The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-28

service in this mission, has fallen into the prev.
alent habit, and cannot tell for his life within
FIVE or ten miles the distance to be travelled be-
tween any two points in his expanded and ex-
pansive diocese. And then the truth! 1t
stretches even more marvelously than distances.
For instance: While expatating upon the trans
cendent glories of the climate, an old and highly
esteemed citizen told of an experience Of his
where the table had been spread for a family
feast, possibly Thanksgiving dinner Sud-
denly zephyr came up aL1a the company re-
treated to the cyclone hole. After the storm had
passed, and the family had emerged, they found
that every one of the chairs about the table had
oeen blown through the only window there was
In the ROOM and not trace of them could be
found. while not another thing had been touched,
nor the table with it's viands disturbed! You
are expected to believe this sort of thing YOUR
nostS feel injured at any expression of doubt 1t
is readily seen what simple, confding, child
ike ana bland people such habits of life will
produce Another story was told u.s. and this by
Methooist minister, regularly in orders. He is
devoted sportsman. He has very fine gun and an
unusually well-bre pointer dog He said il was
nothing unusual, when ne was out in the field
for the dog to point" bird in the evening after
it was too dark for him to Shoot he would go
home, take good nights rest, and return in the
early morning to find the faithful dog still on
the point, when he would shoot and bag the bird,
thus beginning another days sport AS guar
antee of good faith, but not necessarily for
publication, have the name of this humble and
devoted herald of the cross-and he brought the
gun to the hotel as conclusive evidence of the
truth of his story. For myself, / have no
doubt of it, nor have | any doubt of any
thing else I am likely to hear. The ordinary
rules that govern human conduct cannot be
expected to apply to a people who live in a land
where no pent-up Utica contracts their powers,
but who spread over whole boundless CONT
nent. 1t IS due this people to say, however,
hot fhnXyn Il
day, as free and generous as their sky -domed
pralrles and rs rushing and enterprising as the
winds that sweep and swoop with tireless energy
Pierre is almost the geographical center of
southern Dakota. All the people of this section
are heartily in favor of the division of the Terri
tory the forty sixth parallel They are
furious at Governor Pierce for his veto of the
bill passed last winter in the Territorial Legisa-
ture, making Pierre the capital of the proposed
new Territory and expectant State. Hoosiers
are found everywhere, 1ndianians from Elkhart,
from Evansville, from Warrick county, from
Muncie and from other places in Indiana, greeted
us everywhere. A c. Gillette, formerly of Nun
cie is at Brookings doing well, while one
Of the settlers" on the disputed reservation
is Mr.. McNutt, formerly telegraph operator at
the Denison. Senator Harrison is very popular
with the people of Dakota, by reason of his eff
forts to secure statehood for this people; and
at every stopping place he has been made to feel
the warmth and strength of the regard in which
he is held.
The commission took the testimony of large
number Of the settlers in and about Pierre,
some OF whom are still on the reservation,
partly because they have nowhere else to go, and
partly because of an impression that by some
means or other President Cleveland will be made
to see the alleged error of his way and will
suspend the enforcement of his order OF eviction.
BY far the largest number of the settlers have
left their homes and the remainder will quietly
follow rather than provoke trouble. There is
no basis for the exaggerated stories of trouble
here between the whites and the Indians.
While the interests of the two seem to be antag-
onistic and both parties decided in their
convictions, there has been no approach to col
lisions, and there is no likelihood of any. The
Indians are well disposed for the most part,
although strenuOusy averSe to reinouishing
any more of their lands, particularly without
compensation, while the settlers, after the sober
second thought comes to them-which will be
greatly accelerated by the visit of the commits
siOn-will see that their best interests, and the
future good of the Territory, will be subserved
by loyal obedience to the executive authority,
and by patiently awaiting the solution Of a most
veXatiOus problem by the combined wisdom of
the whole peOple-a wisdom that will find a way
to do justice to the Indian and at the same time
to remove all artificial obstacles to the eager,
painting, reslstless energy of the whites. who
carry with them the germ of empire and civiliza-
ton
After the conference at Pierre the committee
started for the agency, driving across the reser-
vation distance of about seventy miles, where
on Saturday, pOwwow was held with the In
dams, the particulars of which, with some other
matters, must be reserved II.