The Bad Lands cow boy. [volume] (Little Missouri, Dakota [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-1886, 1885-04-09


by the French half breeds along the crooked
rivers Of Canada were Sin most cases long
parallelograms, with narrow river frontage
and extending back inland. These the do
minion surveyors were obliged, to cut up
terly reckless tdtthes poor half breeds, and
there were: many protests and threats
Then there had been delays and more or less
dissatisfaction from the beginning On the
other hand the: ;law Of apportionment was
breed infants came to.be ut apfeminm,; md
it is even said that children were transferred
from one family to- another = In order
to obtain land. Next, lands were
placed in i ehan6ery until { the chill
dren should have come Of age. with the spe-
cred to have attained their majority at eight
cen. In many cases, however, the money
realize by the sale of lands was not placed
in the care Of the court, but orders were even
given that II, The money should be given to the
g. Wsfs also faesn out Of ohancery and
sold out rapidly, and land sharks were about
making al they could by taking advantage
ion. The. half breeds themselves were an
easy going people. and the lands and scrip
granted to heads Of families were in many
cases squandeted Doubtless there were
numerous abuses Of this kind, but the law
was generally acceptable to the half-breeds
of Manitoba. and they took full advantage
Of 1t Now. beyond the confines of Manitoba,
in the Northwest Territory, Inv "a few half
breed sections, for the inhabitants. of which
no provision was made In the Manitoba act
As mauter Of fact, the inhabitan Is OF these
places gig not demand an superintendent Of
land at the time. The St Laurent district,
II the g seat Ct The present uprising among
THE Aa1rAT1oN-nr sr. LAURENT. & Z
ABOUT ten years ago, however, the settlers
lot Int tNnrr
that they should receive some consideration,
and asked to be placed on the same footing
with regard to homesteads and lands as the
half-breeds Of Manitoba Later dominion
surveyors were sent into the country to Law
out the lands. Here the same difficulty was
river districts The half breeds aecord-
ing to their French custom. had Slaid
out their farms Fin parallel GRAMS
along the banks !, of 4 the saskatche-
wan and its branches, and the surveyors
Were OF course compelled to destroy this ar
They also renewed their 81 aims for grants Of
Z4O acres, percapita md from that tiIla to
this thesagitpt5 has been KeptFup Various
complications have arisen In the meantime.
and complaints haYe been made Of delays;
ment Ricl was again called upon for
counsel and adyice He WINS visited in Mon.
tana, where he has been living, by q depu-
tation of the half breeds, and In response to
their appeal Went into the Sc Lalrient;
counSry The half-breeds in the meantime,
had laid their grievances before the doInin.i
lon parliament Mt Ottawa Last September
they held meeting ut st Laurent at which
they adopted bill Of tights, OF which the
following is the substance: ~
First, the subdivision Into provinces of the
Northwest territories; second, tho half breeds
70 t re- The same grants and other advantages
fourth ts scres y doni
ion lands, the proceeds to be applied to the es-
5tablishment In tho halS- breed set tIements Sof
and to The equipment Of the poorer haIf1b
with seed grain and implements; nth, the res
CREATION Of 4 90 township of swamp land for
Ets ia q N i.sitn.
ton e be conducted BY the nuns in each half
for the support of the Indians. -
The Inst item. It. Is said, was inserted by
Riel IN order TO please Poun dmaker, an In
with the half breeds The bfiI of tights AZ.
parently asks for q good deal more than
the rebels have any Idea OF obtaining. but IL
y said that Monsignor Grandin, the Roman
Catholic bishop Of that region, and most Of
the Engiish,spe aising settlers are In favor Of
~ Since Riels presence in the Saskatcl1e-
wan country he has been actively at the
head of the movement for rights, and under.
his leadership the forces have organized and
the present rebellion has been engineered
The events Of the conflict are stilI, fresh in
the memory of all XII q
THE PRESENT REBELIIoN. L
The Iebelhon 5sSar started In the eaflv
part Of last Il week AT q first tho do
minion government professed u con-
slider the -fnsnrrechon ms ,iof q no 4 I'M
portance. but the. cutting Of the telegraph
lines and the threat ening upris;ng Of the
Indiana all through the Saskatchewan terri.
tory Us well as the trnnntn emit danger IN which
the Canadian Pacific railroad Ii placed has
thoroughly aroused them, and troops t,So
being rapidly hurried to the front by 5specinl
trains as fast as they can DO pSapaxad tosfakn
the field. Theexact strength Of Ricl,s forces
y not known It ID snid to be composed Of
BOO TO loo men, armed with Remington
and Winchester rifles, and Gen, Middleton
WHO 70 70 command the government troops
\ declines to advance TO the front with les
than !, 300 men The firHt troops left Win.
shlpeg Tor the scene OF the REBEL tonson Thurs
day OF last week They comprised six com
panies OF the Nineteenth battalion, IL ali $40
men; TO these are 10 be added the reau-
lar mounted police already on the ground.
and several military companies organized ~
t9e settlers residing In the section where the
rebellion fsf IN progresa The troops. however,
ars sat On ppelles waiting tor reinforce