McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-04-30
SETTLERS BECOMING ANXIOUS.
In Consequence of the Threatening Ahitmd
of Oregon Indians.

Portland (Ore) dispatch: Very recent re-
ports from portions Of eastern Oregon, eastern
Washington Territory and western Idaho indi-
cate restlessness among the Indians that
bodies trouble in the near future. Between
the white settlers and the Indians a strong
feeling of luminosity exists, which has intensi-
fled with time. One fruitful source of irrita-
tion between the whites and Indians has been
the rivalry and jealousy concerning the use
and occupation of immense grazing tracts.
These grass producing regions have for years
been considered as neutral grounds" to
which the horses and cattle of one belonged as
much as to the other. Naturally, the hostility
of conflicting interests had full scope for
action and exercise under such favorable con-
diuions If cattle were run off, stolen, or
killed, belonging to white ranchers, the In
dams missed any of their horses, the white
man was at the bottom of 1t. Frequently the
inevitable clashng of interests resulted in
sanguinary meetings between herdsmen and
Indians. Occasionally the body of a white
man was found pierced by an Indian bullet.
In such cases the real murderer could not be
tracked down, and not infrequently unjustifla-
bic revenge was taken by the friends or rela-
tives of the murdered person on some unfor-
tunate and innocent Siwash found struggling
away from his tribe. For years these repris-
ais have been INDUCED in. In few cases the
perpetrators of murders have been detected,
arrested and punished by the civil authorities;
and, in not a few cases, the Indian offender
has been dealt with summarilv at the hands of
a court presided over by Judge Lynch. Pr-
vate and personal revenge has been gratitied
in numbers of cases on both sides, and 1.-THE
score has been wiped out in blood" During
the more recent wars-the Chief Joseph, and,
later, the BannOck campaign-murders, cruel
ties, and nameleSS outrageS were committed by
lplnlpSS
defenseless women. Relatives and friends of
these helpless victims survive, and With them
the fires of hatred and vengeance still glow
with a fierce heat. A few DAYS ago cOnsidera-
BILE excitement was caused in Asotin county,
Washington territory, by the appearance of
two Indians who, it is asserted, came from
Umatilla reservation, in Oregon. These In
dams were said to be horse thieves. Both
were stopped and their horses taken from
them and sent back to their owners. This, it
was thought, was the easier way out of the
trouble. Along the Whitman county shores
of the Snake river are numbers OF lpdians who
make their living by fishing i'll the river and
raising horses upon the surrounding hills.
These Indians possess many horses, and, as a
consequence, keep the range pretty well eaten
out to the disgust of few white settlers i'll that
vicinity, who have no better right to the range
than have the Indians, yet desIe to monOpO-
lie it. Word has just been received that
number of white men are now engaged in
making roundup of Indian horses. for the
purpose of driving them off the range and
over the line into British Columbia. The au-
thorities of Whitman county are investigating
the matter. Retaliation is expected from the
Indians should this outrage be allowed t. con-
tinue, and serious difficulties would inevitably
follow. The Indians In southeastern Oregon,
about Fort Bidwel, Stein mountain and War
ner valley, are reported to be very restless and
insoent, and trouble is apprehended. The au-
thorities-state and military-are very vigil
liant, and are taking every precaution TO pre-
vent an outbreak among them. 1t is thought,
however, the Indians are too wise-especialy
in the light of their past experience with the
Whites-to provoke another war.