Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-03-13
Watohman Sc journal.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH l3, 1872.
For tho Wutchman
A Trip TO CaIliornia-..NO. -.

Indians with good effect. The conductor Of the
sleeping car, who had been promoted 10 bis berth
from the post of private in one Of the regiments
stationed at Fort Bridger, pleasant, quiet, very
intelligent man. Of lew words but OF opinions
very pronounced, came and sat down in our sec
tion. Said !, " Arc we nearing the Indian hunt
ing grounds? 2" "The Indian hunting grounds
proper arc 50 me way to the north aud south of
the road, but in about four hours We shall cross,
at the station called Medicine Bend, ,' the great
trail over which they pass from their winter hunt
ing grounds in the South 10 their summer hunt
ing grounds 10 the North" " What do you
think Of the Indians ?' What any man who
expects they will be in at the lifting Of his scalp
some day, would be likely TO think" DO YOU
really expect it will he So with you ?'' " Yes sir.
/ / cannot get over the feeling that my scalp !.
morteagcd to the red devils, and that one Of these
trims Of mine will see that mortgage forocloscd.
! never leave Omaha without thinking that it
may be the last time They arc going through
this train sometime, but they viii mover get iuy
top-lock while am alive. When see what is
up have something right here (-howing tie
muzle Of a reyolyer) " That will Kill, bat The
one killed will not be an Indian" What do
you mean Who will be tillcdg 81 mean
/ that the Indians never make an attack 90 any
thing or anybody until they are sure of their
game. They must be dozen 60 one or else tie
one must be unarmed and helpless They are
cowardice, meanness treachery and cruelty incar-
nate, and the way they are going 20 do Che train
sometime is something like this. Some renegade
white will take up tie rails 90 some dangerous
] U e. .ff.a o..
/ it for them; they never viii lilt finger TO
wrench out q spike or digup ue. ll will bo 40
place by which the train passes in the night
/ All unconscious Of the danger, until it Is right
| in it, the train will plunge into some bridge or
down some UnLunkmcut The first wo shall
know will be The shock and then the dcmouiaa
| yell the like Of which !. not heard from any
throat but an Indians will ring out through tle
darkness, and the devils will bs upon u.s. heard
| i, once, in the distance though, WhCn whole
company swoopcd down upon a poor, crele--
comrade of mine, who had gone out beyond the
lines to shoot an antelope. lt rings 10 my ears
| TO this hour, yell so deyli-h in soaud, moruI
Imagination cannot conceive oi it When hear
that yell ringing around this train | siuN know
/ the game is up and that ! have lost and / shali
call upon Barking Billy here" (appInt bis
revolyer) a." To help me out of o. bad .oure
simply mean that prefer 20 kill myself and iet
the Indians have my scalp afterwards, rather than
| to let him have my scalp first and KIN ule after
wards"
| This was testimony on the Indian question
taken on the spot Between It's meaning aud the
meaning Of that given upon tie platform Of Bls-
tons fremont Temple, from the lips Of those
who have never experienced anything in life that
can parallel frontier hardship who know the
| Indian only as their really noble and philan-
I thropic souls have pictured him. or as they have
seen him on expeditions Of the Government, when
he was gotten up for the occasion, as q trained
dog might be gotten up to show Of in lady'-
boudoir. there is vital difference. am free to
confess that am convinced that the meaning oil
the testimony taken on the spot is true Of chat
taken here East is false. The case of the Ameri-
can Indian is hopeless All the forces lodged in
this goodly country Of ours, the forces that push
the Anglo Sixon, the Negro. the Mongll, the
Semitic, so happily forward to their development,
God ha. been bringing 10 bear upon him for num-
berless centuries, and they have al failed to make
the least impression. Now, one cannot hclp see
ing that the last force, aud the mightie,t one of
them ALL the force that lie has brought 10 hesr
upon them in these " last days, that is lodged
in the person of civilized and Christian race OF
men, is also failing to make the least impression
But, dear reader please do not think am build
ing up a case on insufficient testimony. on that Of
this sleepiugcar conductor alone simply give
his as truthiully typical Of That which comes from
every one who in the " greater West is called
upon to meet the Indian face 10 face. and to know
him Just as he really is
By the way, since it bears upon the present
Government managemen Of the question, re.
call another bit Of that evenings conversation.
said |, d" take It then, youore not a warm adyo-
cate Of Grants Quaker policy with the Indians 2''
" You bet amt now We hear that Grant is
making preparation to take the trip overland next
summer. Now, value my scalp as much as
ANYBODY can value his but, actually would
give it, and give 1t willingly, the party should
be on this train. and the event anticipate will
happen sometime. could happen then. Such
party gone through" would teach our q worn.
ment once for all. the folly of trying 10 make
anything out Of the Indian that thi. country.
as big as it is. is not large enon,h for the p,le
face and the Indian There are two men we bio.
neer workmen and soldiers Late as thoroueily os
we do the Indians These two men are Vincent
Collyer. and his tool. President Grant TYcv a.c
placing us at the mercy of tie Indian Inr,ohc,,
bloody work about rs here bsl,re the wear over
| hear mstterings of the storm from ocr Thc,
are borne to MS from the miners. the outlyipg
companies of soldiers, aud the drivers of the
stage routes" Let us note tha. this talk was
of an evening last April. and let us remember
that staae.coaeh scene when I.orinr and his com
panions went to their death Let as recall the
other many bloody depredations Of the summer
and fall. with the fact that the terrible storms of
this winter have seemed to most proyidentally
come To block up the war maths that were inst
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