The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-09-01
Our Western Correspondence.
TOPEKA, KANSAS, Aug. 10Th, 1874.


Dear Times oh how little Is known of the
Indians by those who ohave never seen them,
when compared to the knowledge of us here
living amongst the treacherous creatures, fed
by the Government and kept alive only to
murder the families on the frontier. should
like to see some Sioux and Modocs quartered in
Philadelphia, If they should scalp few broad
brims. They should have our most profound
sympathy, and we would console them by tell
ing them they did not understand the Indian
character they must treat them more kindly.
Take the diggers and black feet in Washing
ton, Cheyeenes, and Arapahoes, in New York,
to civilize them. 1t will not cost the Govern
ment as much to take them to the food as to
transport the food to them across the plains,
where they attack the very trains, and murder
the teamsters and rob the wagons loaded to
feed these tribes. Missions of all denomina-
tions have been established all over the land,
for the last hundred years, and not one in-
stance can now be pointed out as reward for
all this labor and expense. l have lived for
the last twenty-five years among the Potawa-
tonnes, seen them move from Indiana to Kan
sas, and they are still Indians. The Quaker
policy is a big failure. Agent Mills is the only
honest one among them.
An investigating committee comprising five
men, Travelled all the way to Lawrence, Kan
sas, within four hundred miles of the scene of
trouble, and there requested Mills to resign.
He was the only agent that dared to tell Gov
ernment, the truth when the frontier settle
ment was all leaving their homes, and at that
time hundreds of families were camped near
John P. Thompson's, on the Arkansas. At
Hutchinson, Kansas, one man saw his son
scalped, then killed. OF course their crops
were nearly all destroyed, and the grasshoppers
have since been blown down on them from
Colorado, and destroyed what was left. Yet
there are trains passing through that country
loaded with provisions to feed these very cut
throats, and going past our own people who
are starving, while no effort is made to relieve
them. Oh, how soon will some plan be de-
vised so that there will be no steal between the
Indian and the Government. l hope to see the
last buffalo killed, then the Indians must work
or rob to such an extent that 1t cannot be can
celed by their stealing agents.
This season has been dry, with frequent
slight showers, but no good soaking rains.
We have an excellent wheat and oats crop.
Wheat is selling off from the z. r. r., for 60
cts. hero at 81 90; Corn is a short crop. That
will force the shipping of all the surplus cat
tie. You may then expect much heavier run
of cattle from the west than at any former
season. The grasshoppers are scattering all
over the State, but too late to do much dam
age, except to frighten those disposed to get
away from all trouble in this world. Now is
the time for man to come here with money
and relieve such of years of toll, and profit by
it. am told by those that understand them,
that it is not probable that we will be troubled
with these grasshoppers for many years, per-
hapsAeyer again. They never stay two years
in succession in the same place, they raise and
fly for days, light in a cornheld and eat it up
in a few hours, then raise and may not touch
the next farm. There is no way of giving
correct idea of them without seeing them;
they arc not as large as your grasshoppers, but
they have a terrible eating capacity, will eat
anything when pressed, even clothes.
u