News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-05-04
THE INDIAN PROBLEM.
General Miles's Experiment with a
Tribe of Wild Sheep Hunters.

General Miles's Experiment with a
Tribe of Wild Sheep Hunters.
Gen. James s. Brisben, in q letter to
the Herald, gives us the following story
of an attempt at Indian civilization:
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 Horses
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 baaks of the Yellowstone, near
Fort Keogb, gave them some plows,
harrows, a 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 a
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 the farm. With
the money realized from the sale of the
ponies General Miles bought cows and
bulls and turned them over to the In
dams. 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 q refractory animal to subsection.
General Miles, seeing their fondness
for wagons and horses, Immediately
turned it to account by giving them
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 it
bought were their delight. Every
Indian became ambitious to own q
wagon and a pair of horses, so he could
naul. General Miles explained to them
hat, although not so immediate in its
,esults, farming was still better busi-
hess than freighting, and he advised
hem to plant the soil. He sent them
Captain Ezra Ewens, Fifth infantry,
Who had bought for them their cattle
nd done many other things for them.
Captain Ewens instructed them how
D manage their farms, build fences and
low. Large gardens were laid out
bove Keogh and planted in vegetables.
When they came up and began to grow
he delight of the Indians was unbound
d, and they would watch the green
elds for hours every day. They worked
7ell, kept the weeds down and hoed the
orn, potatoes and vines. AS the crops
egan to ripen the wagons came into use
n their own account. The fort was
My two miles and Miles City three
niles away, and every morning the In
ians would load their wagons and come
D market. Vegetables were scarce and
good prices. The Indians
new how much to ask for them and drove
harp bargains getting every penny they
ould for their tomatoes, corn, squashes
nd melons. I never saw finer gardens
D my life than these Indians had last
ear,
Last year the Indians began to take
arge farms and settle down on them.
hey selected a beautiful valley on the
tributary of the Yellow ;
tone, and built log houses along the
anks of the stream every mile or SO.
his spring they have bought nine new
fbSOuS 1dEA0S5 duu nave Scl10 W r
arming in earnest. All last winter
hey hunted buffalo vigorously, and this
pring had enough robes to pay for their
7agons. They seem to have plenty of :
money and are thrifty and energetic.
he trade of these Indians is already
considerable, and the merchants strive
Or it. Their credit is as good as gold
nd anybody will trust them, for they
ever fail to pay. They do their principal
rading at the post, and it pays the
raider to keep an interpreter clerk.
they have regular book accounts, and
he sutler says he would rather trust
hem than many white men. They
ever fail to keep their obligations and
lways pay just when they say they will.
They keep accounts of their own and
ast what they owe.