, 1879-02-19
INDIAN RESERVATIONS,

INDIAN RESERVATIONS.
Tho Crows and Their Whltn NeIghhors-Au
OntrnEn on American Civlltxation-Tic
Hest TART of Montana Kept from U.p
and Occupation by n Handful OF snyngcs.
uozEMAN Cry, Montana, JAR. 90, 1S7u-7o
he Editor Of The Natlou-slE: In your Wash.
ington correspondence Of Dec. Is, rclatlro to
the transfer Of the management Of 1ulian
aira'rs from the Interior 10 the War Depart
mcnt, you state twice as one Of the priucipal
causes of Indian wars "the tendency Of the
frontier white population to cncroarll on the
lands Of the Indians aud to provoke Indian wars
with Yfow TO getting some Of their lands"
It Ia hardly possible to rcad m article IN any
Eastern paper without finding similar state
ments. On this point thcrc seems to bc but ono
opinion east Of the Mississippi, however great
the diversity IL OIL every other point connected
with the management OF Indian affairs. Now,
allow me to stato a few fncts bearing upon this
subject.
I have lived nine years within twenty -iIvo
miles Of the reservation Of The Crows, and
spent ono year On the reservation, trading with
the Indians; go that llnve certainly lad sut-
flcicntly good opportunities Ut observing the
rclatlons between tic whites and tho Indians.
do not think TINT the tronscrsmcn OF Montana
have better reputation for Ecntlencss ani 10y
lng-klndne6s towards Indians than Other set
tiers III tic Far West, md my observations at
other points bear me out III the supposftion that
whit | shall state about the character Of The
intercourse between the Crows ns,d lhr wl,itca
ts ppi1ea1ne H. most o,her 81 places. 1hc Grow
lying rust and south Of the Yellowstone, *
tending east about twouty.tlvc miles bGyond the
BIZ Horn. It embraces ao1lc VI the flllest agri-
cultural end grazing linda Of the Territory,
all1 valuable nineral lands. 1t bnrs oi,r
front doOr, compelling us to make detolr
Ut sevcyurul hundred miles n,Nl entcr through
the 0ack door by way Of Ogden a,ltl the barscn
sneke-lstysr country. Until the abandonment
Of tile overland Immigration tt,ok the route by
lhcso FORTS In spite Of husile Sioux md not tho
friendly Grows; but since tiny were given up
md this Grow reservation establlaAed. this road
two years . cl,ain Of settlements has been for,n-
I'd Along the north bank Of tlio Yellowstone,
which Is comparatively barren, not hcitl. wafer
cd by the mountain streams so abundant
bcon compelled to tloat aaw-logs hundreds Of
miles duwM the river to get lumber for their
houses, while they could stnl In their doors
aud scc forcs:s Of p1c Opposite 70 them on tho
soutl, hank o. tlIe river You viii sec TINT this
reservation i Of in.portancc to US, uni VIC do
nut disguise tho fact TINT VIC want 1t. We wish
to SEQ lie Grows removed.
Furlhrrmorc, tho Grows mako hardly any use
Of their restrpatoH. They visit It every spring to
trade aud receive their anntlltics, anu tic sup
plies issued keep few Ut the laziest families
around their Agency the whole year to ga!n a
scanty subsistence from tlle rastons allowed
them. Tie greater pnrt of the year they spcud
on the pntns md nllsalinc bottUtns brtwcpn au
Yellowstone mud Musselshcll Rivers. where i'm
mense hertls Of buffaloes aro yet found. Tho
beautiful valleys mud grassy table-lands of tlIcir
own country llayc only passnE attractlons for
them. wbilo the whites lnok at it with longing
look from the summit If Ncbo, Without bolng
permitted to enter. Further, until within tic
last tlIree years continual denrednt!ons on the
ssttlements were ,tE e6m'nitted BY the Crows.
q n,an or tive; but sheu It was only frUntiers-
tnan less, perhaps poor hcrtlcr or tenppcr, mud
didn't amount to much. These dcpredattons
were truccd to tlIeIr door; but further no onu
dress.
Nor, you will admit that It would 10 difficult
to find greater indictments to restless, ad-
yenturous, men than tho Moutauans have Ind
sonie OF their la,lt!a," but not ono instaiico has
to thu Crows by the white setticra.
II our Eastern critics Mad lived for years on
their stock, having their housrs hnrncu, carry
Ing their lives In their ha.1s, se~lnE their nrlgh-
hors slaughtered, they would uos 80 thought
lessty uccuse tho population Of the frontier OF
tncftinR ln.lfan wars. 61ic Inns been our OK
ncriencc, aml 1.wlll venture to say stlnt no one
who Inns lived through tho Sioux troubles, md
witnessed the d6vas,ation caused IN s1nttann
by the Ncz- lcrces WIZ, would willingly provoke
another Indian wnr, could lle gain tho whulo
Grey Ressrvatioa BY Il: M am referring ,' now
IA another clnss, hunters trappers, atlyonturcrs
whiaty-tratlcrs, mid the like, leading rowing
life, and often coming In contact With the IL.
dim. There IL aiways some dangcr Of tlIeir
rccklessness leading thcm tuto trollblo md
brawls; but their iaoiattun and wandering
hnbttH make 1t 80 evidently their own Interest
TO keep on g,od ter,ns with thu Indians, that
tlselr quarrels seldom 60 beyond braEgadocio
md loud talk.
The frontier people are not, as a rule, In favor
Of policy of destruction. They arc in favor
ble with Tho present plum OF largu reservations,
~hera the 1ndtans arc allowed to roa,n almost ut
Will. It !s possible onlY wheru tho 1ndiaMs nre
restricted anti compelled 10 abandon rowing
llfc. Huch q. pnlIcy tic West iuvnrs; hut II IS
opposea to allowing twenty aquuro miles Of ilne
trIbu. Yours truly, T. koun.