The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1888-08-02
The Sioux Commission.

The Sioux Indian Commission Is now ready
Tor work-all being new at Standing Rock.
The commission has two clerks and an in
terpreter. They have two papers for the In
dians to sign, one ~favoring the r~elinguish-
ment OF their lands, and the other against it.
Each individual Indian will be called upon.
There is great excitement on the reservation
and among the five or six thousand now en-
camped o the agency there are none
who favor the treaty. Some, however, say
they are willing to listen to what the white
chiefs nave to say, and it is possible,
commission may be able to Change ' the sem sme
timent by explaining the details Of the meas
ures. The treaty takes from the Indians
about one-half the lends or IL, OOO. 600
acres, which will be sold to settlers for fifty
cents an acre. This fund.- which it is esti-
mated would soon be two or three millions
is to be placed at interest for the benefit of
the Indians. Besides this 81, 900, 900 is to be
expended for farm machinery, ETC., for the
Indians h are to take land in severalty
and live like white men. This feature is what
Indians dislike. Somesa they want to live like
white men, but the majority say they wont
q hunting ground and they have been driven
the most noted chiefs of the Sioux nation
are ready to confer with the commission,
among them Gall, Mad Bear, Big Head, Run
ming Antelope and John Grass. Sitting Bull
is out on q hunt, and as he has already ex-
pressed his opposition to the treaty it is
likely that his presence will not tend to
tighten the task of the commission. The In
dians have selected several orations t. talk
and will have their wi interpreter also.
They say they canno always
trust white men, and that all treaties hereto
fore made have been broken. It was expect
ed that the most opposition to the treaty
would come from the Rosebud and White
Earth agencies, and that ut Standing Rock
very little opposition would be encountered.
The action Of the Indians during the past few
days demonstrates the fact that tho commis-
sion have o hard task before them, and that
the securing Of the signatures ofthree-fourths,
of the Indians is doubtful.
There is q bitter fight in progress over the
KY, which bids fair to end in bloodshed.
County Judge Lewis believes that q great
deal OF whisky is being sold in town in spite
of the local prohibition law. Several grocery
men we're tried q few days ago on that
charge, but no proof was produced. Arrest
angerod the accused, and as Judge Lewis
rode out of town at evening he barely es-
capped being shot by John Farley, and then
Lewis Q d back into town and assembling
~opponents-of the traffic proceeded to search
the stores of John Blair, Howard and others.
suspected. They found liquor in several,
rolled the barrels into the streets and emptied
the contents on the ground. This was done
under q guard OF twenty men with Winclest-
ers. AfterWard the whisky men rallied and
the factions encountered In the street. "a,
hundred shots were fred. hut nobody was
killed. -.
Minneapolis detectives have corrhlled q
gang of thieves, arrested Ave men and recoy-
cred several thousand dollars worth Of stolen
property.