Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-04-23
THE HISTOR Y OF
MORRISON COUNTY,

~ ~ : = = Il s, :
IT a.a TT---- IS All
WRITTEN IN 1910 By ORDER OF THE
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND
Y,y mr., :, Y, q, Is, ,,,,, =, nv,
fooi''e1nD :, ss ~ ~ 1a1 - =
. SAME YEAR. REVISED AND BROUGHT
2 DOWN TO THE PRESENT TIME. .ss
s' 49, - - - > &
-/~.;,4..: ~ N.nu4An R4c,, 2 ,,so,, Tt. Il
- :. -, .. 3 -
e.on, ,o.t ,.,,,,,,r,s,s :,
oontlnuou - -. 8 ~.
4 The Mile Lacs band OF Indians now num-
ber about seven hundred persons, and they
are becoming considerably mixed up with the
surrounding white settlements, the mixing
generally being brought about by white men
taking squaws tor:"lves. AZ far as ] know
there is but ono exception tothis rule, that is
of an Indian by the name Of Ca-qua- dosh
marrying pretty Yankee grim the fall of
aS7S, daughter OF jackson Stanley, farmer
living near Prineeton. ! ne act OF the daugh-
ter incurred the great dlsptcasure OF her pa
rents, who went ana tried g, to persuade her to
return home, after she had lived with the In
dian about three months. Finding her tondly
attached 70 her indian, and unyielding to ur-
gent entreaties to return home, her father at
tackled her with slul'. when her Indian came
to the rescue and beat his father -in-law so
badly that he was glad to get away alive, and
he has not since disturbea them. p She has
very pretty child, and pertains the duties of
a squaw perfectly. She Eas learned to make
moccasins and do all sorts of bead work, and
| to all appearances she is the happiest squaw
in the nation. l get this sketch from sister
OF Ca-qua-dosh, who is now sojourning at Lit
tie Falls.
The contest between the Mile Lacs Indians
u RI rnh Of 1asr
pine lands is very unequal one. They are
without money to employ attorneys, or to de-
fray any expenses whatever, and are wholly
dependent upon their friends, who, from
pure sense OF right ana justice, must take the
necessary time and trouble to combat rich men,
who are crafty and able to bring to their aid
and assistance oil the appliances known and
used IN modern chlcanery. 1t is therefore
hard to predict what the result will be.
In the summer OF !S50 q party OF Sioux
warriors came down the east side Of the MIS-
ssssippi, behaving themselves very lawlessly,
shooting tame buffalo at Little Falls that
belonged to widow Green, and insulting every
person they happened to meet along the road.
When they got down as far as Bellevue prai-
rie they met five loaded teams going to Little
Falls. By shooting and yelling as they came
along by the teams, they frightened them
badly, and after passing the last team they
fired a vo'ley after it. hitting the driver,
VI, German oy the name OF sWarts, IN the back.
inns caused his team to run away, passing all
put the head team, which was driven by VIM.
aturgis. AS they came up to him be ascer-
tanned that the driver, Swarts, was shot and
was then so near dead that ne could not speak,
and he soon oreatfled his last They came on
nome 10 hitt!e Fals' ana messenger was
sent 10 70 ri h1piey ana to Hoie-ln. .the-Day,
and gathering what force they could of Chip
pewa soldiers and citizens, they followed the
oloux and overlook them at sauk Rapids.
On account Of imprudent management or
cowardice none of the Sioux were killed, but
they were routed from their carp and had a
running fight, the Sioux leaving everything
behind excepting their arms, and precipitated
hasty retreat across the Mississippi river,
narrowly escaping punishment, The usual
farce was then gone through with. The Gov
ernment demanded that the guilty psrties be
delivered up. Two of them were delivered
over and taken to st. Paul and fatted. and
while on their way to Sauk Rapids for trial,
MADE their escape
From such outrageous acts as this, and the
general Sioux outbreak in this State in the
summer OF 1852, and their frequent warning
on the whites since that time, it is very clear
~ demonstrated that the Sioux possess a more
possessed by the Chlppewas. While the
Mile Lacs Indians stood as unit on the side
OF, the whites IN 1867, the whites had several
last friends even at Leech Lake among the
Pl'iagers Besides those already noticed, I
will mention NaWwa ge- shick, who is now
risen to be the principal chief at Leech Lake.
His friendship and good services to the whites
in those dark days are well authenticated.
He and the head brave of Leech Lake, Num-
a-we-nin na-n, started to 60 to the great
Chippewa convention at Bad River, Wiscon-
sin, last summer, and after proceeding as far
as Fond du Lac. and learning that it was for
no bad purpose, they turned back and came to
Little Fails via. Mile Lacs, to make their
iElend, Hon: Peter Roy, visit, and inform
MN OF the wisconsin convention, and that
no danger ct war need be apprehended from
the movement They sent an invitation to
me TO call ana see them at hlr. foy's house,
which accepted, and had quite an entertain
ing visit With them. l learned much OF the
intentions and wishes OF the Indians, which
are mainly to abandon their habits and Gus
toms as last as possible, and adopt those OF the
whlte people, and attain to the fui rights and
privileges OF American citizens.
| very soon after the troubles OF 1862, a
| treaty was made with the Chippewas by which
| the White Earth reservation was set off to
--1 ''eA WV SN NP>oUt'e'HAA " Soioi'GiHS SAS
Chlppewas OF Minnesota on it, as the lands
were excellent and the reservation ample in
extent to accommodate all with all the land
they could use. Very many accepted the gen.
erous provisions OF the treaty and have gone
lhere' and by the government aiding theaa to
make start, are getting we'll begun at farm
ing. MANY OF thcm went from this part OF the
country ana nave generai'y oettered their
condltion greatly, especially the hal1breeds
! ana mlxeo oloods VINO 60 there and receive
! Inc same benefits as ful' bl.oded Indians.
MANY e7laenees OF improvement IN their nab.
us are quite visible Tor instance, the hablt OF
painting their faces black or in varied colors
's getting to be a very uncommon occurrence,
At that time they would eat carrion and the
refuse about slaughter houses, thus robbing
the pigs of what rightfuly belonged to them.
But dead animals now are seldom disturbed
| by them. although skunks, muskrats and pup
pies are still held to be rare dishes with them.
Their wild rice is really considered luxury
, by almost all who ever tasted it. 1t grows in
| shallow lakes, or ponds with a muddy bottom,
where the water is from one to two feet deep.
1t grows rank like milIet. except the top
which comes out about like oats. When it
begins to ripen, the Indians repair to the
lakes where it grows, and pitch their tents.
1t is gathered by the Indian and squaw going
out in their bnrk canoe; the 1ndisn standing
up in front shoyes the canoe through tho
standing rice with q pole crotched or split
and spread at the bottom end, so it will not
push into the mud easily. The squaw sits
ia the back end of the canoe with two sticks
about two and half feet long, and first
throws out one hand and brings large lot of
heads over the canoe in front of her, and with
the club in the other hand hits the heads a