Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-03-11
STARVING sAvAaEs.
Deplorsbls Condition Of Six Thou.
sand ladIaES. l.f
FEEDING THEIR HUNGER on Doos.
Stories Of Their Fearful Sutferngs aad PR
vations and. an Outbreak and
Bloody Massacre now
Locked for.


few miles OF this military post Is the Fort
Peck Indian Agency, containing between
five and Elk thousand Indians under the
control Of Mr.. s. L. Snider. tbs regularly
authorized agent Of the interior depart
ment
For some time past matters st the Agency
have been growing from bad to worse IN
Ill at the present time the condition of
affairs Is about as dep.orsbls - esn we'll
be imagined, and the poor savsgsa are On
the verge Of open rebellion. The cause b
the lack Of food. The Indians have moth.
ing 10 cot and are daily demanding fron
the Justly alarmed agent rations for their
dying squaws and pspooscs.
The ration 10 eighty pounds Of aour and
twenty.three pounds Of beef for . whole
year, but
The 6oSeFament Expects the iD1ta0s
to show . willingness 10 add 10 the sup
plies furnished them by taking advantage
OF such facilities for procuring subsistence
as their reservations afforded naturally or
can be made to yield by cultivation. But
IL II is true OF the Fort Peck Indians that
from causes beyond their control, they
have lately needed more assistance from
the bureau than formerly, The game On
which they have depended principally for
food and clothing hes been gradually d.
ninishipy before the onslaughts OF both
reds and whites, until now IL 10 nearly
Extinct, while repeated trials have shosn
that successful farming on the Upper Mis-.
souri Is impossible even 70 whites, without
Il l.. II. Las
cultivation without skilled labor, aud oil
attempts made last season 10 raise crops
have proved failures.
About 900 acres were attempted win
poor results, and now thai no extra rations
~ being supplied the destitute ssvages
IRE eating everything they can lay their
hands on. About 5000 dogs have dlsap.
ptsrsd down their hungry throsu. and ed
/ lavoc has been made among their bsauu.
iul ponies, which icampered In great nun
he's all over the reservation last year.
! Icppee, or lodge skins, for tho succulencs
they contain.
Are Bcisx RavenousIy DevsarsA.
and every roseberry 10 picked clean from
the bushes along the Poplar sud Rsdvatsr
creeks.
Thousands OF acres OF this now desert
land could be turned into beautiful farms
at small cost and would In two years more
than repay the outlay. The soil here, the
water power and Indian muscle could bs
utilized, and In one way the Indian Prob
lem would be solved.
Mr.. Such, OF the United States pay do.
partment, on o recent visit 10 Poplar river
TO pay the troops says these Reports about
the Indians starving to death are not exaG.
gerated. lie heard stories OF privations and
suiierings calculate ed 10 shock the scnsibtli-
,,.s ~ Tho nnlhsst pafSya A the Hub.
agency OF Wolf Point, twelve miles above
Camp Poplar River, the Assinsboines are
perishing for want OF sustenance. All
their dogs and ponies have been eaten and
now they have nothing left. Five OF thsir
number have fallen dead from starvation,
end the bucks are at q loss 10 iind q way 10
III the mouths OF their suffering squsws
and crying papooses.
The Indians at the Fort Peck sgency
consist Of four separate bands and af
numb bered as follows: hssinaboine, l,3'o;
Yanktonpais SiouI, $3.50; Sintee SionL,
$50; 0ssllalla and Teton SlouT. 200.
Total, 5.G75.
About seven hundred OF them have
little -four, the rest nothing. In sixty
days, without relief.
All n ass Siarve 20 Death.
But the greatest fear now 10 that the agent.
his family and the post trader will bs
massacred.
There are but two companies Of United
States infantry at Poplar river 70 hold The
indians In check and compel them peace.
ably to starvs 10 death, and II general up.
rising Of the tribes should occur-whioh
may be expected st any moment-nothing
could stop the fury Of the dsspsrsts say.
sges once aroused, and We msy expect 70
hear before long thst the small body OF
lroops and oil the white people In thai
,ection of Montsna have been swept from
be face OF the earth.
Il may not be generally known thst the
rat msss OF csrbines and rides lost 10 the
u. ter campaign. or rather massacre. On
b. Little Big Horn are IN this very camp.
I'd vould be brought into use should such
. csIsnity bspptn. Whers tboss sfms dis.
.rr.sred 10 sft6r that memorable day OF
$40
gsusvsI MILES Never Csaia Hisd osL
When Sitting Bull and his chiefs suSfsu.
1ersd TO Uncle Sans military they brousht
Q lot OF old fintlock and muSzls.losdinG
,rD,. but no Springfield sfmA A scout 10.
iotn cd me day or two ego tbat the Custsf
csrbines were In the Poplar river camp 90
cached among the bills OF the RSdwstsS
and that they would be resortsd 70 Whsn.
ever the Fort Peck Indians thought neoes.
sity required Il. The situation 10 truly
Surrounding thess starving sborisinss on
all aides are numerous Hocks and lat herds,
which must sooner ofi attsr fall . prey 70
their sppe tites unless some measures are
taken to svrrt this impending necessity:
Rsncbmen and herden are on the alert snd
dong all In their power 70 remove thstf
cattle beyond reach Of possible danger.