The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-29
THE INDIAN QUESTION.


The faithful historian when he writes up the pres
ent chapter OF the annals Of your country will be at
some loss TO reconcile the apparent Inconsistencies
of the national character He will observe that while
in the interests science individual enterprise
cessfly explores the dark continent of Africa in the
interests of humanity little notice is taken.
while at home whole is being improved away
by starvation and sword.
have but recently returned from shooting expo
dition. and having spent four months in the Big
Horn Mountains of Wyoming. my experiences OF the
Indians in those regions may be Of interest.
General Sheridan and Mr. Secretary Schurz
have lately been exchanging compliments.
1t may have suggested itself to your readers
that paper the well defended theories of Mr.. Sec
rotary were almost match for the practical expert
ences of the soldier. IT, however. the General would
collect more facts upon the subject of Indian mis-
rule. let him go to Rawlins. on the Union Pacific
Railroad. My attention there drawn by rail-
way official to some tons of Aonr. which had been in
store so long that the sacks had rotted away with
damp and age, and the rats and mice were in full
possession. "Oh. yes" said my informant. .'hour
for the Indians, paid for to the freightage mp
country. but it will reach them.i The depart
ment has grabbed the money for freighting it and
government is still paying good round sum
month for storage here" have no doubt the -FOUR
or what remains of it, is still there.
The condition Of the poor Indian is indeed de-
plorable. He is starved on his reservation till he
deserts it. then the military hunt him down and
shoot him. The suherings last summer of the
Arapahoe tribe at their agency, Camp Brown,
talked of by nearly every man / met. Beef and
had to sbsis three days best they might. In
liant mortality. was told. was terrible. One Indian
trader whom met in the Big Horn Mountains sug-
gested that the parents were reduced to eating their
children. This, doubt not was fiction; still it
was significant the awful distress prevailing there.
Let me- however, dismiss the humanitarian side of
Wyoming is at present attracting considerable atten-
ton both here and in the Vest i Is country well
watered timber and grass abound; the climate too,
ia admirably adapted to the requirements OF white
population. Though for the most part too broken
and rugged for cattle grazing Its agricultural
pects could life and property be- secured of the
highest order. Under existing circumstances, how
tile portions of the Territory lying between the yell
lowstone and Powder rivers. Small bands of
hostile Sioux and Bannocks may be met at any
moment. No year elapses but parties OF trappers
gold washers disappear. never to be heard of
again. Our small party Of four, by the exercise of
very unpleasant degree Of vigilance, came safely
through Still cannot forget the sensation we ex-
perienced coming suddenly across the graves OF
hive whites on the head waters Of No Wood Creek.
Their story briefly this:-They were hunting
party who were Jumped by Sioux ut Dry Creek.
General Sheridan and party Of the Fifth cavalry
found them long after and buried their remains.
How lone and deserted those magnificent soli-
tudes may be gathered from the fact that FOR many
Small parties of Snakes aid Arapahoes we met fire.
qucntly and sometimes Joined them in their
buffalo hunts. Being king Georges men," as they
call the English VIC were treated with great conf
dence and hospitality. One Arapahoc chief told
that il Sitting Bull came south in the spring his
tribe, too, would 20 the warpath. "My young
men,. he said, twill never submit to another summer
of starvation at Camp Brown. He said, too that if
buffalo meat enough during the winter last them
all the summer. The general opinion gathered from
the fronticrsmen is that there will be great Indian
next spring among the northern tribes 1t is
believed that the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Sioux
will break out and join Sitting Bull A fearful mas
sacre Of the white settlers must in that ensue
Red Clouds route to the Yellowstone lies through
q country settled, though thinly, by Western
pioneers.
This Indian difficulty once settled. Wyoming is
likely to attract the better class of enigrants which
the present commercial distress in Europe is
tain send to your shores At least sixty million
of capital agricultural land is there awaiting
the squater and from the severity Of the winters
and the broken nature OF the country generally the
extensive introduction Of cattle impracticabe,
Wyoming is capable OF receiving an endless popua-
ton from the Old World. As Northern Wyoming has
been considerably advertised cattle-breeding
country, 1t may be well to say that grave doubts
exist to whether stock winter without protec-
the winter Of -1s72I quote from memory
buffalo are said to have persisted in
thousands all the eastern slopes OF tho Big HoTn
range. 0n the west though the climate Is less
volcanic that cattle could not be pastred ut least In
largo numbers The great difficulty had to
tend with the intense cold. Tent life when the
mcrcury-as was the case on December 23-sinks to
thirty-six degrees below Zero is hardly holiday.
fear have been led by the interesting nature of
my subject to trespass too largely your patience
IT, however my letter to weaken in the least
the position of that most discredtable of modern
'.rings," the Indian Department, I shall not have
written in vain. Your obedient servant, M.