The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1889-08-01
ICON DR. Wrot5n.
visit o. the Great SIOUX oIonaniasi0n.

cured. / refer to the arrival of tn
Great Sioux Commission. Thii
, body was appointed BY Prssiden
Harrison for the purpose Of treat
Il ing with the Sioux Indians and en-
deavoring TO procure the relinquish
ment of a part of tho vast domain
now held BY them. Mr.. CLEVELAND
appointed d Commission last year
(. but after they had visited one or tws
Agencies they abandoned the at
tempt as hopeless. The presen
Commission is composed Of Ey
Governor Foster, of0hioy Genera
Crook, U. S. A., and General War
ner, of Missouri. These gentlemen
| have been here since Saturday, and
from what / have seen of them and
their methods OF work with our cop.
per colored kinsmen, feel satisfied
that the choice of the President was
a most excellent one
! The Commission arrived here
about noon Saturday. Twas up at
! school when the booming of the big
| gun at the garrison startled me with
| its thunder. My first idea was that
an outbresk had occurred and l
rushed for my horse, forgetting, if
| ever knew, that by virtue of Gen.
Crook being a Major General ;r'the
III. S. Army he was entitled to sa-
late of seventeen guns whenever he
visits military post.
The gentlemenimmediately went
to work, as a council was held in
the afternoon. The big Agency
warehouse was the place of meeting,
and it was packed with mass of hu-
mainly which would look very
strange to you. The warehouse is
very large one, used for storing
the annuity goods. AT one end
we're the Commissioners, stenogra-
pliers and the various agency Off
Gals, and sitting in front of them
were prominent men ofthe tribe.
Back of these the floor was packed
with Indians of all ages and sizes.
Some wore the dress of civilization,
but most Of them, being from the
remote parts of the Agency, were
not in the garb worn at fashionable
receptions in the East. Many were
painted, and with their faces daut-
ed with yellow, red and blue, their
Hong hair streaming down their
shoulders and their snaky eyes
darling EVIL chances at their pale
face visitors they were calculated to
make tender-foot feel just trife
uneasy. Scattered throughout the
crowd, alert and ready, were the
Agency police-Indians, it is true,
but ready to do the Agents bidding.
Governor Foster opened the pro-
ceedings with a speech explanatory
of the bill. He is good speaker
and has learned how to talk to In
dams. They are fond of metaphor,
using il a great deal in speaking,
land the Governor has fallen into
'ttheir style. OF course an lnterpre-
ter translates into Sioux, and from
Sioux into English all that is said
in the councils.
The Governor was followed by
General Warner, who is an excellent
talker. He would capture Sandy
audience by his style, and as a
tinker" he would discount Pres.
Taulbee.
At the conclusion Of Warmers
speech General Crook arose. He is
the most famous man on the Com
mission, and all were anxious to
hearhim His speech was extreme
| ly disappointing to the pale-faces,
but it was highly satisfactory to the
reds. He merely said that he
would direct that six beeves be
slaughtered and given to them, and
that the agent would distribute a
/ Let of -four, sugar and coffee, and
he, Crook, would be glad to see
them Monday morning. These elo-
quent remarks were received with
many grunts satisfaction, and the
Council broke up.
On Monday the Council was held
in a large canvass covered building
erected in front of the traders store.
1t was merely a repetition of Satur-
days proceedings, eliminating in a
demand for ten more beeves, which
were given them. Tuesday it rain
ed all day and nothing was done.
In fact the Indians were gormand-
izing and were not in council trim,
but let me tell you there was music
in the air Wednesday. The outlook
for the success OF the treaty has
been gloomy from the first, and all
the actions of the Indians were care
fully observed. | was on my way
to the Agency early Wednesday
morning when I saw a large body
of hostiles coming down Agency
Greek. They were on foot aud
marching quite regularly in pla-
toons. They were chanting, and
bringing UP the rear were about a
hundred squaws making the air
hideous with their ki-yi's and ha-
has. | reigned up and spoke TO
several as they passed but got no
salutation in return. / knew thsn
that the treatY's name vas Dennis,
as far as that days business was
concerned, and the result proved
that my belief was well founded.
The Council o. this Agency is com
posed of eight Or ten Of the ableat
men in. the tribe. Many Of chem
have been to Washington and know
considerable Of the power and ex.
tent ofthis nation, and are, in many
respects, intelligent men. White
Swan, or as he is called BY the In
dams, Maya Ska, is the eldest and