Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-04-16
. THE HISTORY OF i.
MORRISON COUNTY.
WR1rrEN m 1915 BY ORDER OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND
PUBLISHED IN THETRAKscRIpTINTHE.
SAME YEAR. Revised AND BRoUaHT,
DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME.
By NATHAN RIcHAHDsuN.

By NATHAN R1cHARDsuNi.s
Continued from last weeks Transcript.
Moose-o-ma-na having closed his speech,
several Of the citizens we're called upon, and
made remarks as follows: 4 s.s E.s. r. :.3 y: ::
! Senator Simmons said he thought the state.
ments of the chiefs as to the treatment they
had received deserved more than passing
notice. He thoughts committee should be
appointed to draft resolutions expressing the
sense of the meeting and also to draw up
petition to be generally circulated through the
county, asking that these Indians be heard
and fairly dealt with. Those who behaved
we'll were too often neglected and i'll treated,
while those who deserved the least favors
were housed and we'll fed and made rich in
cattle and lands. @Hescould confirm by'his
personal knowledge that these Indiansfwere
friends, of the whites ins 1862. They did in
deed render great seryese to the settlers at
tn at time of danger. They had always been
peaceable neighbors, and he hoped that proper
consideration of their present grievances would
be had. He thought they ought to be helped
and he for one would hep them.
Ex-Representatf atfve Roy, on moving the ap-
poiDtment of a committee to draft ana for
ward the proposed petition, said he was as
much afraid of the Indians in 1862 as were
the whites, and he was glad to see those Mile
Lacs Indians come In body as they did, and
say, "Come with US to the fort that we may
show our hands to the military, and then help
you, even to fight against our own people,"
Now they ask little thing-that you shall
request that they have hearing. think it
is right that you should help them to retain
their homes.
Leon Houde, Esq, said that it was no m ore
than right that the people of Morrison county
should do what they could for these Indians.
He had dealt with them and found them hon
est. When we needed them they came with
flag of peace and hands extended. Those
who are trying to take their lands are specu-
lators. The order Of Secretary Chandler, un-
der which it is attempted to take these lands,
was fraud. Our Government is pledged to
those Indians that they may stay where they
are during good behavior. They have be-
haved we'll. No one in Morrison county can
complain of their conduct.
Myself, the writer, being called upon, said E:
It is as has been stated. Had it not been for
our Mile Lacs friends. it is likely that Hole
in the-Day would have gone on with the war
he was inaugurating. We were in all proba-
bility delivered from massacre by the strong
stand taken by the Mile Lacs bands in favor
Of the whites. Their warriors, about one
hundred in number, came over to Little Falls.
and from here went to Fort Ripley and saw
the Indian Commissioner, Dole, who was
highly pleased with their conduct, and official
y reported them as being entitled to great cred.
It for the noble stand they had taken. Ifit we're
not for the fact that there is some pine tim
Der on their reservation, they would never be
troubled. The lands are of little Or no value
for farming. The. country is we'll fitted by
nature as home for the Indian. Lake Mile
Lacs yields an abundance of fish, wild rice is
plenty, maple sugar is made abundantly, and
they in fact live luxuriantly when compared
with other Indians. So it is no wonder that
they are fondly attached to their old home,
and hate to leave it. But the pine they have
makes them trouble. It does really appear
that the pine land grabbers and ringsters
will not be content as long as there is a nine
tree in the State that they do not own. The
only complaints ever made against these In.
dams were gotten up by the parties who are
attempting to steal their pine timber. When
called upon to substantiate their charges, they
we're not able to produce one affidavit, or any
proof whatever, beyondtheir bare assertions.
see no reason why we should not intercede
for these Indians, and ask that justice be
done them; and while would help them for
other reasols than fear of them, neverthe
less consider that we ought not to be sub:
Jected to the chances of an outbreak for the;
benefit of pine land grabbers. If the grab
bers were the only persons likely to lose their
scalps, I might not object so strongly to their
playing their game out.
motion was then made and carried by
which Leon Houde, Esq, Senator Simmons
and N. Richardson were chosen committee
to draft, circulate and forward the proper pe.
tition. The. petition as drafted by tho COM
mittee read as follows:
THE PETITION.