Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-09
Sitting Bull.

Spotted Horn Bli;-who accompanied the
party on their eastern trip She is own
cousin to Sitting Bull. and knows where
of she speaks. The chief had trance and
vision. Solemnly he assured his people
that within a few days they would be at
tackled by vast force of white soldiers. but
that the Sioux should triumph over them:
and when the Grows and Crook S command
appeared on the 18th, it was a partial re-
demption of bis promise.
Wary scouts saw Reno scolumn turning
back down the Rosebud after discovering
the trail. and nothing, they judged. would
come from that quarter. All around
Jrook S camp on Goose creek the
indications were that the Gray Fox" was
simply waiting for more soldiers before he
would again venture forth. Sitting Bull
had no Thought of It new attack for DAYS to
come, when, early ON the morning of the
10Th, TWO Cheyenne Indians who had
started eastward at dawn came dashlny
back to the bluffs, and waving their
blankets, signaled white soldiers-heaps
coming quick" Instantly all was up-
roar and confusion
Ot course women and children had to be
hurried away, and great herds of ponies
gathered IN, and the warriors assembled to
meet the coming foe. Even as the chiefs
were fastening 10 the council lodge there
came crash of rapid volleys from the
south. 1t was Reno's attack-an attack
from a new and utterly unexpected quarter
and this, with the news that Long Hair
was laundering down the ravine across
the stream, was too much for Sitting Bull.
Hurrledly gathering his household about
him. he dashed his pony to the TOP of his
speed, and fed westward for safety.
Miles he galloped before he dare stop for
breath. Behind him he could hear the
roar of battle. and on he would have sped
but for the sudden discovery that one of
his twin children was missing. Turning,
he was surprised to find the fire dying
away, soon ceasing altogether. In half
an hour more he managed to get back to
camp, where the missing child was found,
but the battle had been won without him.
Without him the Blackfeet and Uncapa-
pas had repealed Reno and penned him on
the bluffs. Without him the Ogalallas,
Brules, and Cheyennes had turned back
Custer S daring assault, then rushed forth
and completed the death gripping circle In
which he was held. Again had Crazy
Horse been foremost in the fray, riding in
and Draining the bewildeled soldiers with
his heavy war-club. Fully had his vision
been realized, but-Sitting Bull was not
there.
For a long time it was claimed for him
by certain sycophantic followers that from
the council lodge he directed the battle;
but it would not do. When the old sin
ner was finally starved out of her Majesty's
territory, and came in to accept the terms
accorded him, even his own people could
not keep straight faces when questioned as
to the cause of the odd names given those
twins heOne- that was-taken' and
'The-one-that-got- eft. Finally it all
leaked out, and now none so poor as to do
him reverence
Of course it was his role to assume all
the airs of conqueror. to be insolent and
defiant to the High Joint Commission
er, " sent the following winter to beg him
to come home and be good, but the claims
of TatOnka-e- Yotanka to the leadership in
the greatest victory his people ever won are
mere Vaporings, to be classed with the
boastings Of dozens of chiefs who were
scattered over the Northern reservations
during the next few years. Raiuin-the
Fac used to brag by the hour that he
killed Custer with his own hand but the
other Indians laughed at him. Gall. Of
the Uncapapas, Spotted Eagle, Kill
eagle, Lame Deer, Lone Wolf. and all the
varieties of Bears and Bulls were probably
leading spirits in the battle, but the man
who more than all others seems to have
won the admiration of his fellows for skill
and daring throughout that stirring cam
paign, and especially on that bloody day,
is he who so soon after met his death in
desperate effort to escape from Crooks
guards, the warrior Crazy Horse.
An editor of an Ohio exchange made a
visit to the model farm of that state, be-
ing that of T. B. Terry. whose reputation
as farmer has gone beyond the state
lines.
A fact that impressed the visitor more
than anything else was that Mr.. Terry's
daughters did outdoor and field work.
1t was of course not tie heavier work, bus
they conducted a strawberry plantation
that yielded them twenty to forty dollars
per day during the picking season In the
face of five cents quart berry market.
These ladies live IL a model home, have
finished education fact are graduates,
and instead Of going into professions,
clerking, telegra ph'ng, typewrlting. or
being slaves Of fashion, or sitting IN
bay window and holding and petting
nasty, sinking poodle, wishing for
husbands and signing about the inevitable,
chose to be producers.
This is certainly a lesson to the new
crops of graduates. We think it is little
realized what there is in the soil and the
returns it will give if the same energy and
thought are devoted to it there is to Black
stone, materia medica and the click of the
typewriter.
The extensive shipments Of fruits from
California and Chicago into the northwest
is plan showing Of thousands Of OppOr-
tunities open for Improvement in the new
ly settled portions of the northwest. Tru
ly it requires work-hard workout con-
pied with it is independence.
Years ago Mr.. J. G. Holland made
scathing criticism os::our public school sys-
tenn on the ground that it gives the young
false notions of the places they are to oc-
cupy in the worlds affairs as citizens.
They are graduated with Infinite yearn-
ing5' and the idea to ''be somebody"
The Young are bred to discomfort. Every
body is after nigh place and nearly every
body fails to get one, and failing losses
heart, temper and contentment. The de-
sire for distinction lin political life) is
sort of moral scrofula running through
the whole social body. Multitudes Of
lawyers are a disgrace to the profession
and curse to the country. They have
spoiled themselves for private life and they
spoil private life around them. As to the
medical profession, many enter 1t because
they have neither piety enough for preach
ing nor brains enough to practice law.
ESneciallv Is this lampntai,Ie wien we re-
member that it involves the spelling OF
thousands of good farmers and mechanics
TO make poor professional men.
IL Il L