The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1886-05-18
MONTANA.
UNITED STATES INDIAN s

| \
Fort PICK kGENCY
POPLAR CRELK, Nd T., April 20, 1856 J
As spring has nov opened everything
has begun to assume the loveliness pc.
culiar 10 this climate. Never Las it been
our lot to be cast in a more beautifuI
climate While the people OF Monroe
County are grovelipg in the mud and
slush, glad il only the bottom could be
reached, we are enjoying fne buggy
weather, where the snow has long since
disappeared aud mud ,hirg unknoun
Days of fair weather. neither too hot
nor too cold, and nights made agreeable
with blsnket, which Is said to be The
case most sll summer.
Have had several fine rains hut not as
much as common. Missouri very low,
5ut stll at good boating stage Are
looking forward to The arrival OF the first
boat which ne expect in day or two
Fishing is the employment oftwo or
three Indians now, all others are too in.
dolent aud triflng. Still another party.
Messrs. Okey, Carpenter, Wayne and
Frank West have gained considerable
notoriety es fishermen amid the ,urhu.
lent wstsrs OF the Missouri. Carpenter
says they we're 10 great danger of being
drowned or captured by tue Crow !ndi-
ans, as the Oar broke iu trying to pull of
OF sand bar. Finally part waded the
water waist deep and pushed the boat
/ q hnnf rnitn and mil Ana taA
the boat across. The boys say Csrpen-
ter was scared; don't know. He save be
never got his feet wet. and waulin't 60
through such another night for one thon-
sand dollars. How about the 6sh Car
penter says be thinks fishing mo good"
The boys coy Carpenter scared all the
6sh away when the oar broke. A, this
writing he is convalesccnt and we think
may recover.
II seems to be the experience of all
eastern men alike, that on reaching Fl.
Peck Agency, they expected 10 fnd deer
and ell kinds OF game in abundance. Lit
tie do they think ,hst even the life OF o
prairie volt is not exempt from the COM
mon fate OF all game. The Indian, be
it remembered, is q great Nimrod. and
nothing in the way Of game passes By
unnoticed. Still few years ago this
country vas the home OF the mighty
gamo, the buffalo Along the many hot.
toms Of the Missouri, where the heritage
was the most plentiful, could be seen
herds OF buffalo numbering many hun
dreds ell moving together, presenting 8
magnificent sight, if not an extremely
dangerous one. In those days the buf.
falo were to be feared more than the red
man. At last the white hunter made
havoc OF this noble gsme. Some bun-
ter would succeed in "setting . stand. y
and one man has been known to kill 125
in one day, and after pel,ing would leave
the csrcasses 10 rot upon the prsirie, thus
presenting wasteful distss!eful ard un-
wholesome SIGHT. All Tor profit and mol
pleasure, as such en- hunter would clear
not less than $500 for his days work.
The buffalo has passed away, and with
him sill hopes OF the red man. While
! the buffalo was to he found little did
they care for the comissary OF the white
Many has been the sack OF 6our issued
70 the Indisns who, upon receiving it.
woald take it to the river, unite the sack
and watch it as it foated away. Thus
has 1t heen force OF necessity that com
pelled them TO accept the provision made
for them. Yet this provision is quite in.
sufficient. OFTEN have We seen the Indian
after a hard days work, when paid in ra
tions (ss is generally the casc) would
barely he sufficient for one good meal,
and still others when psid in cash would
receive, as am told, the pitiful sum oi
SO per week.
Some seem to regard the Indian as a
perfectly ignorant being, and If any ore
reading this article thinks for one mo-
ment that the Indian is fool, be is sadly
mistaken. He knows very well when be
lis ill-treated and accepts the situation
through fear and not as a matter OF
choice. True, the Indian does not know
what dollar ought to buy, and be never
will as long as the present state Of affairs
are allowed to exist. Seems as though
every one around an agency con sidel
themselvs as privileged to obtain sill they
can without regard TO conscience or the
duty they owe to their fello ow-man. Sill
you. my dear reader, cannot blame us
much, for when you "count the cost
you perhaps would do the same if not
worse
At present all are busy planting pota
toes, garden, etc. Every team this Agen
cy can rake up is kept busy early and late
preparing ground for the planting. AS
this Agency has no farmer Gen. West ia
now performing the duty Of such II
bis Woods6eld friends could see him
with brow beaded with perspiration at.
ten ping to teach the Indian the ways oil
farming and gardening, they would moi
recognize him as the Gen. West they
once knew, but genuine farmer, fresh
from the plow.
This Agency, as the reader is already
aware, is divided into two distinct divis
ions, Poplar Creek and Wolf Point, to
say nothing Of the lesser camps, such as
Deer Tail, Box Elder, etc There is also
q marked difference between the Indians
OF Wolf Point and Poplar Creek. The
former, the Assinaboines, are mucn more
Industrious and thriving. The Zanktons
are the Poplar Creek Indians. Each
tribe has dislike for the other, which is
continually cropping out one way OF
other. As the school at Wolf Point is
but day school consequently many As
siuaboines are sent to boarding school
at Poplar, thus throwing the two races
together where o marked difference is
readily seen. We certainly think il
would result better for all concerned, II
each tribe could be taught separate, fol
in no place is this d ference more readily
seen than in the school. OBSERVER.
An Enterprlsilg, Reliable House,