Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-07-18
CHICAGO IN 1885, lEtIkH f"um
Az EARLY SETTLER.
= p,~s-re or the Infane N1etrop-
.Iss-rhe Frawds Upon tho In
.psnms-A Few Sensations bv n
primitive Reporter.
From the Chicsgo Tribune, July 10.

from the Chicago Tribune Jnlyia
The following interesting letter, which is
here published Tor the first time. will be
found 20 possess, foS our citizens, more 10
tefest than usually attaches TO private episs
les OF n date no more remote than thrty~
four wears ago. 1t bears date October ; SOB.
AID may be rec arded as the earles. record
% Chicago in existence. The writer 10
Dir. n. Van Der Bogart. who, having come
t. the lar Wet, TO push his iortcns, sat
down one day TO record bis impressions OF
the . ace for the benefit Of his friend Mr..
David Demorest, Of Montgomery County,
New York. He WAS evideotly an honest
and intelligent reporter, and the picture be
gives to the infant metropolis, which sven
then, seems 10 have been full Of promise.
presents remarkable contrast to it's aspect
ct the prest ut day. We give the portions
| Of the letter which refer not 10 the private
affairs Of the writer:
II sm ct Chicago, which il situated on
the southwest s,ds Of Lake Michigan. l,
has loug been trading post with the In>
dams and . military post last war, when the
garrison Vas msssaesed By the Indians. IL
is thsee hundred miles west Of Detroit. Ia
the spring, when csos here. there were
but few log cabins. About hundred aud
fifty frame houses have been built this sum
msr. The pace will soon make IN import,
ant town, - II is tho only barbor on the
coast. Twenty i've thousand dollars will
be expended this summer and fall on the
harbor. Thus wasappropriated by the Gov
eminent Next year niucn greater
G sum. Society was bad when Iirss came
here, but since, many good inhabi,snts have
come IN. lnrce rcngious societies are or
g,nized here. aud three churches are builds
ing. VIZ: Presbyterian, Baptist and Meth
o odist. There are also many heather in the
place. but their Influence is declining. A
canal is laid out to the Rapids on Fo1siver,
= distance Of 90 mica. As soon ~ this ca
y nsl is finished it will help this place much.
. The country around this place 10 not good,
Ie but back fifteen OF twenty miles il is . most
, beautiful country Of rolling prairie with
: groves OF timber. All that 10 necessary to
y make = farm Is to fence and break up
ID There are 40 good crops Of corn and wheat
IN % ever saw The land 10 owned BY Gov
q, eminent and Is not surveyed yet. 1t is
good time % make 81 lsctions. The price
III will be SI.25 On acre. Money 10 more plen-
No " here than ever saw it before. OUT
~ town has been filled with Indians TO the
b. number Of seven thousand for four weeks
as past, and also strangers and French traders
a. The indians came to receive the pay meu'
ior lKnds which they had sold before. Thu
United States Commissioners have effected
with them the most important treaty tina
RI has ever been made. They have cold 81
their lands east Of the Mssssseippi river.
IAN the time the Indians have been herr
&c they received rasions from The Government
ng Tpey sold their land, in all about four mil
ut lions Of acres, for Il 100, 900. to be paid il
;, twenty >tive years. They received now. On
:. the treaty before this, $4,000 in cash ant
RAJ sI30.OOO in goods. The payment closes
nd TO day.
n. such scenes AZ were acted out during
~. this pay mcnt never saw before, and new
er wish 10 see again. The goods were de-
As' posted in Two buildings, and torn up int
ld small pieces 10 be Distributed. and the Az
20 aricious French traders were permitted 4
~. watch them, end stole to the amount Of $40
900 worth in two nights. When the good
were given TO the Indians they we're seated
the in two long rows and great number o
0.> men were employed in carrying an
ri, strewing the goods along amonI
~. them Some got much more thai
'"' others. The goods consisted .
nroadcloths, silks, guns, batchets, ciothing
saddles brides, blankets. &c. Their good
III Ind them little good. Tor many Of then
in would sell their blankets for three or fou
nd ~hliings which were worth five dollars
49, Others would give their goods for whlskcy
aud before the next morning their good
- were nearly gone. will describe a seen
10 which saw III tue evening after. they hA
received thcil goods. They we're encampe
along The edge OF the woods. | walked to
are place where | heard number Of drInke
Ia. tiax ,io HI
was practiced upon them. The night va
Nv" dark and was not seen although wa
Is not more than twelve rods distant. | sa,
nino or ten Indians with their goods and tiv
Of the French traders vino could talk ID
'he Indian language. They had brought SON
hat wh,skey and gwen them, which soon mad
lisa them drunk. Then some diverted their a.
tention while the others stole all their good
even taking their last blanket. NJ my VIII
had three or four blankets the night befo'
saw yesterday naked. Tney will Civ
ar. anything they have for whiskey. All
soon as they are drunk they a
''e' are stripped 10 the skin by the whites. Sue
, IN internal v,llsiny would make the devil blusl
the My soul has been panied with these scene
J.. =, If wlckcdness winch have been practice
on these much abused people. We ot,e
toast that. let humanity be wanting in me-
10 the i.macis ever kund. but not ST. here
~" have seen females gtvo a dram OF whiske
~ d al lAdiauand take his blanket. La
- night msuy have been robbed OF Eth
money and when they atteml
',. to trade with the whites tn
NV greatest extortion is used. A pint
~ whisky soften sold for dollar At IN
= = uomeut | see the woman of the hou,
nv, where sm boarding charge = squsw, WI
A 4 .-srl Ia.
;, :" The Indians received all their money IN ii
-. " cent pieces, and every article that the
nv, ,"s buy costs them fifty cents. The Indians
NY. ~" IN their drunken frolics, have killed seve
'"N or eight themselves since they have bee
hero yesterday. One was stabbed in b
80, arm and cut in the main artery Of his ara
~ ~. and be bled almost to death before III
''e' main artery could be sewcd. man ls
evening roboed one lrdisn Of hundre
i've dollars. but he WAS taken, and
nth now il custody. have heard some on
ose complain that the American savage coul
pm. not be civilized don't wonder they al
not civilized by such intercourse. Go an
,sss eifacs from the heart Of the savage, If 20
can, the remembrance of his injuries and b
80. wrongs Fill this is cone be cannot
). $50 tanned, since all the intercourse with the
S.ss' tends 10 make them more miserable end d.
!. 2ss graded. IN ght unfold more OF this pic'
. Of ure, Gus .es 'n's su"ce. 4 AN one tnoosaf
,ver sno Two "snosoa u",ss u,ssaus rum 20
. nf make no calculations. I have not be,
:. engaged in the practice Of my psofessi<
Az this Summer, but have been doing BUSH
ows ess for another ,nan II thirty five dollars p
month. would say TO you, II you eou
sell your property fos its full value. ysu CO
not do better than to come and settle twel
re. ~ miles west Of this place.
(Signed) II. VAN DsR BooAsr.