Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-07-13

above the mouth Of the river. need net say
thai B.smarcS does not appear upon the Older
map, fo- the German chancellor had net then
entered upon his career of iron and blood.
His fame had not become continental, much
less world wide.
at is curious to follow these explorers Ia
b~oats-their sail and tow line route over and
sround sand bars, passing bluffs and Indian
villages, and places even then not altogether
unknown 70 the French ard Canadian traders.
Is Il not 4 romance 10 follow them far up into
The mouutains where no" white cltz sns are
preparing constitutions Tor statehood! These
adventure ar, detailed with a methodical
and pains,aktng particularly, which l can
compare to no other itinerary unless 1t ne
Xenopnon's Anabasis. Subsisting on hunt
ing, when not on the verge OF starvation,
fl snting the savage foe, when not smoking
the pipe OF peace-improvising canoes FOR
rivers and buying horses FOR portages--they
reach the great divide and pass safely TO the
sea, az the mouth OF the Columbia. The
con p consisted Of some forty persons.
They had many bales Of im~pedimenta, such
as clothing, working utensils, tint locks,
powder and ball, and Indian presents.
Among the latter were richly laced coats and
cooked hats for chiefs, higs, knives, toma-
hawks, beads, mirrors, handkerchiels, paints,
and such other articles as would please the
savage taste.
Their keel boat had one large sail and
TWENTY-FIVE oars. 1t was provided with a bull
wsrk for de.ense. They had also two peri
cques or open oar boats. !,
"Amid Fog. rain and storms, they found
themselves, about the last Of August, 1874,
among the Sioux, who received them with
great eclat. In fact these lpdians cariled
some Of the party In great honor upon an
illustrated buffalo robe, and presented them
with a fat dog fricassecd, OF which they par
took heartily, and found 1t well favored.
The wanpum was interchanged. There was
q frequent rivalry Of the bucks with bow and
arrow fer beads. They had dances TO the
grating music OF the tambourine, with peb-
b!es in it,"
AS an episode, he gave the following as by
no means an uncommon part OF pioneer ad-
venture:
INDIAN ORATORY.
There were orators among the Indians IN
that day who had the elCquence II not the
hreyity and moleety Of civilization. i have
listened said White Crane, TO what oar
fathers words we're Yesterday. / am a young
man and &c not wish to talk much. My
fathers have made me a chief. | had much
senee before, but now ] think have more
than ever This is an example for our re-
cent councils for his speech was brief. 1t
rnav s'r'k the reader Of tNls narrative that
the talk Of these Sioux Indicate great sCod
Will kOWhIu INC Nuilt NAL, ubd, SsPNNiaiNt
| toward the Great Father. To be sure this
good will was not and then interrupted by
an attem Il to Kill, or the larceny OF o horse
or hCtchef. These incidents, together with
/ sickness, lac. of fcol, detentions and
troubles, were udtoward; but, or the whole,
the expedition was we'll managed. 1t re-
vealed g!impees Of the riches, not as we now
know them but even on a superficial view II
revealed promises OF IA wonder land, OF which
oyap 7. Tarupp had h,r1ly 1rpama1
PIONEERS WITH SPIRITS.
"The Indians were in distress then, as they
have been ever since. They were anxious
that their squaws should be cared for, and
that something more than medals should be
bestowed. They wanted clothes and food
they wanted powder and ball and one OF
them, known as 'tbe Half Man. who said
that he was no warrior seemed anxious thai
Captain Clark should supply them with some
Of their Great Fathers milk, meaning whisky
"Wby not. Many OF our pioneer adven
lures smack OF a iollity hardly 'prohibitozy.
"As early as 1916 Governor Spsttswood, o.
Virginia, had a famous ride along with soEa'
fifty gentlemen, aud their retainers, ranger
and red men, to the Shenandoah valley.
was Their thought that the Alieghanies wer,
impossible; but The roll!cking party tool
their way westward and scaled the Blu
Ridge. They admired the land so much tina
lUtN " OlIl1 Adh "a Chc'A "hN'
golden horseshoes, set with Jewels, which ha'
been prepared in London for these enter
prisinv dudes OF the Old frontiers OF Virginia
out, the Chronicle says, that they got tn
men together, loaded their arms, drank tn
kings nealth 10 champagne and fired a vol
ley: then they drank the princes health Il
BergundT and fred a volley; then the,
drank the health o, The rest OF the royal fam
ily ia clarct and fred a voiley, and then tn
governors health In native whisky and Aret
q volley. How manv more volleys they fired
aud ow they were fred back into Virginia
Is not related. They inscribed upon thei
horsesNoes the legend Sic juvat srSnscen
dere monies, and fired a volley. Then tn
governor accented his iubilation By advisin!
the crown In o state paper that the pass wa
feasible, and 'that from ye western side q
one OF the small mountains w'ch ] saw, LaNi
Erie Is very visible, w'ch shows now easy
matter II IL TO gain possession OF these iakes!
whether tb. "a remarkable account IS du,
10 the mixture OF the liquors which darkenec
the vision of the smoke OF the vollcys whici
b~eiogged so as to magnify It, the muse o
history has not determined. IL may ha q
been the impurity OF the atmosphere anC
LIQUORS combined. Mrs. Custer has said tina
the air OF new territories always adds a cirheI
or two TO stories which one hears In tie
states.
As an offset 10 this narrative and 10 snow
llat tne lrOulDll ION question: is ny no D1tdn.
new IN this neighborhood-it is recorded tina
there Was one tribe called the 'Etca-as'-s iro,
abbreviated in name and numbers, who liyeC
near the mouth Of the CheyenLe, 10 whom
spirituous liquors were dis gusting. The
were offered whisky under the suppositIor
that II wss quite as agreeable to them "a z
the other Indians but they actually refused
1t with this sensible remark They were sur
prised that their Great Father should pre
sent them a liquor which would make then
fools, and that no man could he their frient
who tried TO lead them into such ~follies.'
He brought the narrative 10 the very
jamestown valley, IN which HGron-wher
he was sp nak.ng-is situated, and pointel
out the early hsunts OF the Indians for PIPE
CLAW In this valley, and thereupon he made 8
contrast Of the olden time with the later anC
present DEVELOPMENT Making a picture o
the various and diversified industries OF thu
new states and the Young people, their land
scapes, harvests and homes: the character O.
their industries and population, he began hi.
conclusion as follows:
"This te1utiful and fruitful valley OF the
James msy not be as redoleDt OF historic as
ISOLATION and traditions ss another James
river Of the colonial days; but deener thar
historical o. traditional incident are Dakota
pure springs under q magic more enchanting
than that of Aladdin, which leap from you
mo 1orn Arte sum.
1--WE can follow in fancy the thousands @
miles of railroad bearing our garnere'
wealth Of wheat, corn and flax 10 the sea
board; and see II like one great golde,
shpaf before which all the other sheafs OF on