News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-03-30
STIAWATER. Mini

Fifty years ago - New England
for what was then called the North
west Territory, land as dark as an
Egyptian night, but now lighted with
Christian homes, churches, schools,
and the higher institutions of learn
ing. What mighty changes time has
wrought in half century. Parts of
this country which 1 travelled over for
years on snoW-shoes and my dog team
in winter and padded my canoe in
summer, now echo to the snort of the
iron horse. | can now in few min
utes' walk, step aboard trains that
will set me down on the Atlantic, Or
the Pacific coast.
Fifty years ago stood on the east
side of St. Anthony Falls and gazed
on one Of the most beautiful land
scapes the sun ever shone upon
Then herd of Government cattle
were grazing where is now CITY of
$4,000 souls. On the goth of De-
cember, had the rare pleasure of
meeting fifty alumni of Dartmouth
College, and President Bartlett,as our
guest.
At that early day, many of my
friends said, as l was leaving them,
he will not live out half his days, he
will freeze to death or be scaped by
the Indians. Strange as it may seem
the prophecies were all false and the
prophets dead, and / live to enter my
10Th year, and the cold and inhospi-
table region is now furnishing bread
for the million. Ny co-laborer, Sher-
man Hall, who came out with me.
died at Sank Rapids, year ago last
aged 80. Rev. Frederick
Aver died several years ago at Allan
ia, Ga. Mrs. Hall, Mrs. Aver and
myself only survive, obliged to leave
our life work as we all were, Oh ac-
count of the whiskey traffic.
Yet L live to see our work was not
est time or labor. Time and Gods
providence have wrought a wonderful
change. We were tie entering wedge,
reduced the language to writing, pre-
pared primary books for schools,
translated the New Testament and
portions of the Old. With the change, ,
others have come and driven the wedge
10 its full extent. Government at
asst is coming to the rescue, gathering
,he Indians on the reservations, pro-
,ecting them from whiskey pedlars, ,
schools and aiding them in
agriculture. The largest and most =
Harlike band, with whom I spent four !
years, are now ON reservation, living
n houses, schooling their children, ;
md cultivating the ground. A year
ago they harvested several thousand $
bushels Of wheat, besides corn and
and held a fair. This
year they began the cultivation Of )
sorghum.
Never for a moment have / despair
ed of Outstanding and civilizing the .
Indians, were they only protected from :
the banefll influence of white men
and | should have been with them to- l
day, but for this. It is a matter of !
tevout congratulation to every lover
Of humanity, that our Government IS +
at last taking step in the right di-
rection to save them from annihila-
ton. Give each head of a family a
piece of land for home, and make
it inelienable; give him the protection
of law in person and property; give
him citizenship and educate the child
rem, and his condition is assured
Chippeways and Sioux are prepared
for it and ask it of the Government.
But | must close here, though may
take up my pen again, if health and
strength permit. Very truly yours,
in Christian bonds,
w. I. Boutwell,.