Connecticut western news., 1882-04-19
THE INDIAN PROBLEM.
General Miles's Experiment with
 Tribe of Wild Sheep Hunters.

General Miles's Experiment with
 Tribe of Wild Sheep Hunters.
 Gen. James s. Brisben, in 8 letter to the Herald, gives us the following story of an attempt at Indian civlliza tion:
 I will give you an example of how Indians should be treated. Four years ago, during one of his campaigns, Gen. eral Miles received the surrender of 400 Cheyennes belonging to Crazy Horse's band. These Indians were the widest of wild Indians regular savage fellows, clad in skins of animals and perfectly untutored. They had lived in the mountains and hunted the mussien or wild sheep among the crags of the Big Horn. A wilder or more savage set could not we'll be imagined or found anywhere on this continent. General Miles took them in hand, settled them on the banks of the Yellowstone, near Fort Keogh, gave them some blows, harrows, wagon or two, some seed to SOW, and sent farmer to show them how to use their implements and plant their lands. The man detailed as their instructor had enlisted in Ohio, was @ practical farmer and thoroughly under stood his business. This man worked away patiently and soon the Indians began to take an interest. There was too much horse racing, and General Miles sold all the ponies except those required for work on tue farm. With the money realized from the sale of the ponies General Miles bought COWS and bulls and turned them over to the h. dians. He told them they must work, raise cattle, corn and potatoes, and learn to make butter and do all that farmers did.
 The first great interest evinced by the Indians was in wagons. They loved to sit in the wagons in crowds, "see the wheels go round" and break the ponies to harness. The more the ponies kicked and resisted the better they liked it, and it was their delight to reduce refractory animal to subjection. General Miles, seeing their fondness 1 for wagons and horses, immediately turned it to account by giving them freighting to do. They worked well and made money, and this was their first lesson at earning living other than by the chase. The money astonished them, the value of it was perfectly surprising and the things il bought were their delight. Every Indian became ambitious to own a wagon and a pair of horses, so he could haul. General Miles explained to them that, although not so immediate in its results, farming was still better busi. ness than freighting, and he advised them to plant the soil. He sent them Captain Ezra Ewens, Fifth infantry, who had bought for them their cattle and done many other things for them.
 Captain Ewens instructed them how to manage their farms, build fences an6 blow. Large gardens were laid out above Keogh and planted in vegetables When they came up and began to grow the delight of the Indians was unbound ed, and. they would watch the greer fields for hours every day. They worked we'll, kept the weeds down and hood tht corn, potatoes and vines. As the crops began to ripen the wagons came into us, on their own account. The fort wal only two miles and Miles City thre, miles away, and every morning the In dians would load their wagons and com, to market. Vegetables were scarce ant commanded good prices. The Indian knew, how much to ask for them and drov sharp bargains getting every penny the, could for their tomatoes, corn, 'squashe and melons. I never saw finer garden in my life than these Indians had las year.
 Last year the Indians began to talk large farms and settle down on them They selected beautiful valley on tn Rosebud, tributary of the Yellow stone, and built log houses along tn banks of the stream every mlle or so This spring they have bought nine ney wagons and harness and have gone t. farming in earnest. All last winte they hunted buffalo vigorously, and thi spring had enough robes to pay for thei wagons. They seem to have plenty 0 money and are thrifty and energetic The trade of these Indians is alread { considerable, and the merchants striv
 for it. Thelr credit is as good as gol
 and anybody will trust them, for the
 never fail to pay. They do their principa trading at the post, and it pays tn
 trader to keep an interpreter clerk They have regular book accounts, an the sutler says he would rather trus
 them than many white men. The never fail to keep their obligations an always pay just when they say they will
 They keep accounts of their own an just what they owe.
 DeceiVing the Public.