Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-08-03

ache. rheumatism, Wildfire, or ring.
worm, if worn around the arms.'
Last year these four men killed 327
snakes in three months, ana they Ill
tend to exceed that number this year.
these snakes we got here,' said En-
dy, ''are the worst kind Of rattleIs.
They live OH mice ard bird. There is
10 such thing in my mind us charming
il bird. My opinion is that the snake
comes on the bird so suddenly that it
gets scared to death. I don't believe
one-half the snake stories l hear nova
days.
The Sioux, or Dakota, Indians.
The Sioux, or Dakotas, as they arc
! inditfeHently named, have been known
for more than two centuries. When
! first discovered they were living about
the head waters of the Mississippi,
which was rs long ago rs 1910. They
were originally known as the Nadowes-
sioux, which, in time, was shortened
into the last syllable of the designation.
Duluth took possession of their terri.
tory in the name of France in 1850 land
the next year he rescued the well.
known Hennepin, who had fallen into
their hands. In the last years of the
seventeenth century, they were visited
by La SGur, who states that they con.
sisted of sixteen tribes, but soon after
this time they were broken up in a
long and bloody war with the Chip.
pewas, many Of them going further
south, and locating along the banks of
the Mississippi. In 1922 their territory
extended from the Black Hills to the
Mississippi, and from DEVILS Lake to
the mouth of the Big Sioux. In 1887
they coded to the United States all
their land east of the Mississippi in
1885 the American Board of Mission
began to work among them establish.
ing schools and printing books in the
native language.
Their first difficulty with the United
States was in 1854; three years before
this the government purchased IS, 000,.
600 acres Of them for S3,000,0O0; but
failing, as usual. to carry out the terms
Of the agreement, the Sioux became
1854, Lieut.. Grattan attacked a Sioux
village. and received exactly the same
treatment that did Custer, being ami.
Inflated along with his entire command.
| The next year. however. they were
soundly beaten by that veteran fighter,
Gen. Harvey, which was followed by a
treaty of peace. The frauds practiced
upon them were not discontinued, and
the treaty of peace was only so in
name. In 1857 they massacred some
50 whites near DEVILS Lake, and in
1862, a general uprising occurred, dur
ing which, at New Ulm, and other
places, at least thousand settlers
were killed. They were finally defeat
ed by Gen. Sibley and Sully.
! At the present time, the original
Sioux nation is much scattered. Many
of the bands who were hostile in 1862,
went north into the British possess
sions, where they still remain. A large
portion of these are gathered on re
! servations about the Black Hills coun.
! try, and whose names are given in an.
other portion Of this article.
1t may be stated, at this point. that
the government is still in debt to the
Sioux to the amount OF several millions
Of dollars, whose non. payment has
been the cause of considerable dissat.
isfaction. Last year the government
made efforts to purchase the Black
Hills country, but failed. Red Cloud,
Spotted Tail, and other chiefs visited
Washington in May, and in September
a great council was held at Red Cloud
agency, but owing to the exOrbitant
price placed on their land by the Sioux
the negotiations failed. Then com.
menced the Eruption of miners, which
fact, being in direct violation of the
treaties; together with Il system of
enormous frauds developed at the
Sioux agencies. the deferred payments
due the Sioux, and the efforts made to
force Sitting Bull ON the reservations,
resulted in the present outbreak.
Upon no less than three memorable
occasions have the Sioux made thor.
ougll work with white men. The ex.
termination of Grafton and his com.
mand, in an attack upon Sioux vii.
| lage i'll 1854, has already been alluded
to. In December, 1866, Lieut.. Fetter.
! terman and his command of over I,
hundred men were attacked near Fort
Phil Kcarney, and killed to 4 man.
The case of Custer is the third in
stance in which they have left none to
tell the tale of the conflict. Unques.
ticnably tho Sioux are the best 15gnt.
ing material which the Indians have
ever developed They are superior in
physique and intelligence to the ordi.
nary Indian. Their language has been
thought worth grammar and diction.
airy, and large amount of scriptural
and current literature has been trans.
lated into the Sioux language. Sitting
Bull is said to be man of some edu.
cation, who has studied the art or war
rs taught by modern leaders, and who
is good strategist as well as a leader.
During the attack on Crook, it is stat.
ed that he directed the movements by
means of signals conveyed by the flash
of looking.glass.