Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-22
THE CALIFORNIA PIUrES.
Ar. Peter Peterson's Story Of the Con.
dition of White Ranchers.

INDIANS ARE GETTING ANGRY AND ARE LA
BILE TO BREAK OUT AT ANY TIME-rHKY HAVE
KEPT FAITH, But The GOVERNMENT HAS NOT.
In the midst of all the excitement about the
Sioux Indians Of Dakota and their threatening
religious craze about the Messiah" that is to
come and lead them on to victory over the
white men. public attention has very generally
been directed away from all other topics, bat
In the meantime quiet man has been working
hard in quiet manner before the War Depart
ment IN the cause Of q number Of people in the
west, pleading for the continuance OF the gov
ernments protection against the aborigines,
and telling tale of hardship among the Indians
that has opened the eyes of the authorities to a
condition OF affairs that they had no idea
existed. His name is Peter Peterson, and. rs
he expressed 1t to the Secretary of War at his
nrst interview. he Is a plain ''cowman" of the
west, rnnchman, who has como east to
represent the wishes OF the people of northern
California. western Nevada and southern
oregon IN regard to the proposed abandon
ment OF the military post at Fort Bidwell, Cal.
SIX HUNDRED pLUcKY pIUrEs.
It seems that there are in this country
about five or six hundred Indians, of the kind
known as Piutes, there being several bands
ranging over territory two or three hundred
miles long. Fort Bidwel which is the central
station OF the civilized men, Is fully 200 miles
rom the nearest railroad station and is the
last OF chain OF military posts that were
established In tho vicinity after the MOdoc war
and other troubles that were had with these
same indians and their immediate GeiGnbors.
Since 1868 the PiUtes have been comparatively
peaceful IN their attitude toward the white
men, keeping with faithful stric;ncss to the
treaty made with them by Gen. Crook to the
erect that II they remained IN peace with the
settlers they should be allowed 10 stay Oh their
own lands without mOiesi.tiUn and their
nomadic habits should not be disturbed. Sadly
enough the government has not kept its part
OF the bargain, as Is the in many another
controversy with the Indians, fer the rEncbers
have gradually been creeping in aud stalking
oil immense ranges of lana until there is prac-
tcaiiy no place left for the Indians to hraZe
their little ha!f-starved ponies except OH the
| snowy sides o! tho mountains, winch occur i'll
numbers III this rather bleak lava region.
THE INDIANS ARE IN BAD SHAPE.
MIR. Peterson says that the Indians are prob
ably in worse condition than any other tribe
in the country, and az he talks about them and
their hardships he grows eloquent and saws
that Ill his opinion ii is a shame that this
great and glorious country" should so neglect
the people who have been misused for over
twenty years at least. In a conversation with
a STA. reporter yesterday he told the situation
IN his plain. western style, that was very con-
vlncing and unconsciously appealing. He said:
these Indians have o bad reputation. They
were engaged in some of the worst messacres
that have ever been known, and
they have bad blood in them. The
fiutes had hand in the great massacre OF
Surprise valley and also that of Massacre val
ley. In Fandengo valley they came down on a
train OF emlgrants as they were dancing after
supper and but one escaped to tell the tale
have had many fight with them and have
helped to make many n good Indian if Ii Ia
haf aal Ind 10 he 10,
gooc Indian. They are now living i'll the Wild
est state OF civilization or lack OF civilization
that you can imagine and are slowly starving
The government has done absolutely nothing
FOR them and the land has been so taken up by
the white men that they have been driven fur
Their and further away into the mountains, so
| that they have gone backward instead of learn
Ing from their neighbors. l do not think that
there Is another tribe on the continent that re-
tains 80 many Of its original customs. Six
years ago their old chief died, and when his
last moments came he called around HIM all of
his advisers. much as the President would, and
gave them his parting Instructions.
STONED HIS sQUAw TO DEATH.
Ellis squaw was led out to a tree and tied and
then the braves danced around her and stoned
her to death just before the chief died 80 that.
she might precede him to the happy hunting
grounds and prepare his lodge and build the
fire and have everything ready for his comfort
when he came. This was in 1856 and the In
dams are now governed by three chiefs They
all Of the fullest Indian blood no half
breeds being ever seen in this tribe II a woman
of the tribe loses her virtue her head is cut off
and the result is that there are nothing but the
purest type OF Indians in the country. They
nave not come to live i'll the settlements at ali
but camp out in the ravines in their tents
and live principally on the game that
they can hunt. They raise very few
articles from the ground and then only
when positively obliged to- Some of the
bucks come in to the settlements occasionally
in the seasonnnd do little work in the fields or
help to herd the cattle, but they do not go far
away from their tribe. The women also do
washing in the towns once in . WHILE They
have absolutely no definite means of life, and
in the winter depend for food upon what they
can pick up around the settlement, begging or
stealing. Their main dependence in this time
IL to hunt around for the dead critters Mr.
Peterson referred to the cattle Of the western
plains by this term-'that they find in the
sloughs. where We have dragged them out after
they have died OF old age or Of some disease.
They Will come around to the rancho and ask
for permission to haul the critter out for food
and, OF course, they always get it.
THE WHITES LIVE IN CONSTANT TERROR.
"rhe folks out there have the best feeling
for these Indians, but they live in constant
terror lest they grow too desperate at the
neglect OF the government and go ont on the
war path. In 1856 there came near being
trouble. In some way or other the measles
was brought into the country by the white
men, and IL ragged there furiously for time.
carrying away scores OF Indians. The others
grew very much excited about this, and there
came near being an outbreak. They said that
measles was brought to them by tho white
men, and they made a good many threats
against the settlers Of revenge for the deaths
that had been caused by the epidemic. At
present they are growing more and more ag-
gresslve since the cavalry was taken away
from the fort, which occurred during the
| summer. and the people are afraid that unless
| something is done before long the winter will
make them desperate and there will be trouble
When the troops went away some of the braves
said openly: Soldier gone, now white man, he
60 too, heap damn quick They do not say
this for fun, but they are in earnest There is
now nothing but a small guard Of infantry at
the post, simply to protect the property from
thieves, and the Indians are getting very active
in their sepredations. They steal all the time
from the settlers and are getting open in their
threats.
SOLDIERS MUST STAY THERE.
II came on here to represent the settlers of
this big region in October, and at my request
an officer was sent from Gen. Gibbons staff in
San Francisco to investigate the condition of
affairs at the fort and on his report the DEPART
ment decided to do nothing at present but the
folks out our way did not think that the officer
did his work very well. They think that his
report was a partial one, and they sent me on
to tell the Secretary just how bad the situation
Is. shall stay until Congress convenes, and
then shall try to get something done there.
i he Secretary has agreed to send out another
investigation marty and hnal do lad 7