The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-08-15
Life at Fort Reno,
BY JULIAN HUEr.

BY JULIAN HUET.
About six months since, being at that
time clerk in large wholesale store in
Philadelphia, was offered position at a
post trading station in the Indian Terri
tory. Besides that the salary offered was
more liberal, | had a desire natural to an
Eastern boy to sec shmethiug Of life on the
frontier. 1t has occurred TO ma that the
readers Of the Argosy may also be interest
ed in such impressions aud Information as
my six months residence enables me to
offer them
The Indian Territory, as II name i'm plies
consists Of Indian reservations, and ia in
habitsd by many tribes. amsng them the
Creeks, Cheyennes, Arrapshoes, Kiowas,
Comanches and Apaohes. At different
points in the territory are forts and trading
posts. am located at Fort Reno, occupy.
ing a central position The reservation oc
enpies S6s acres about, and among its build
ings are seven double buildings for officers
quarters, an administration building and
library, four barracks. four corre;s, a store
room, warehouses, hospital, chapel, about
ten laundries, and the buildings Of the
post traders, Mossrs. Evans Bros and Cot
ton. These together oonstitute quite vii.
lage.
was obliged to make the last hundred
miles Of my journey by stage.ooaoh, aud
had fine chance to experience stage sick.
ness The numbering coach jolted over
rough roads, sometimes getting stuck in the
mud. My travelling companions and my.
self were flung unceremoniously from ono
side to the other, and as We looked mourn
fully at each others pale faoss, we tried to
discover the pleasures of Western travel
But when we had arrived we found our
selves comfortably situated, notwithstand
| ing we were remote from white settlements.
Evans Bros have the largest establishment
OF the kind in the oountry, embracing a
store ninety feet by forty, employing hree
book keepers and seven clerks, under the
management of Mr.. N. W. Evans. The
| building, of which the store formsa part,
is two and halfstariNs in height, contain.
ing, in addition, hotel, dress ma king
department, furniture department, under
the charge of F. W. Krause. of Philadel.
phia, post Office, bar and billiard room
and club room for the special use the off
GERS and their guests. In the rear are var
Gus shops.
Firewood has to be hauled twenty. FIVE
miles and costs twelve dollars a cord. We
have TO cut it ourselves, haying an eight
horse power saw mill on the place. Lum
Der is brought from Caldwell, Kansas, a
hundred miles away, at a cost of 81 20 per
hundred pounds. Corn is brought from
Kansas, and fstches $l.lo ami $l26 per
bushel. No whiskey is allowed to be sold.
only bser and wine, but no liquor at all IS
sold to the Indians, who, however, do not
seem to want it.
Provision is made for amusement. We
haye grand aud upright piano, and other
musical instruments, and a parlor that
would compare fayorably with that in
New York or Philadelphia mansion of the
first class.
OF course we see plenty of cav hoys,
They are set of hard working follows, not
at all like what you hear Of them In the
East. Their life is not an easy one, riding
after cattle perhaps day and night, and
sleeping anywhere on the prairie, They |
ali carry blanket strapped to their sad
dies. and have nevOr seen one wrth1ut
Toll belt Of cartridges aud six shooter, not
smaller than a Al calibre.
The Indians are at our stors every day, |
but seem very quiet now. 1t would be a
novelty to tender foot to see tho Indian |
squaws with their papaoses on their backs,
and the basket with fancy trimmings and |
white blankets, in summer they are made |
of muslin. They pluck out their eyebrows
and mustaches, always keeping their faces
smoth, and they wear a pair nf tweesers
slung round their nocks as an Eastern man
would wear a watch chain. They walk
with toes turned inwards, placing one foot
directly in front Of the other. When there
is number Of thsm, they walk in sisgle
file. suOh is an Indian dude. The girls
but use a larger quantity of paint and a
greater variety of colors.
The Indians are inclined to be trouble,
come, and the Indian agent has no easy
time. They consider that the United |
States Government is obliged to feed and
clothe them, and complain freely unless
sometimes eztravagant demands are com |
piled with, Chief Left Hand not long |
since wanted sons sugar. The agent gave
him sack of itI Angry at receiving but
one sackful, Lett Hand took his scslping
knife, and ripped the sack from end to end,
scattered the sugar all "f the street, Gtrode |
into the building with his followers and |
took ten sacks instead Of one, cursIng the |
sgent at fearful rata. for presuming to
offer so grsat chief ss he was, so small an
allowance as one sack. He walks in aud |
out Of the agents office daily. Such |
thing as Furnishing him for the offence, il |
ever contemplated, was never ATTEMPTED |
This is sufficient to show hat their are two |
Gides tn tho Indian question, and offences
on the aide Of the Indians as well rs tin |
'ome inStannesl wrongs Perpetratod by the
agents.
We have plenty of sport. The fishing is
splendid. Though not plentiful, the fsh
are very large, and at this season cat ash
sre caught every iay weighing from five to
fifteen pounds We have plenty OF Indian
ponies Ia ride, AMI good cunning at all
times. We nave only to go outside OF the
house for II, but it Is better at some dis.
t@oe from here. The game CONSISTS oi
prairie chickens, wild ducks. poyer and
rabbits. There Is no large game at this
place. The swimming aud boating are not
Of much account, for the rivers. though
small, are full Of quicksands, very Lrsaeher.