The New York herald., 1875-09-27
AN ARCADIA FOR THE GEOLOGIST.
Aborigines Addicted to Houses and
Empty Trunks.
A GLANCE BEHIND THE CURTAIN.
Forr prnrnoLp. pako,.. sept. 10. ISIS.

TIE Fourth ward hotels stranger struck with the
numbsr of trunks In the tepecS | no earthly use
Cor than trunk any Indians but some have
apiece As they little clothing the trunks are
probably devoted o dried pumpkins and the opera
glasses which the government TO them with the
annuity supplioA Some may think opera glasses out
0f place FAR from civilization, but the venerable
Anckarre dnds them Of great service IN the buffalo
I country when be goes after meat At least Commits
smith thinks Tho houses are grouped closely
togcther ke the In heaven and the village re-
senbioa scene In Esqulmau land The road
nom Port Stevenson this way is level
for about eight miles, then the prairie becomes
rolling and immense domes loom up directly u front
of the traveller They the sculplured remains OF
the BaA Lands when one Is not thirsty, and his
saddlcbags fun OF provisions they beautiful 70
behold Tho soil Is peculiar hard clay. Tho original
formation high blurs but the rains have washed
them away, leaving only these monuments for the
goologisi and anuqaary. more singular and solemn
spectacle cannot be found outside Of the great noun
sains In places tho clay has turned 70 stone Besides
the domes there columns and arches and winding
corridors carved BY the storms Of centuries They
beautiful BY day. bat should them night
under fan noon. Then the harsher outlines disap.
pear and from the bottom of lho passageways the
starry sky seems 20 me tips Of dones like
roof of mpphira The last time rased that way the
night ane but an Indian mule and the poetry
was not % conspicuous a. 10 might have been
Tho road from me east winds among these fantastic
shapes for Two three miles until cncrres tho
tablclands Of Fors Bershold 0n either side of The
driveway through the hills grass covers the lower
ground % their very base The watercourscs
fBged with Wild shrubbery loaded with various kinds
OF small fruits Across me river tremendous bluas
stretch Gar the and west while distance the
yellow waicrs Of the Missouri r0n toward the
Space gwen 10 this singular region because h s ihc
homo Of Mr. spcrry'a Indiana Notwithstanding the
talk about The dcscrts bad Lands, grA2shoppers
quoes and alkAi Interesting spot and n there
BE- any Arcadias Dakota thls viii be Of them
Father DO Smet had good deal say about the Mis-
souri River country, and this what he wrote u she
Bad Lands in his letter - Central Councl Pnia
TarHKH Lssps
The sSiion oi ss rains. ss' .se ns. sss az 1rs
OF theso elements render u She theatre singular
scsnery Viewed a distance these .nds eshnii the sp
der forms extraordinary and capncoas style u
pertaining 70 some scw sorld az. iAr vmsls.
Here majestic 1eth,e to~sf surrounded s ~,h tar.
and ofy columns rsared 20 spposs ths vsait of
sspesi sssTs ana SI'S sy -. !. Suss
ssss tSe slsaass Of ,smpsss s.rsa a.ts All shnas
Sapoiss q colossal % % g,opoSo9' ana ws'1 req.
mopherica agents york ihsm 9Th such secs that
ing o. destroying these .,rsnge eonsiuelens lere
known oaadrapeds mingled Sa .sase u shs asassaia
hare Ihave well preserved seuls hores ke large
distinct impress Of their primitive naiure
woRsHIr.
