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 reconcile the apparent Inconsistencies
of the national character He win observe that while
in the interests of science individual enterprise sue
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 q shooting expe-
diton, 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 mitch for the practical expert
ences of the soldier II. however, the General would
collect facts upon the subject Of Indian mis-
rule. let him go to Rawlins. on the Union Pacific
Railroad. My attention was there drawn by a rail-
way official to tons of hour, 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 even to the freghtage mp
country. but it will never reach hem.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.
plorable. He is starved 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. were
talked of by nearly every man ! met. Beef and
Hour for say two meals was served ont on this they
had to subsis for three days as best they might In
liant mortality. was told, was terrible One Indian
trader whom I met in the Big Horn Mountains sug-
gested that the parents were reduced to eating their
children. This. doubt not was fiction; still it
significant o; the awful distress prevailing there
Let me. however. dismiss the humanitarian side of
H. IN nj
Wyoming is present attracting considerable atten-
ton both here and in the West. 1t is country well
watered timber and grass abound; the climate. too,
ia admirably adapted to the requirements q white
population. Though for the most part too broken
and rugged for cattle grazing Its agricultural pros
pects could life and property be- secured are OF the
highest order Under existing circumstances, how
ever it would be madness to settle in those fer
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
or 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
i've whites on the head waters of No Wood Creek
Their story was briefly this s were hunting
General Sheridan and party OF the Fifth cavalry
found them long after and buried their remains.
How lone and deserted those magnificent so
tudes may be gathered from the fact that FOR many
weeks for our own party saw no white face
Small parties of Snakes aad Arapahoes we met fire.
qucnty and we 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 on the warpath. "Ay young
men, he said, ''will never submit to another summer
Of starvation at Camp Brown" He said, too. that if
they had means of transport they could kill and jerk
buffalo meat enough during the winter to last them
all the summer. The general opinion gathered from
the frontersmen is that there will be great Indian
war next spring among the northern tribes. 1t is
believed that the Red Cloud and Spotted Tail Sioux
will break out and join Sitting Bull. fearful mas
OF the white settlers must in that case ensue
as Red Clouds to the Yellowstone lies through
country settled. though thinly, by Western
pioneers.
This Indian difficulty once settled. Wyoming is
likely to attract the better class of emigrants which
the present commercial distress in Europe is
tain to send to your shores At least sixty million
of capital agricultural land is there awaiting
the sQuatter and from the severity OF the winters
and the broken nature of the country generally, the
extensive introduction Of cattle impractcable,
Wyoming is capable of receiving an endless popula-
ton from the Old World AS Northern Wyoming has
been considerably advertised cattle breeding
country it may be well to say that grave doubts
exist to whether stock winter without protec-
the winter Of ~1s72-I quote from memory
buffalo are said to have persisted in
thousands all the eastern slopes OF the Big Horn
range. TN the west. though the climate Is less
volcanic that cattle could not be psstured least in
largo numbers. The great difficulty We had to
tend with the intense cold. Tent life when the
mcrcury-as was the on December 23-sinks to
thirtysix degrees below zero, is hardly holiday
fear have been led by the interesting nature of
my subject to respass too largely your patience
IT, however my letter serves to weaken in the least
the position of that most discreditable of modern
''rings," the Indian Department, shall not have
written in vain. Your obedient servant NJ