The weekly Arizona miner., 1869-08-21
Letter from Iowa.
[coRREsPoNpBNCB ARIZONA INNER.
SIOUX Cry, Iowa, July 10, 1869.

EpIroR ARIZONA MINER When I let Arizona it was mainly to escape from the accursed Apaches; in fact the mention or thought of Indians was unpleasant to me. But, unfortunately, here am on the confines of Indiandom; at least this Is one of the headquarters for supplies, for feeding and clothing the miserable redskins Here, too, an opportunity is offered to see something of the stupid and rascally mode of conducting Indian affairs. From this point are shipped vast cargoes of material, for Indian purposes, either as food and clothing, or as supplies for the army that is there to fight them. Vast droves of cattle are slaughtered to feed the yagabonds who will one hour eat from the public supplies, and, the next, be on the war path, pulling scalps from the white settlers or travellers Recent outrages in Kansas show what contemptble humbug treaty making with them is. These treaties are al most invariably followed by renewed massa- cres and plunderings.
 General Harney is now here as are his headquarters. He has, perhaps earned the reputation of being good Indian fighter, but he is too old and full of bad whisky to amount to much now. Besides, he is pretty much under the control of men who are ma king good things off the Government. We want young, energetic, sober men, to deal with the Indians, and there are men ready to take a contract, at one-sixth of what the Government is expending annually, to quiet every savage west of the Mississippi river, and east of the Rocky Mountains, in just fif- teen months. But no; somebody is making good thing of it, while the poor settlers are robbed, murdered and scalped daily.
 Six years ago, this whole country was sur prised and captured by Indians. In the town, old fortifcations still remain, and be assured, there is now none too good feeling towards To. From this point, there is a heavy trade carried on with the up-riyer country-Dako- ia and Montana.
 Northwestern Iowa is filling up very rap idly. So are Nebraska and Dakota. Thous- ands of teams may be seen vending their way west. The people that accompany them are hardy poneers-real heroes. Hundreds of men, with single yoke of oxen, or span of horses, with their all-goods, chattels, wives and children, in little, sheet-covered wagons, wend their worn and weary way, with hope full hearts, westward into the prairies of Ne braska and Dakota, to make homes, with lit- tie other surroundings than the open heav- ems, broad, unwooded country, swift, search ing winds, and the unbroken silence of the wild and almost boandlcss prairie. These men dare and do nobly, not for honor and fame, but for others-those little ones that are to be citizens and sovereigns of this mighty nation. Without these hardy pio- neers to open the country and develop it's wealth, the statesman could not plot and scheme, the philosopher think, the poet write, or the scholar teach. Bread is the first want, and everlasting thanks to the doers of the worlds work, whether of hand or brain, whether indoors or out.
 But, this country is the paradise of specu- lators and shirks: at every little town there are scores of men on the alert to make money without labor. If thero is lot or tract of land that some honest man wishes 10 purchase for farm, the speculator buys it, and, then. is ready to sell, at an advance of one or two hundred per cent. Thus they live and fatten on advantages they take of honest men who are seeking homes in the west. The race of shirks, called, sometimes, speculators, is in creasing very rapidly in the States. Every thing is now done by agents or brokers, and farmer or gardner can hardly sell his corn or cabbages without it is done through an agent. Thus, middle men, shirks, suckers and swindlers are becoming more numerous every day, and, already, the East is looking towards China for men who are to do the work Of this country. It will be a god send when the Government lands are disposed of. Tor then the hordes of suckers who have been justly denominsted land sharks will have lost their vocation.
 The glorious fourth of July is just past There was on exhibition great deal of sta9. gerng patriotism; the eagle spread its wings and scared, and all took drink.
 The season, generally, has been cold and wet, but wheat is coming in well. In tho south, the prospect of large cotton crop is good. Money matters are tightening all over the States.
 The women's rights women are all on the rampage; their conventions are held almost daily Anna Dickinson is to have n harem