTER FROM TT. wADswoRTH.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
Fort WADswoRrH. D TT
Jan IN 1904

Fort WADswoRrH. DT)
| Jan. 10, 1864
To the Editor of the Pioneer:
lpresume it is owing to my not being
connected with the press that l find the
task of writing, without possessing material
upon which to base letter, so very diff
cult; and therefore am deferred from at
tempting what suppose you would regard
as perfectly easy and Hbusiness transac-
ton the manufacture of the cloth from
which to fashion important items of news.
This being out of my line, and every
component part of this section IF country
having been for some time in a state of
the utmost quiet, have been compelled to
be silent partner in the association of
correspondents.
Would you believe it, sir, we have been
unable. to raise even moderate snow-storm
Tor over two weeks, and as for regular
poudrie, which, in the language of the al
manac makers, we might "look for about
this time, they were among the transac-
tons OF the past, and afford pleasant anti
clpatfons for the future. Not even an
overgrown pike was induced to locate on
the upper instead of the under side of the
Ice, nor stray buffalo to create sensa-
ton in the camp, and furnish your cores
pondent with an item.
began to fear for the reputation of
Fort Wadsworth as stirring, exciting and
live locality, when presto change, all ma
ture became aroused, the elements became
excited, and the population became fu-
rlous. Two scouts had been, sent down
the Sioux River on business, and as they
returned, discovered small spring inlet
to lake, where there was a space not
frozen, which abounded in little minnies.
These minnies furnished large numbers of
foxes with large supply of food, and they
(the foxes) having but little business to
attend to beyond that of obtaining sub.
slstence, pitched their camp in the vicinity
Oh the base of their supplies. One of the
scouts determined to attack their camp.
and as a preliminary secured some seventy.
hve or hundred of the little fishes, which
ne opened and carefully inserted small
gram OF strychnine into the body of each
anu then scattered them upon the ice.
ABOVE, below, and around the minne.hole
and having thus arranged his masked hat,
tery, he returned to bis camp for the night.
Next morning it was discovered that the
entire army of foxes had been flanked and
the dead and dying covered the ice in all
directions, and the skins of twenty-eight
were speedily transferred from the backs
OF the dead foxes to the backs of the live
horses. ...H E.gn El' > -.
The scouts reached their camp near the
fort in a violent snow storm, but snow
storm had no terrors for those who had
such glorious news to communicate. and
so many laughable evidences of success
ful raid upon the fox camp to exhibit.
They entered the camp with all the "pomp
and circumstance =" of two Bashaws
with fourteen tails each. They realized
the Importance of the petition they would
occupy in the future history of coteau gen.
orally and Fort Wadsworth in particular.
They had out-Sampsoned any Sampson of
modern times, and instead of burning the
skins Of their foxes, as ancient Sampson
did, they carefully stretched and dried
them, and subsequently sold them for two
dollars and three quarters each to Johnny
Eldridge, who has full supply of clothes,
blankets, and every other variety of dry
goods, groceries, &c &C., which he sells
at very low figures, while he pays most
exhorbitant prices for all kinds of fnrs and
peltries, robes, castorum, feathers, and all
other natural products of Dakota.
Man is an aspiring and ambitious ami
NAL, as was clearly elucidated upon this
fox question, for no sooner had the success
of the two scouts become generally known
in the camp, than every man and boy de-
termined to surpass the scouts. They had
averaged but fourteen each, others would
not return without a hundred, ninety
eight, &c, &C., down to fifteen, with the
skins of which very modest youth pro-
posed to garnish his horse. The snow
storm lasted two days longer, and during
that delay the ardor and ambition of ma
ny had time to cool. On the third day,
however, three determined fellows, be-
long to the scouts on mail service, obtained
leaves of absence, and amid the neighing
of horses, barking of dogs, shouts of men
and yelling Of women, they departed for
Burdacke Lake, some twenty miles dis
tant, "where foxes most did congregate,"
and where with malace aforethought, these
three men meditated the entire extermi-
nation of the fox tribe
Twill not follow these men during their
travels, their poisonings, their skinning,
&c, &c. Suffice it to say, that some time
after dark on the evening of the fourth
day they returned to camp with three
hundred and eleven-minnies- taken from
the minnie-hole, and brought in for the
military agent, in compliance with pri.
vate arrangement under which they OBJ