, 1885-04-21
FIGHTING FOR HOMES.
A Interesting Narrative Of the
Canadian Trouble.
Habits and Life Of the Brave
Half Breeds.
Reasons and Probable Results
of the War.

A correspondent who has been among
the Canadian half-breeds, who knows the
people, understands the situation, and
appreciates the nature of Riels rebellion,
writes as follows regarding the war in
Canada:
The origin of the outbreak of the half
breeds has been fairly stated in the new
papers. 1t arose from the rigid applica-
ton of the American system of public land
surveying to the lands the half-breeds
had settledon and staked u in conform
ity to the French Canadians. The farms
of the half-breeds were staked out in the
form of a long, narrow parallelogram,
with the narrow side abutting on the
river. The half-breeds, being a social
people, adopted this plan so that their
houses would be near together, forming 4
struggling village along the river bank in
the valley. They wanted the government
to issue patents for the homesteads in the
shape in which they had s.aked them.
THIS the government refused to do. 1t
surveyed the land into blocks a mile
square, each square sub-divided into four
blocks one-half mile square. Each of
the subdivisions contains 100 acres, the
amount of land the half-breed settler was
entitled to, but on it might be the houses
and barns of two or three of his neigh
bors; and the question promptly arose, to
which one of the two or three or four
men do all the improvements belong, and
who is going to pay for the Improvements
the other men lose? The adherents of
Riel found they could get no redress from
the government, and they went on the
war path. Who blames them ? A pig
headed Canadian official can be taught
quicker with a Winchester rife than by
appeals to his sense of justice.
What ofthe men knownin the Northwest
territory as half-breeds2 They are the de-
scendants of Scotch and English factors,
clerks, agents, and employees of the Hud-
sons Bay company. They are known in
the Northwest as Red River half breeds, no
matter where they were born. The white
men who were condemned to a life of isola-
ton in the trading posts Of the Hudson
Bay company's territory almost universally
formed connections with Indian
The canny Scotchmen and the prudent
Englishmen strengthened their position
among the Indians and insured their per-
sonal saiety by alliances with the daugh-
ters of prominent Indians. The offspring
of these unions and their descendants, are
are the half breeds of to-day. The stock
on both sides was good. Many Of the
children were well educated. There were
colonies of them at every important trad
ing post in the Hudson's Bay territory.
They are the only decent half-breed In
dams in America. The duration of the
present war and its extent depends en-
tirely on whether the half-breeds can in
duce the Sioux and Blackfeet to take the
warpath.
The dispatches from Winnipeg an
nounce that the Crees have Joined the
halfbreeds. If this is a fact It
almost bars the Blackfeet from p%artici-
pating in this rebellion.
l do not believe hat there can be a
combined uprising of the Sioux, Black
feet and Crees. Their hereditary feuds
forbid it. The Sioux and Crees or the
Sioux and Blackfeet could combine, but
probably not the three tribes. If Riel
succeeds in persuading these Indians to
buy their tribal feuds and to serve to-
gether under him, he is a man of com
handing ability.
What force can Riel muster? What
damage can they do ? If the Indians Of
the Northwest territory are lured to him
by his successes and the hope of sharing
in the trifiing loot afforded by the settlers
cabins and in the satisfaction of once more
f~easting on fresh meat. it is probable that
he will be reinforced by from $500 to
1000 fully armed and well mounted In
dian warriors. While these men are not
sufficiently steady under fire to sustain a
-long-continucd action, they are superb
light horse cavalry. Now, what damage
can these men do2 | answer, they can
sweep the Saskatchewan and Manitobar
frontier clean of settlers. They have
food in abundance. The herds of tn,
Scotch, English and Canadian cattl,
growing associations are at their mercy
For the first time since the buffalo disap
peared from the northwestern ranges
these Indians will have sufficient meat Il
satisfy their craving for hat article o
diet. They have ammunition in full sup
ply. There is not an American trader il
the whole country south of the boundar
i, line who would not cheerfully furnish an
/ Indian with Winchester, Sharps or Rem
: ington cartridges, and take his pay in tn
l hides Of cattle. provided they wer
branded with the irons of a foreign con
pany or individual. And | know man
traders who would donate 500 cartridg,
: to any Indians who would burn thel
against the mounted police or other G.
y madam forces.
The halfbrdeds are farmers. The
raise crops. They cut hay. Their hors'
: are in good condition. They can take IL
war path and keep it. 1t is well know
s that the Indian ponies, which have
, find their own living on the plains throug
! the winter, are not fit to carry braves q
= the warpath until after grass starts in Il
Z spring. 1t is almost impossible for IL
Indians, who, as the Canadian authorize