, 1876-12-30

Tho Political Feellng-Tho Ways Of Indian
:, AEnntH.
> spee4at Correspondence n Th< Tribune.
i. DEER LODGE, Mon, Dec. 15.-Sincc tny last,
the small fraction Of people residing In Montana
layc been, like tho rest Of the country, anxious
ly waiting for the verdict. At times party
spsi. ran llgll, and the old Rebel feeling was
Mt the paint OF the bayoncs wcro freely in.
lulgcd III. and ono prominent citizen here aired
his sentiments as follows: nsl1 conscrVa.
ttyc man, but asn willing tonight to pledge my
in,' no ,na,I appointed by hin stall ever hold
office in thfs Territory" This may Bolntl L.
little like tho rcsoloo.1ous" ut the taass-1neet-
lug at "Confcdrlt ronds,n md perl1Aps tho
produced the sRlnu effect 1t did there, but tho
nan was thoroughly III earnest at tl!c time,
and there arc tnanT others here who would bu
mad and foolish enough to organize armed re-
siBtanec to my appointees o. liaycs Il they
cess. OF course this tnctton, although compris-
Ing large number Of men, ,-inore, .pcrhaps, III
this county than IN any nteier IN Muntana,-is
ou1y small part OF our population, and there
ina1guratcd, There wcru many bets on tue
result, but tho stakes llavo NIL been withdrawn,
tint source Of excitement Ia over, mid quiet
rclgns. :. u,,. .-,.. ..,n.
before the meeting Of tic Legislature In JAM
nary, but some ncco,tnt Of the operations Of In
dim Agents 1nay be of interest to your rcaders.
For tho benefit Of those who may not be posted,
will explain that IN Indian Agent 10 m oti!ecr
npp0t,ltcu by tho Government, whose duties
ars to rcceiya md dlsbusso ull supp!!cs for the
tribe Of wIich llc has cllnrEc, to reside with and
exerrdso general supervision over them. His
SALARY is only $500 PIT a1''l,m yet tho posi-.
sdue from 5000 to GOO during a term of
Office ranging from Sir 1nontha 10 four or i've
years. ~
tho n northwestern part Of Montana, west of tho
main rnnye OF the Rocky Mountains, near FlAt-
hcal Like. 1t Is small agency, aud the tribe
arc pcaccabtc and semE.ciyllszctl fortunately Tor
tho whites III that v1ctnlty. Froul tile time OF
Its cstabliahnent down to tue present ants ~ its
ngcnts, With Ecrlaps one or two exceptions,
}ayc carried on sy6tcm OF uubluB,ng robbery.
Ono agcnt was indicted. became insanc, aud is
now mi Inmate Of lunatic asylum. a second
s sanc 'fa It sr H. assa na ssst e s nss 70 s
thIrt md 1t WINS found that lic WAS saved by tho
statute of limitations. This ind!yldual nude
perhaps tho cleanest sweep Of all. Mls WV Was
When.l1 t5ok possession, tho Agency was well
supplied with wagons, tools, etc., and theirs was
,nrgu Asnount Of flour md otler. supplies Of,
hand. liz speedily disposed Ut all these, and
wound up Ills brill o1!isial caFecr " gislng
mint ii q debt to ONO Of tho cmploycs This
was 4 atroko ot genius that has never been
e4ualed. Ills SUCCESSOR found rather bare pfclt-
tngs hut IN tllyuicc OF blankets was reeelveA a
short time after his appointment, and he had
lust sold ttesu when hu was removed and ~,
honest mau sueceeslcd him. THIS gentle
| man, after fruitless effort to make bott,
eEds mcot, wrote to tl!e. authorities III
| WASHINGTON that lle could not support
Ills family on $500 per nnnult, aud departed.
| Tie Agency wMa rcstockeA Rnd other agents
succeeded. An Indictment was found against
| one OF these, ami Ia conviction was l0oketl
| upon as certain, when "no1sc proscqni" " was
clltyrcd by nrAer of Atty.:0en. Williams. 1t ta
worthy Of note Tint uno OF ills AEtnt's counsel
was tic lion. Str. Harlan, mud a,t, informed by
a gentleman now residing IN t!ts Territory t!ust
Id suw utter fron Mr. IArlan, relative to this
| rasc. in whirl tjIut gentleman stated that tho
i;oysrnmcnt ltd nut expect its lndian Agent.
10 1.-Two on their salaries; It had always been a
,tnIlrrstonI thing In the Interior Denaft1ncnt
1 ~.41 [{fzJk