The Indians undoubtedly have a higher appreciation
OF the sublime and beautiful than the vulgar trackors
in merchandise give them credit for Each day a.
the sinks down in the west solitary Indians may
be seen climbing highest bills There they 80 hour
after hour, silent and alone, until twght erceps over
the landscape and the stars out In the say. na
white approaches they retire There Is a So
emnity and sincerity about their worship of tho nh-
mite in nature that put 20 shame the shallow ambitions
Of their white teachers OF the Ring
During tho summer season companies OF Indians 20
TO the green valleys among the balls aud cut hay Tor
winter, while their children play along the river banks
or gambol under the Tho laughter Of childhood
is just as sweet here IL is Connecticut or Central
Park. Leaving the yariegatcd monuments Of the bad
lands the traveller approaches For Bcrthold in the
west The prairie sweeps from the bank away "
the north, where 1t rises and forms what known
the third bench, or the plains proper Tho rounded
roofs of the Indian village sight The bastion of
old fort still stands at the upper corner Of The stock
ade and the square rooted the top with rs
quaint old weathercoek, makes ono think that ho is
approaching some ancient village "a a foreign land
| know Of no other place in all Of tho Northwest
where good lighting Indians easy b. civilze 90
course Mr. Spcrry don't think 50, but he 20 try
his hand on the retons he would want new scalp
every two hours The Berthold Indians like % 1--we
| houses when they don't siarve Their children are
quick to learn at school, and all things considered,
they bright and intelligent lo of savages az
can be found this side Of the Cherokoo Nation
real tame Indian, such tho haifbrceds Of Port
Garry, is the most monotonous, unAtiractye spcci.
mems Of human mahogany that imagine.
There is no fun pathOs poetry Ia him. Red Cloud
has more substance and originality tn bis little nnger
than all the Indians the Red River from Lake Win
nipeg down. Mr. Sperry VIII never have a better
chance TO distinguish himself missionary and
former than he has had here.
| TnE A0EST's cLERK
Mr.. sperry has been peculiey fortunate IN having
good clerk His name - William Courtenay commonly
known in military circles Judge Courtenay he has
the best set OF books on the ne educated
! a great mercantile house in London Double entry
bookkeeping IN all It's branches = Al his nnger ENDS
His reports and abstract models svery
respect and were not for sperrys outside operations
the agency would be credit ~ the E0yornment There
are several ways Of running these institutions Tho
usual style is TO lump out the provisions Tie easiest
and quickest way, and keep A. few books Ilosslble
Mr. Courtenay follows the rules Of the department
the bitter end, which consist In making reports and
vouchers and vouchers and reports and abstracts and
schedules and monthly aud quarterly reports Of
all sizes, shapes and descriptions Until uolihcr
got away with the last steamboat load ~ an
nuity goods. The circumlocuton of the Interior
bookkeeping department Is exact keeping with is
investigating expeditions. but with al hooKkntpnE
and investigating the people dofrandr1 and in
dams starved There s much machinery ca pager .n
the War Department, but the soldiers ga whai "a due
then anu the systeih or kceplhE ac'ounn d ~ 81
mirabe that there is check on everybody from ths
general uown 70 sns eorp2rAL y = ~ ih. re-son tai
the wisest anu most conscientious thr CQnrtry
arc now In favor Of turning the Indian manasenitni
over to the military. ! have no doubs thai 1uiro
Courtenay could devise much better way ~ keepaE
the agency accounts he governed by tto frI
rulos Of the department. Certainly he could So n
vent worse system than the present auiess o. Ecra
70 throw his books into the and cage spafry al
Raymond IN charge Of all tho supplies
DUTIES AGHxcY cLrnK
While MT Sperry II c0nC0ctuE outside schemes fnr
glorifyng his reformasory Institution, Judge Coarsnay
does the legitimate work such feeding AMI pa inf
the Indians and making out reports Among cthar
things which he does NAV be mentioned = uaativ
statement Of fundsi report Of issues giving nuia
Der OF Indians and the amount issued each week q
monthly report or synopsis Of the Affairs the agency
OF from hve TO ten pages With reports IRON heads 10
the departments, including a monthly stsfemrut of
funds; also quarterly statement containing return
Of property on hand and property issued
The inventory made three years ago bad 90 n
hand ruling, requiring three days fOr that
alone No blanks are furnished by tho
Washington officials, who get up approprA.
tions 70 supply lost tribes with garden seeds