Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-03-12

iaS0e11sS1f PooPAo1 ES0SSP1AAt5+ 4Ott*foO ENCCP.
They put in the grave a small kettle,
flint and steel, ., piece. Of birch bark, and
Ethe hatchet Of the deceased, and make a
Fire at the grave for four nights after the
burial, and cook. something for strangers
to eat only. Frequently a smalIcoopi is
put over the grave, with a small opening
at the head, in which their relatives .oc-
casionly put il sugar, meat or something
good to eat, for. some time afterwards;
which any person is welcome to take
away and use. .:5a 49,. = 4-.8i: a95et (,
The religious views of the Indians have
undergone great change since the,
white people came among them. Mis-
slonaries commenced :wosk among: them
simultane eously with the traders and
have in most instances labored faithful
ly, and have succeeded as we'll as the.
most sanguine could reasonably expect.
The Catholic church appears to have
accomplished far thelnost toward CHAN
ing their views VI. The; Episcopalians
come next; and although several other
denominations have at various times sent
I.out mlssionarious among them, for. some
cause they appear to. have met with but
l$1lttIe success; and, as farFas know, none.
but the Catholic and Episcopalian
churches support any missionaries among
the Chippewas in any partsof this State
at the present time 'aT' o1''' a>:5:' -
The: Chippewa Indians, the same as all
others, love whiskey dearly, and their
appetites are no doubt much sharpened
by the efforts of the Government to keep
them from getting it. In spite of the
most vigilent efforts on the part Of de-
tectiyes and Government officials to ap-
prehend offenders, the Indians still have
no difficulty in obtaining all the whis-
key they want and can pay for at this
place, or probably at any other point in
country where the article is kept for
sale, and their wants are generally cock
tensive with their ability to buy. Among
the many farces that are kept up by the
Government of the United States at the
present time, this whiskey detective sys-
TEN is one of the greatest. A few lazy'
and unprincipled drunkards are general
ly employed at good pay by the Govern
ment, and they sneak around through
the country, seeking whom they may de-
YOUR. The old and regular whiskey
dealers are on the lookout for them, and
are seldom, if ever, caught. A case that
occurred at this place the past summer
will serve to illustrate the practical work
ing of this beautiful system. A person
came here and started in the saloon bus
mess in the fall of 1878. After he had
been here about six months half breed,
a hale fellow we'll met, who was in for
all sorts of fun, worked into the good
! graces of our new saloon keeper very
easily. When the spider had got his web
completed he invited the fly to accompa-
ny him across the river one evening on
visit to some Indian camps, and said that
in order to have good time they should
take bottle of whiskey along and treat
the Indians. The proposition was readi-
ly accepted, and they went and had
pleasant visit. Mr. Halfbrced having
succeeded in getting his confding friend
into his trap, he quickly disappeared,
bidding his newly made friend an atfec-:
tionate good bye. About week after
wards our new saloon keeper was greatly
surprised on being arrested by United
States marshal and taken to St. Paul, and
on being arraigned before the United
States court on charge Of giving Whis-
key to the Indians, on the complaint of
his good half breed friend of short ac-
quaintance, who was there with the In
dians with whom they had enjoyed the
good time across the river in disposing
Of a couple of bottles of free whiskey.
AS one Of the good Indians was minus an
eye, which the saloon keeper had OBJ
served at their previous pleasant meet
ing at the Indians wigwam near Little
Falls, there could be no mistake but that
these were the kind friends with whom
he had met under more favorable circum-
stances a few days previously; and seeing
that he was really victim of misplaced
confidence, he pleaded guilty of the crime
charged, and paid fine Of 800 and
costs, amounting in all to $3.50. do not
say that all the cases of prosecution are
as fragrant and outrageously wrong as
this one, but all that have come to my
knowledge are very much similar. lido
not suppose it is proper for me to attempt
in this narrative to dictate remedy, but
it appears to me that our wise and hon
est men who are at the head of the Gov
ernment should try to correct the abuses
that are pcrpetrated under the sanction
of law; and, if necessary, have the laws
changed so that only the guilty shall
suffer- >.I 81: .>s ..A@ +;
- CT'o ho copfin,,od I