The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-08-25
DIR MONTANA LETTER.
WHITE HALL, Montana,
July 30th, 1877.


At present great excitement pre-
walls, in many neighborhoods, in JEFF
ferson Valley, owing to the fact that
the hostile Indians have proven them
selves an overmatch for Gen. Howard
They left the General holding the bag
in Idaho. / presume he is looking
after the Freedmens' Bureau, or pos
sibly in the interest of the exploded
Freedmens' Bank, BE this as it may,
he is not the man for the frontier.
The Indians are now in Montana and
reported to be in the upper end of this
valley. The citizens are building
stockades in many places and in some
localities are cntrenching. Ny neigh
bors will assemble for safety and self
protection, at White Hall. (By the
way, White Hall is not a town or VII
lage, as many suppose, but n very
large farmhouse, painted white and
standing on high ground in the open
prairie. 1t looks larger at a distance
than it really is.) We do not antici-
pate any trouble, but deem it pru-
dent to be ON the look out and ready
for the worst
You cannot imagine the great diff
ference between the old settlers aud
the new corners, or pilgrims, as they
are called. The one you find attend
ing to ordinary business in cool,
business-lillc manner, and often live
Up and cheerful, the other is greatly
worked up-all eXcitable. The one
has passed through so many exciting
scenes on the plains and in this coun-
try that even the children have be-
come accustomed to it.
That you may see with what alac-
rity our mountain men respond when
duty calls. | will give you the fol
lowing as sample and vouch for the
truth oft, in every particular: Gov.
Potts proclamation was received in
the city of Deer Lodge in the fore
noon on Saturday, precisely at IL
o'clock, A. NJ, VIM. A. Clark, banker
of that city, mounted his thorough
bred horse, and heading him for
Butte, the great silver mining camp
of Montana, AZ miles distant from
Deer Lodge, and before the hour hand
had reached two o'clock Mr.. Clark
had dismounted from his foaming
steed. In short time he had SO brave
mountainecrs enrolled as volunteers
to drive back or capture the hostile
Indians. At o'clock next morning
this company left Deer Lodge, arm
ed and equipped, for the seat of war
in the Bitterroot Valley.
Our farmers have a good prospect
for heavy crops. Grasshoppers have
made their appearance in some of our
valleys, but have not damaged much.
/ think they will pass on South.
| see in the Post, of 2lst inst, Hoff-
mans tour to Huntington and re-
turn. In doing up his stay at Staun-
ton he says, 1--WE also met General
Echols, he who tried to gobble us up
on the Salem raid He is fine old
gentleman and, like all true soldiers,
quit fighting in 1865" How strange
this sounds to one who has been a
constant reader of the Post for years.
How much better it would be if one
could say the same of friend Hoffman
and speak the truth. But the fact is,
that Hoffman has fought and SLAM
dered the Southern people more in the
columns of his paper and did more
harm than he was capable of doing
when he wore the blue. Well, truth
is mighty and will prevail. The
Southern people, to-day, hold the bal
lanced power, and the dsurper, Hayes,
is compelled, in measure, to heed
their bidding. The Republican par
ty gave the negro in the South the
franchise not that they cared for the
negroes future welfare; not that they
had any brotherly love as they pro
fessed to have, but merely to use
them at the ballot box in order to
keep themselves in power. The in
telligent negro was not long in find
ing this out and also in finding by
positive proof that their old masters
and other Southern people were their
best and only true friends.
E. G.B.
Thinking that an occasional
glimpse of the ways and deings OF
our quiet neighbornOod might be in