The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-29
THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL THURSDAY JULY 90 1879

To trade with them. When be came up from
Wolf Point that day Leighton gave him a
quarter OF a yard of flannel. Our weekly ra-
ton, said he, is two kettles of -four, pint of
sugar, pint of coffee and pound ut pork,
and this is. all to feed seven persons seven
days. They won't let us have guns to shoot
game or to defend ourselves against the Te-
tons. l have always been friendly 10 the
whites, and have ebeyed the great
father We are looked on as dogs.
1 have thought that he would help Us if be
hnew how badly we we're treated. Alas, l
can not read nor write. am helpless. We
are in the hands of bad men, and we have to
take what we can get. Beef has besn sent
to us. We got only six cattle for 113 lodges
during the winter. The trader cheated as
and the agent would not give US food. The
steamboat Fontennelle came up the river,
and 1 went TO trade with her. for was hun
cry. 1 sold some furs and did well. Then
Leighton, the trader, put a. stop to ii and
made the captain pay fine of $500 for sell
ling us goods at honest prices, and his boat
was tied up to the shore until the
fine was paid. have received no blankets
until now. The squaws got some in the
spring. At Fort Belknap the Indians had TO
eat horses and dogs. The white men put to-
bacco in our sugar so that we could not use
it. They gave us two cups of sugar for
robe. know just what the agent and all
bis friends will say on reading these letters.
A man spoke tor him the other day, keep
all white men from the reservations and
there will be no trouble. If they persist in
coming, shoot them and throw 'em into the
river" Even men who pretend to be hon.
est have said in my presence that agents can
do nothing if white men are allowed to in
terfere with their management. In other
words,
THEY WANT TO BE LET ALONE
so that they can brand and rebrand their
stolen goods; so that they can load their
sleds in the dead of winter and send them
sway to the lonely posts OF the North and
there make way with the Indisns' food, SO
that they can rob and grow rich and faunt
their wealth in the faces of honest men and
starving Indians. 1t was only two weeks
ago that some chiefs came to me with their
eyes blazing and said that l was trying to
steal their lands; the agents interpreter had
just. told them so. and the agent
advised them to keep away
from me. The agent went to wolf
Point the next day threatening to drive
away all white men Except his OWN, and
a report came that stricter rules would be
enforced at Fort Peck in the future. The
brazen impudence of the ring is unparal.
leled. Every pains is taken to prevent in
vestigation and fair dealing. The repre-
sentatives OF the grandest government on
earth stcop to the level of q common fraud,
aud the nations shield Is made TO cover
the most contemplate acts OF the rObber.
For the last two years to my own knowledge,
these wicked deeds have been committed
and reported at Washington. Nothing is
done but to grant new favors to the guiltiest
members of the ring. LegaliZed swindlers
are escorted through the country by orders
from Washington. The presidents brother
organizes aud protects q chain of stores that
become depots for stolen goods. The we'll
fed demagogues at the capital sneer at the
cOInDlaints of the Indians ana burlosuu6
their claims for justice. But a day of retri-
button IS coming. If the law refuses to adj
inst these wrongs the tomahswk will surely
nave its revenge, and the bloody massacres
OF Minnesota will be repeated beyond the
Mi. souri,.