St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-04-23
A Word to the Foolish.

Those persons who have been trying
to organize expeditions here i'll Boston
aud other places to go to the Black Hills
in search of golden treasures should
think at least twice and consider all
the risks of the undertaking before they
start. First of all, the treaty with the
Sioux Indians guarantees to them the
exclusive possession of this region. and
the Government has intimated most
emphatically its intention to protect
the tribe against entertainments by
mining parties or anybody else. The
military officers have orders to prevent
any aud ali intrusion upon that domain
so long as the Indian title remains I'M
modified. and General Ord has declared
more than once, i'll the most explicit
terms. that any expeditions going there
without official sanction will be sum
marily ousted and all their wagons.
supplies and ACCOMPLISHMENTS destroyed.
There is no practicable route tor reach
ing the Black Hills by which the vigi-
lance of the military can be eluded. and
even If any party succeeded in reaching
their destination, it would not be long
before their whereabouts would be
to two dangers. In the first place, they
would he fair game for the Indians, and
if they were slaughtered out of hand
by them, only themselves would be to
blame. In the second place, General
Ord would no doubt be as good as his
word. and send detachment of troops
at once to break up their camp and
escort them back TO the frontier.
We are told that some of the prime
movers i'll getting up the expedition
from this quarter are i'll the pay of one
or more lines of railroad over which
men and supplies bound for the Black
Hills region would pass. We hope this
is not true. but if il is the case, the
main consideration with them is to get
the tide of adventures and fortune
hunters in motion and what becomes of
them after they get beyond the rail-
roads Is il matter of minor consequence
but we suggest that to the adventures
and fortune hunters themselves this is
Il point of supreme Importance. We
trust that they will not walk blindly
into any such trap set by sOulless cor
. polations, however alluring may he the
/ bait presented. Let them consider tor
Il moment what their situation would
Toe when they were left in the wilder
ncsS. 1t is safe to assume that such an
expedition would be- made up for the
most part of Young men. who would
/ have to stake all they had on the ven
ture.
The cost of their outfit and trans
/ portation would probably exhaust then
resources. aud they wonld he dependent
on success in their mining projects foi
the means of getting back or going
else where. Under the circumstances
there would he almost an absolute Ger
/ tainty of the failure of all their hopes
/ They would find themselves in the viii
drrnc>~. where. instead of being pro
tected by the Government and the mil
ltdrN. they would he treated is outlaws
their supplies taken from them. THEN
company broken mp and diSpcl >cd. and
/ they would he left Ia find THEN WAY t,
I life and safety H. best they could. Tn,
hard>hips and Sutfrring~ which they
would he likely To encounter would
make the chance of ever getting bach
alive decidedly slender.
/ There is Il possibility that steps vii!
he taken to make >oluc infringement
with the Indians ion eNtiH"ui>hiug ,hclI
title to these lands aud opening them ID
miners and settlers. but thcI.. viii imcy .
itah!y he Il long delay in bringing al"ur
a contamination of the matter. and
after ii has been accomplished there
will hc time enough To foam contracts
with railroads. Meantime We advi~,
every sensible m.,n. and especially rN-
cry man who l. not sensible. to Keen
ont of amy such perlous scheme as that
which has been set on foot. 1T is not
aud cannot come Ia good. Boston
GI0bt