Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-28
Daily Eas1e
JOCKO RESERVATION.
4 Charming Montana Garden Spot
Inhabited by the Flatheads.
The LoveIiest Sheet of Water in the whole
Northwest-A Plentiful Supply OF Fish,
Ducks and Geese-Indian GaN-
bling Habits.
rFt. Keogh IN. IT, Cor. N. Y. MALL

bling Habits.
rFt. Keogh on T) Cor. N Y. MALL
Far I'D il, the northwestern part Of Mon
tana is located the beautiful locke or Fiat
head Indian Reservation. visit to this
lovely garden spot would convince the
most skeptical that, in some ASPECTS, en-
tirely too much sympathy is wasted on
ssthe moor Indian" The Jocko Reservation
is In the very heart of the Kootenai coun-
try and consists of 1,433, 800 acres of soil,
ali of which is owned and controlled by 45O
Flatheads, $50 Kootenais and SEC Pend
d'Oreilles, giving total population of 1,S16
Indians Ducks, squaws and pappooses) and
an average allotment Of nearly l90 acres to
each person. On this reservation is the
loveliest sheet of water In the whole North
west-Flathead Lake. The land around
this lake is unoccupied, and from every acre
of it at least a ton Of fine hay could be cut.
The soil In places is as black as coal, and
there is no name for its richness. Game Is
plentiful, especially blaclztal deer, and sew
en-up. OF the deer it may be truly said
that they are as fat as butter.
Ducks, geese, white and black swan
fairly swarm over the surface, ana
in the waters beneath are many
the Flatheads secure by spearing. In win
ter time they have great sport at spearlng,
and in summer too, for that matter. The
most abundant species is peculiar kind OF
red fish, which, think, is found nowhere
else except in the waters Of F1athead Lake.
One day this fall they had a grand fishing
or rather spearing picnic, in which every
body, squaws and children included, turned
out to Law in a stock for future use. The
bucks operated out in deep water, while
the women and children speared by wad-
ing and from along shore. There were
about four hundred Indians camped at the
head of the lake, and all, or nearly all OF
them engaged in the sport. In the neigh
borhood of three thousand fish were
speared, most of which were taken in the
shoals and among the weeds and grasses
of the creeks. The Fiatheads preserve
these fish by drying them without salt.
They are first dressed, then cut in two
lengthwise. the backbone taken out, after
which they are dried separately. From the
variety of grasses growing near the lake
the Indians select a certain quality called
'sweet grass" from which they distill
delicious perfume. 1t has a long blade like
timothy, is striped with shades of green,
and when dried smells like sweet myrrh.
Boiling and treating in some mysterious
manner they get liquid which has rare
and fresh odor, much superior to our highly
civilized colognes and perfumes.
The red men of the Jocko Reservation are
perhaps further advanced in civilization
and civilized pursuit than any other tribe
or tribes in the Northwest As a rule, an
Indians first interest in civilization is man
ifested by love for whisky and an intense
fascination for the game Of poker. AS they
get deeper and deeper in all the tricks and
ways of the white man you can see them
driving shrewder bargains, trading horses
on their merits and always with an eye to
business and profit. Many of the Flatheads
are given to dudish ways. For instance,
they wear good clothes. own fast steppers,
possess the showiest kind Of blankets and
carry plenty Of silver Some of them own
one or more race-horses and do nothing
else for living except gamble with each
other on the result of race, but principally
with outsiders. They haven't got the base
ball fever yet, but there is no telling how
far advanced they will be by the time the
season opens next year. All Indians
after awhile become expert card play
ers, and the Flatheads are no ex-
ception to the rule. These latter gen.
try are not afraid to try their skill and
nerve with the sportive frontiersmen of
the Northwest, with whom they frequently
have long sieges of draw. Some of these
Youngsters who drew the right card
at the right time have fine large
herds of ponies to their credit in conse-
quence thereof. As jockey riders the Flat
heads and their relations have perhaps no
equals on earth. Raised as they are from
childhood almost on pony's back, so to
speak, it is no wonder they become superior
equestrians.
The above is one side Of the Indian ques-
ton. Now to the credit of the Flatheads,
Pend d'Oreilles and Kootenais, it should be
noted that in addition to the forenamed
vices or accomplishments, whichever they
may be called, that they are very indus
trlous people. Most Indians hive on forev-
er in perpetual idleness, but the Kootenai
tribes are certainly always busy at some
thing, whether it may be horse-racing,
gambling or manual labor Notwithstand-
ing the limited population of these tribes,
they certainly make better showing in
the way of agriculture and labor than any
other red race in Montana. A compari-
son with their powerful neighbors, the
Blackfeet, Bloods and Piegans will better
show this fact than any thing else. While
the Bloods and PieganS have been raiding
the Crows, stealing horses, running off
stock and committing thousand other
deviltries, the kootenai tribes have, been
handling the pillow, tilling the soil, and, if
the truth must be told, also playing cards.
The Flatheads have 400, 600 acres of tillable
soil; the Bloods and Piegans 100000 acres.
Last year the Flatheads raised $4,000 bush
els of wheat; the combined Piegen
nation none. The former had 6,490 acres
under cultivation; the latter 20. The
former broke S,000 acres of new soil; the
latter 70 The Kootenais on January had
Is. AGO acres under fence, added 5000 more
this year. raised zoo bushels Of corn, $4,000
bushels of oats, nearly 1900 bushels of po-
tatoes, loo bushels of turnips, $500 bush
els of onions, 400 bushels of beans, 5000
melons and 1900 pumpkins, while the
Bloods did simply nothing at all; and yet
who says the Flathead combination is not
civilized ones They unquestionably ap-
proach nearer TO it than any other Indians
on the continent.
PICTURE OF WASHINGTON
The Personal AppeSrance of Our FlrU1