Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-03
cheyenne Trouble

Special Dispatch to the Daily Eagle.
CHEYESNE AGENCY, I. T., June Se-Th'
matters are still unchanged here. Additions
troops are arriving here every few days, bu
no movement has yet beeu made toward tn,
Indians. Should large force succeed il
reaching here before the Indians move, it i
hoped they will compromise at once, de
liver their arms and surrender their Grimm
ais. 1t is possible that even now the In
dams have prepared for such move ant
have cached" their best arms in the sand
hills and buried them safe from seizure, in
tending to go through the farce of surrender
ing a lot of old squirrel rifles and useles,
guns. While this may be their intention, i
is just as likely that, should the present
troops move, the hostile element will strike
out across the Territory and Kansas to
JOIN THE SIOUX,
or unite with the Kiowa and Comanchs
Indians to give the troops summers cam
paign. The non-combatant part of the
tribe will surrender and move in close to the
agency to give secret succor to the fighting
Indians. Until either troops or Indians
move nothing definite can be known and
the situation
REMAINS DANGEROUS IN THE EXTREME,
in spite of the apparent quietness.
Having seen recent associate press dis
patch attributing to Agent Dyer sundry
statements regarding the cattlemen being at
the bottom of the Cheyenne Indian troubles,
the EAGLE reporter called upon Col. Dyer
and asked if the subject matter of the press
dispatch wss true. Col. Dyer read the ar
ticle and promptly answered: "The state
ment that the grass leases to
cattlemen of portions of the reservation
are the cause of the present threatened out
break is totally false. These Indians have
been unruly ever since the "Dull Knife
raid, and the present trouble simply arises
from the fact that, for years, they have
never been punished for crime, and in con-
sequence get worse from time to time. The
grass leases were made two years ago by
prominent cattlemen, who came in a straight
forward, business-like manner and made
their agreement with the Indians. The
statement that the majority Of the Indians
have been, or are now, dissatisfied with
their grass lease, is perfectly absurd. There
never have been but very few who objected,
and they have objected only rs a means of
extorting additional favors from the cattle
Ilen. The lessees have done their part in
every respect and have paid oyer the lease
money to the Indians according to agreement,
but am ashamed to confess that the In
dams have taken their money without COM
plant and then moved out into the pastures
and commenced butchering the cattle for
whose grazing they were paid. So heavy
has been this depreciation there is no telling
whether Ten cents per acre per year has paid
for their privilege. The story that the range
has been overstocked and that the Indian
horse herds have wanted for grass is per-
fectly ridiculous. The pastures have never
been stocked up and are not half occupied
to-day; in fact some of the leases have bad
but few head upon them, although the grass
rental has been promptly paid, and, besides,
there is plenty of range for one hundred
times as many horses as the Indians have
outside of the leased lands. There is not
cattleman in this country who has not lost
heavily, owing to the unwarran.ed depreda-
tons of the Indians"
Col. Dyer also spoke in the highest terms
of the prompt support and hearty co-opera-
ton Of the new commander of Fl. Reno,
Col. Summer, and said that he had the ut
most faith in the efficient and prompt action
of the troops when the time comes for them
m ,,nnva