Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-15
GENERAL CROOK ON THE SIOUX.
sitting Buli's Importance Exaggerated
Hints That the lndians Were Bribed.

sitting Buli.s Importance Exaggerated.
Hints That the lndisns Were Bribed.
Major General George Crook arrived in
Oakland, Nd, on Wednesday, and Joined
Mrs. Crook at the Glades hotel. When
correspondent called on the general In the
afternoon he seemed 70 bc In fine spirits
and much relieved that the knotty problem
with the Sioux Indians had been Mt least
temporarily settled.
|" And 80 Sitting Bull would not sign the
treaty7' said the correspondents after being
pleasantly greeted by the genial general.
No." said General Crook, seating him
sell comfortably In rocker, he is too
wrapped up with his own importance. II
is wonder TO me how 70 great fraud as
Sitting Bull could be made such hero Of.
Why" said the general, laughing, "a white
woman from the East actually went out TO
the reservation and proposed marriage u
him, which he discreetly declined, as he
already had serveral squaws, who would
probably have made II uncomfortable for
her. She Is not the only one, however,
who has given the fellow cause for his con-
ceit, for many orders come for his photo
graph"
Was he not really very brave in the
great Custer fightY"
"why, no." said General Crook. "He
showed the white feather and ran away,
and afterward got all the glory among
white men East, probably through some
preiudiced parties. With the Indians SIT
ting Bull has no reputation rs brave. BY
them he is considered only medicine
man.
General Crook said he had done great
deal of travelling since the 9TH OF May, when
he started for the Sioux reservation. Ho
says the reservation is as large as tho state
of Indiana, and Ia occupied by not more
than 5000 Indians. The tract Is entirely
too large for any practical purpose. They
cannot cultivate II. Much of II lies in the
land of the Dakotas--a particularly rich
section. There are seven agencies which
ownthe reservation in common.
What the government wanted was that
each should take a reduced reservation and
own it independently, and then sell the
land lying between the several reduced
reservations 10 the government at mod
crate price, The Indians objected ON the
ground that II they sold part, with the little
left them, the whites would after awhile
want even the small remnant left the In
dams. They said when they had plenty
of land they sold it to the pale faces cheap,
and now they want to keep what they have,
which Is not much. They complain that
the white man did not keep his old treaties
with them, and hence they are slow TO
make new ones.
General Crook said the Indians had evi-
IDENTIFY been bribed not to sell-by whom
he had no possible means OF knowing, hut
thought 1t probable case that the cattle
men or railroad officials might have hand
in it, The general said that the seven
agencies were situated near the extreme
boundaries of the reservation, and to GO
from one TO the other they had to travel
back to the railroad each time and start
over again, thus covering large tract OF
| country. General Cook said II was as good
| as circus when they made their business
| known at each agency, but on several
| occasions'it threatened to he rather more
| serious than funny.