Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-08-14
Red Mustache Again About Dakota
and the Indians.

that leaves me all alone to sleep or
write, as | please.
Nothing of interest has occurred on
Pine Ridge until recently. Col Pear
son, the inspector of Indian affairs,
came riding in few evenings ago.
AS visitors are rarity on Pine Ridge
everyone inquired who he was. |
happened to hear some say that was
the "Inspectorw That was enough
for me. / thought l knew his bust
ness, therefore kept my distance. l
have made the acquaintance of as
many of his sort as | care to. l think
some of my neighborS are satisfied
with one. Don't think they will
want another soon.
Some of the residents of Pine Ridge
are laughing, some cursing. | have
heard no praying yet; / think some
of the troubled ones would pray if
they thought it would do any good.
The Inspector discharged some of
the employees and filled the'vacancy
with ex-employees, that created con-
siderable comment. Some took their
dismissal good humoredly, some not
quite so pleasantly. Wish you could
have been here and wrote down just
what they said, and had our friend
and fellow townsman, w. S. Lively
with you take the pictures in the diff
ferent positions as they said it. | am
sure the Hon. ]. d. G. Atkins would
have enjoyed it.
The Southern Republicans die easy
like all other men, but these "West-
ern fellows" won't die at all. They
are just like an eel, you have to hit
them on the end of the tail to kill
them. That's just where the depart
ments.hav beene' making mistakes +;
they have been stiking at the head of
the fellows when they ought to have
been striking at their tails.
l am not making war on the adj
ministration. While it might have
done more in this direction, there is
but little, if any, that should be I'M
done. know it's hard for those old
copper-bottomed, double-riveted,
hide-bound patriots to give up. l
have not forgotten the time when
they wouldn't let you forget it, they
would Hollow "gloryw Guess l had
better stop, as l.. understand the In
spector is coming back soon and |
may get my walking papers.
Tell that friend ofmine who prom
ised to send me money to come home
on if 1 broke, to get it ready, l may
need it soon.s If l leave Pine Ridge,
think viii go about 25 miles from
here and take ups claim. l under
stand George Conner is trying to beat
me out of it. George would do me
no injury in most things, but in this
particular / fear him.
took a short trip few days ago
and saw a great many interesting
things. i visited several Indian
lodgesand teepes, was treated kind
ly by the inmates. 1T is quite inter-
esting tovisit these people and see
how they live. Their habits of liv-
ing now are bad enough, but much
better now than or 10 years ago. A
great many have good log houses,
occasionally you will see framed
cottage. | called on our distinguished
friend, Mr.. Pumpkin-Seed, the first
sergeant Of the police force. He is
quite a dignified old gentleman, was
a noted warrior. Some years ago
was considered one of the brayest
men of the Sioux nations. He en-
tertained me for more than an hour,
showing me war clubs, hatchets, etc.
Said he had been engaged in a great
many battles and had killed several
men, butnow desired to live in peace.
We left our old friend and started for
Gordon-lost our way. We wander
ed around for quite while, and l
finally discovered something on a
high hill. We wendell our way across
the ravines and over the hills, and
finally came to the object, and found
upon examination, that it was a dead
Indian buried in box. A great
many of the Sioux Indians bury their
dead on the top Of the ground. We
eXaminedfhe box as best we could
without dhturbing the corpse, and
found a great many Indian trinkets,
such as bracelets, beads, hair, pipe,
squaw belt, etc.
am told, years ago they buried
their dead in trees occasionally; now
they bury on the highest hills they
can find. Near this grave referred to
was one other grave, and on the head