Connecticut western news., 1890-03-19
STARVING INDIANS.
Hundreds Of Them Suffering from
 Want of Food.
With the Thermometer 40 Degrees Be- low Zero.

Rt. Rev. John Shanley, D. D., Bishop of North Dakota, tells a pit fui story of the prfvations and S. tferings of the Chippewa Indians occupying the reservation at the eX- treme northern part of his diocese. His ob- 1ect is 10 secure assistance for their relief. He described most Yivitlly the condition of these Indians as witnessed by himself during the recent cold weather, when the ther- mometer marked 40 degrees below zero. He charged the Government with having stolen the eleven million acreS of land this tribe possessed when Dakota Territory was divided between the sioux and Chippewa Indians.
 "Eltven million acres stolen boldly, and not one cent paid in return for it," said his grace, "and the owners sent to the northern border of the state, the coldest and bleakest spot i'll the country, where two townships were organized with 5000 acres of land. This is filled with bad timber forests and lakes, swamps and rocks. On these 5000 acres were put 1850 Indians, who are trying to make their living; these wards Of the United States living where 100 white men could scarcely raise enough to keep them alive.'
 His grace then described a personal visit to these townships, where, he said, he witnessed scenes th,t would have disgraced Siberia. .'I spent over week with these people with the thermometer registering 40 and sometimes A degrees below zero. The Indian houses are log huts, constructed by the Indians them selves, without flooring and with sheets and quilts covering the windows and doorways. The creyices between the .ogs are filled with mud, that cracks and falls out by the summer heat and is blown out by the northern win ter blasts, so that the occupants may as well be sleeping outside. In these huts it Is not in frequent to find six families living.
 ''While visiting these people l entered the house of an old Indian. There was no food fn the house that day, but there were tears and desperation. A poor old Indian woman had puny, sickly child in her arms. She wept for joy when she saw me. thinking God had sent relief to her children. She showed me her child. There was not pound of flesh on its bones. I am sure that child is dead. l am not easily moved, used as am to scenes of misery in large cities, but could not but cry on that occasion. In one corner of the room there was boy six years of age. Another was crying by the chimneyplaee try, ing to warm his shireriug form, while an old Indian was kneeling by the fireplace mutter- ing, probably vowing vengeance on the white race.
 sAt another hovela poor old man s5 years of age was lying on the frozen ground dying of consumption, no one near him but his poor ou wife, who knelt over him with rosary in her hands. Night was setting in-no light, no candle, no one to say kind word to the poor old couple.
 s.In another hovel I found the children, without clothing. gathered around the fire place, plucking out the charred sticks that they might roll in the warm ashes.
 '.The United States appropriates $50OO to these Indians, about S2.50 to each one. This amount is spent in flour and fat pork and dis tributed among them. The pork is sickening. I, myself, would not have believed the truth of the story had 1 not witnessed it. During the eighteen months previous to the first of January, 1890, out of 400 Indians 100 died. During the month of January p died. These deaths are almost invariably of starvation. The women are almost universally clad in one garment-a calico dress-to protect them."