The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-12-08
NORTHWESTERN INDIANS.
A Froniiersman SCOTS at Schurz' Method oil
Transporting Indian Supplies.

DR.. McGillycuddy of Red Cloud posi-
on the Missouri, now paying visit tt
Yankton. is very severe in his criti
cism on the Indian bureau at Washing
ton. The doctor first notes the fact
that the companies of the Third caval'
ry at the pest must move in a few days
marching across Godforsaken, fire
stricken country, for two hundred
miles, to Camp Robinson, ''liable any
day." he says, Ito be caught in bliz'
zard." To protect the post and gov
ernment property thus abandoned, {
company of infantry must tramp W
from Fort Randall and stand on guard
until the post is sold at auction. The
army property embraces the building,
four hundred tons Of hay, twelve hun
dred cords of wood, and four hundred
Thousand pounds OF forage. The agen-
cy buildings ara an agents residence, a
stOre-house, stable, corral, anil
slaugliter-house. They are put down
as Ut 10 use; when the supplies are
moved away. A special dispatch to
the Chicago Times says:
7 DR.. McGillycuddy smiles at the In
dian departments means Of Transports
tion. Tn.re were million pounds Of
rations and annuities unluaded ut Red
Cloud. To get this freight to Pine
Ridge, Red Clouds new squatting
ground. the Indians were called into
play. The commissioner told them that
ulie cost of transportation must come
out OF the appropriation devoted to the
purchase of their "bread and butter. -
They assented, aud have started in to
do their own hauling. The wagon
trains, run altogether by the Indian
teainsters, numbering one hundred
wagons. Each wagon is drawn by four
Indian ponies driven by one Indian.
The drivers salary is $50 per month.
There is a white wagon master with
four or five assistants. These men
boss the Indians, teaching them how to
drive, load, and unload. Incidentally
this scheme teaches the untutored
Sioux how to drive. The mysteries of
tile wagon master IS art are as much as
the average Indian can fathdm. If he
becomes good teamster the civilizers
ought to thank God and quit. The
first train has probably reached the
new agency with a thousand pounds to
the wagon. The weather has been su.
perb, and all the conditions exception
ally favorable for tie "trial trip" The
round trip will take five weeks, during
the winter when the wind blows it will
take longer. At the best, the doctor
thinks, the Indians can't finish tbeir
job before next fall. As McGillycuddy
Is a veteran in the service in this sec.
tion his opinion is worth something. II
the Indians run short of supplies in
consequence of the delayed transporta-
tion, they will get just as mad as il the
carriers were bloated contractors from
Yankton. If they are out of meat they
will growl, no matter who is to blame.
The hOrse-stealing that is going on will
help to mix the situation.
McGillycuddy contradicts Secretary
Schurz' statement that the Transports
tion interests conspired together, and
placed the figures beyond the Indian
bureaus pile. ]. w. Dear offered tc
carry the freight at two and hall
cents per pound, and the offer was re-
jected. Dear is traded at Red Cloud,
and backed by heavy firm Of Omaha.
The Indians will make it cost five cents
pound. A little figuring on the sal
aries. forage, wear, and tear on wagons
harness, etc., will show the cost. A
barrel of -four that costs 81 will cost
$40 to freight it to the agency from the
river