The New Orleans crescent., 1868-11-20


INSPECTOR MArrocKs's JOURNEY AND ADVENTURES
IN THE CHIPPEWA COUNTRY.
The st. Paul Press says: "The clerical commits.
zion appointed by the President OF the United
TO attend and sanction the annual pay
me mis- 10 the Chippewa Indians of Minnesota, has
returned safely from the wilderness beyond Grow
Wing. In the division Of their labors, Rev. f. ID.
Nel and Rev. John Ireland took the Western Ri
ding, visiting the Chippewa convocatons at
White Earth Lake and st the crossing Of Red Lake
in the valley OF the Red River oil
the North while Rev. John Mattocks has ira
versed what be calls our Minnesota Adirondacks,
attending TO the payments to the Indians at Leech
Lake, at Red Lake, and at White Oak Point, near
the junction Of Leech Lake river with the Missis-
spp The latter has just returned home, his AS
sociste inspectors or commissioners having pre-
ceded him by few weeks.
Bishop Mattocks's first experience was at Crow
Wing On the night before his arrival an Indian
was killed in drunken sffray, but as ooth par
ties slayer and slain, were Chppewas, no otner
notice was taken by the resident maglstracy than
the cool remark that the victim was the one hun
dred and eleventh Indian killed at Grow Wing IN
that internecine fashion-the outer world only
condescending TO notice the assassination OF Hole
in. the Day. Taking leave OF Clement Reanieu,
the party passed Gull Lake and the abandoned
ST. Columbia (the site of one Of Mr.. Breck's mis-
sionary ventures); encamped successively at
Lake Cullen and Pine River. and halted for some
days at the Chippewa station on Leech Lake.
The largest body of ChiPpewas are or Will ,rn' Dc
sress to ccncentrste them here and At the white
Earth reservation. further west, not relinquish-
ing, we suppose. the Indian settlement at Red
Lake. Mr.. Mattocks estimates the total number
of the tribe in Minnesota as six thousand. of
whom one thousand range the BED River valley,
near Pembna. The distribution made TO the
Leech.Lskers, the Indian officials embarked 10 q
rude steamer for the western shore, whence the
journey by wagons was resumed In general
northwest direction, crossing the Mississippi on
raft near the western extremity OF Cass Lake. A
day or two's journey brought the party to the
sources of the Turtle River, and they crossed
over an imperceptible divide to q remote tributary
of Hudson's Bay, and followed the Red Lake
River TO the banks of Red Lake-its lower ex-
pansion-where the government agency is estab-
lished.
THE COUNTRY.
"Well, Mr.. .Mattocks, on your route from Grow
Wing TO this point, through the basin OF Leech
Lake, what did you think of the chances Of future
settlement
"About the same as in the Adirondacks Of New
York. Occasionally you will meet with min
gled growth of pine and maple, where few
farms might be opened, but these spots will be
ten or fifteen miles apart, and the intermediate
country is sterile and ndinhospitable-a thin surface,
resting on a cold impervious subsoil OF fndurated
clay, and covered with low scrubby pine. Marshy
lakes spread in all directions. The whole area OF
Cass county, fully equal to Connecticut, Is pla-
teau which at period comparatively recent has
been denuded of water, probably by sudden rup-
iure at Pokegoma Falls, aud the land cannot De
sail TO be settled. A dam at Pokegoma, twenty
feet high, would food the whole country again.
The streams have scarcely perceptible cur
rent, and are without definite banks; the marshes
are often putrid; there are no evidences OF mine
raj intrusions it is a region Of innumerable and
sinuous streams (warranting the name Mississippi,
which. properly translated, is 'Riyer OF Many
Waters and will serve its best use as an indian
reservation"
"what did you find at Red Lake We have
favorable accounts of that vicinity"
"a good country, and the Red Lake Indians are
a good people. have never seen better corn and
potatoes than at their village southeast Of the
lske, which, by the way, is as large as Lake
Champain. The Indians who have not been ex-
posed TO the vices Of frontier are certainly su
perior to spy we are accustomed to meet. Their
old chief was a noble specimen Of manhood-tall,
| erect, dieni6ed and even Intellectual"
ANY mission there"
at has been relinquished, as have all in the
| Chippewa districts-the American missionary
station at Red Lake. Breck's at Gull Lake and the
| Sandy Lake mission which, believe, was estab-
| lished by A. B. c. +. M. There is some faint
show of Instruction for Indian children under the
meagre provisions or uraues; pur nothing very
| elective"
"'Will the sources Of the Mississippi add great
| ly to our timber supply?' 4
"' do not think it. One great difficulty will be
= the inaccessible character Of the country. The
sluggish current Of all the streams makes a
"driye of logs" impossible. Near Red Lake are
| pine forests which may be available for the future
| settlements in the Red River valley, and have
specimens Of a superior building material quarried
| near the Red Lake Agency. 1t is compact pri-
mitive limestone, good marble. resembles the
| Joliet stone, but even whittier, and Is the same
| 10 geological age as the Rutland marble OF Yer
| mont
"'Of course you attended some Indian coun.
cils. How about original oratory!'
| "'All bosh y
| "'Tbe union of church and state in this business
of Indian inspection has certainly agreed with you
Was the Tip to Red Lake the extent Of your ex
| peditong'
it's most sinuous outlet TO an Indian payment al
| White Oak Point, not far from Pokegoma Falls
threading fields of wild rice and great focks oi
wild fowl. One mass of wild rice mast have
| been three thousand acres ia extent.
AT the Red Lake agency the only white
woman be met was the lady OF DR.. Weeks, surgeon
| at the post. who proved TO be the daughter o
Homer II. stewart, ESQ.,, Of New York city-s
college classmate Of Mr.. Mattocks. The society
OF DR.. and Mrs. Weeks was On interesting episode
DIR. Weeks was surgeon on the celebrated Monitor
at the time of the struggle with the Merrimac
and afterwards until the famous iron cla(
foundered at sea. In making his escape from th
sinking vessel, On arm was crushed, and although
| he remained in the service of the country-havnl
been transferred TO the army and assisting th
wounded at Gettysburg-yet DIR. Weeks health
at the close Of the war; constrained him to resgi
his active labors as surgeon.
Being at MDnea polls. the position Of physicia
to the Chippewa agency at Red Lake was ten
dered by Msjor Bsssett and accepted. His VIII
! has equal claims to favorable notice. She
Helen @. Weeks-a successful writer. whose cor
trbutions 10 the Young Folks Of Ticknor Fields
and Riverside Of Hurd & Houghton, are familia
10 many of our readers. Her penis far from mac
tive in her present sequestered retreat. and, aide
by her husbands pencil. in the scenery and India
lie of our northern wilderness, many fruiu1 sul
gestions for future publications"
SOUTHERN RiLRoADs.-In the forthcoming n
port of the United States quartermaster genera