New-York tribune., 1878-11-23
set of paupers that ate the corn of deness and
cursed their benefactOrs for not shelling it.
THE LAST OF THE MODOCS.D

set of paupers that ate the corn of deness and
cursed their benefactors for not shelling it.
THE LAST OF THE MODoCs."
Leaving the barbaric glitter and Iith of the camp
Of the Nez Perces with the lazy braves lying in their
tents the sduaws barterng their Government ratons
with the traders the medicine men beating the lodge
poles and making their doleful mummery, we
started our return intending to visit some OF the
Modocs. who occupy large reservation III the VI
cinty. These people came here in 1873; or rather
they were brought here by the Government, virtu-
ally as punishment for having engaged i'll the Mo-
doc massacre and the hostilities in the
lava beds i; and are compelled to remain.
The Modocs, / believe, had in measure aban-
doncd nomadic life, and settling gradually
into pastoral habits before the outbreak of hostl-
ties, so that at the close of the war, when the
present occupants Of this reservation came here,
they were far removed from the blanket Indians
in their progress toward civilization that they set
tied down. as q general thing, TO the business oil
cultivating the soil without feeling the change
very seriously. We saw only or two of the log
buildings in which they i've, and these at a dis
tancc. They looked as though they might be com
Portable for shelter, but that was all. The square
log-hut for which the Indian exchanges
his conical wigwam. is not an inviting
structure even though it lie Toomier and
better defended from the weather; and when
came TO contrast the graceful form of the tent ana
the bright cOorS of the camp IN the savage lie We
had just seen with the sOmbrc and gloomy aspect
of these ugly square cabins into which civilization
invites the Indian as his first step out of savagery,
could hardly wonder that the barbara love OF
bright colors and graceful forms should draw him
back so strongly to the old life. field of 800
acres of corn cultivated by the Mcdocs was shown
u.s. In the field were several members of the tribe
gathering the crop, and among them Bogus Charley,
the present chief We stopped at the edge OF the
field 10 feed Onr horses, and at our nVl-
taton Bogus Charley caIhc out and we talked
with him about the present condition and prospects
of the tribe He speaks English quite well and un-
derstands readily ordinary conversation. Like all
the Indians we saw, he seemed ,hy and silent, an
swering our questions freely, but making no con-
versation himself He told there were 90 IN the
party that came here III 1878, but that they had
dwindcd now by deaths to 100. In answer to our
inquiry if they were contcnted, he said, sadly, on
WELL expect we stay here now. We no get back
"But don't yOu Ike II here " No, we not Ike IT,
he said TOO many die We come here one hun
ncr ffty-fve-wc only one hummer now. All over
there and he pointed to the burial place over on
hillside half mile away. There was an exquisite
tenderness in his way of saying this and his only
one hummer now was so full of gcnrcness aud
gravity that though he plainly did not aim at any
effect beyond answering MS, he did really touch
the feelings of all of us. Then when we asked him
if he wanted TO go back to his old home among the
lava beds, his eye just frightened "A little and
turned westward with the iar-away look of home
sickness and longing. aud he said Yes, like to 20
back my sister there. my friends there
was much Interested in this Chef, Bogus Charley.
Other Indians complained or begged, were sullcn
or naughty; either posed or grovellcd. This
man with felt hat, blue shirt and over
alls. without bead feather or touch
Of color, utterly unhcroic person III APP
pcarancc, with no effort at display or attempt 10
excite sympathy admiration, seemed To me great;
great IN the simplicity of his talk, his unstud'cd
eloqucnce his profound natural plthos his dignity
without haughtiness and grace without ailcctatlon,
and greatest of all in the philosophic resignation
with which he accepted his fate with hardly muir
Inur or complaint. AZ he stood there on little
eninencc overlooking the cOrniicld his arms folded
and his 1.-THE figure limned against the skv not look
ing at Us we drove away, II was not dliicult To
picture IN him heroic Last of the MOdOcs. He had
said little, but the tone and manner Of what
he did say so impressed me that for a while | did
feel though this man represented an agsricved
md despoled race and that l. "a representative OF
the race that had wronccd him, had something
TO be sorry for. presume dcalIzcd him. Well,
at any rate. have the picture and that | shall re-
tain. Bnt what an unromautic name! Bogus
Charlcyr Well let him be- Bogus, and 90 back to
the saualor of his cabin The picture in my mem
ory Is of The Last Of the Modocs. and transuscd
with glow from the sunset. Bogus Charley is a
fact and "A clod Of course. Ny Indian Is poem.
There is more TO be told. whIcL must defer to
another time. l. IL IL