New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-15
POPULAR OBSERVATIONS.
Discomfort AMONG THE SIOUX.

CAUSE AND CURE STUDIED At SHoKT hAN"H'
TO tho Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: In The Tribune and other papers see oc-
casonal articles the rcslesness Of the Indians ana
their coming outbreak" l spent my summer non.
days this year among the Sioux. visiting nearly al
their camps and entering their tents tepces' WY "a
ana log and mud houses. talked with Their meaico
men. policemen, wives families and chefs Inv @
RED Shirt and the redoubtable Red Cloud az one rio
Ridge Agency in South Dakota had gooo oppo,-
t,r,t,s. Tor eenp the inside OF their family life. their
dwellings and their minds. for went on MS aa,'.
rounds with Colonel A. T. Lea. the agent ior 'akihs
the special Indian census. - -.
Colonel r.ca had lust finished the enumeration OF
the Rose Bud Indians He found their real NUMBERS W
he $500 and not $780, as was formerly supposeu
rrs o.,nt ,s tr,,e IN man, for he sees every ind
vta,.I and makes them wash of all paint ana as
,,,sea 90 that he and his stan may recognize nem II
fhey come before him again. Inc couhS az rno n'"s0
win not be completed until Christmas; but tne nun"
Der there will probably be about ',ooo. Inc rn'e
Rdce indians are well disposed to Colonel Lea ana
.,t h,r, n every possible way they filed with
feeling Of gratitude for favors to come for they
.rsct him IN And out that they have hitherto been
un0erosttmated, and, with that unfounded reasoning
Of the Indian mind they hope to receive tine surplus
r.tions now allotted 10 the Rose Bud hcscrVa"on
lam acquainted with the excellent management anu
sr, ~ The indian schools in Philadelphia. and have
,rrouentlv addressed the children there and seen
c,od deal Of their young minds and habits They arc
verv clever excellent singers, good with the pen anu
the noodle and mako faithful servants. This year
went West with the teachers and some niS'. w.
children returning to their reservations unaer '"s
wing Of Colonel Lea, and with those choreh W %
their homes very intimate erins VIII" 80
soux families and taking advantage OF the eAeeno"'
census interpreter. could converse freely ~I" A
Nearly all of the children and large number OF .,e
admits can speak understand English ""''' -
chiefs have been East and at Washington pa'eu'e
have
visit them. many have travelled with shows o
Eat and in Europe others have got an nkhg oi '"o
bc world and Of the white mans ways wme SCI ~,
as policemen carriers, or in 1ourneying De'"een Wv
reservations These, and such as these ior"i ''0
NJ Isbt and leading In their camps al hoh'e' i"o.
,,t t talk Of the Government and Its policy toward
themselves their ratons and their childrens educ*
t,on They often asked us for "a talk" on these sup
tscts and always found that they felt themselves
assrdeyed and dissatisfied at the Governments o"o
faith - 4,
The origin Of this dissatisfaction and restiessness
not solely or mainly due to the prophecies ana oau
t.,,ons Of ther medicine men, dreams Of vsonares
the hopes of coming Messiah, the restless murmur
of their chiefs and braves These are all ahRe oreu
and born Of their disappointment and chaerh AZ nav
Ing sold their blrthright in the land ior mess
pottage and then finding the pottage wlthheia iro'
their hungry maw They get STATIONS" ana "a lean
=, .r,onp thrce or four families for fortnight, but
What is that among so manyi They have enough 1000
to keep them alive but they could eat as much more
They arc big stalwart men and women many VI 'ne,'
Soma of the men have four wives ana as many ia"i
lies. When we were dining under the shadow Oh OUT
wagon they gathered round us In crowds men anu
boys waiting for the crumbs OF BREAD grVuhos "a
coffee and rinds Of lemons that we cast away.
These Sioux were recently persuaded to sign
treaty for the sale Of their lands That treaty Iounoeo
on the Dawes bill, was negotiated by Generai Crooh-
the Indians friend, they fondly called him-GoV-
~DA( War
three gentlemen promised the Indians that IL tiev
would sell their lands they should be fed and clothed
unt,, their farms might render them scsupporng that
their ratious should not be diminished ana that
nothing they then received or enjoyed should be takch
from them. Many of the Indians, from the rccohec-
ton of previous contracts could not believe IN the
white mans good faith and several OF the more hoE
headed Young braves were the point Of bunding on
the Commissioners cart to the station at Kush-
VILE and shipping them home TO Washington. But Te-
living on the past uniform uprghtncss OF uehefai
Crook the older wiser Sioux succeeded in persuaalhg
the tribe to accept and sign the treaty. And !e'
within month after the signature. at Pine Ridge thc
beef issue was reduced 100000 pounds for the year.
at Rose Bud 100000, whilst their annuities ana
other supplies likewise curtailed IL mas Oeeh
said that General Crook felt so sorey ABOUT tn's
breach Of faith that 1t probably fastened his death lot
he had always been scrupulous in keeping MS worn
in all dealings with the Indians, and 1t was their
confidence in his integrity that induced them to sign
away their lands.
Among people thus dikafected. propasanuisos %
ways find attentive listeners Mormon missionaries
medicine men, messianic manacs, agitators VISION
;stSss e the Sne tno 'ia for Of h Ss
between the different and distant 1hdsn
are constantly Kept BY the the ys sS 81 Of their
oommSn sSh sya N Tie no
this visiting than s snG . sSsS have
from their hunting grounds tney Men' ~, 1sdth,ess
Ns Srns y Saot Ss
What more naturali Wiser men nave chung " ''e'''
The way to treat Indians is not to sarve mem
mt or shoot them down but to give them wst tneH
aaU oed 0a 10 Be generous with the Indians Az their
e %aSs 70 n 60 to aS
sHd Where Speaking habit and pleasure
sS0S ase sney ss S
that e Il: vsssy
above that Of those who die in the East but SySny
the East pSsiss sTed m
their sa1s continue Ssv t to Be onS gone
the iSSrs ss sas up and blended
Il ,ss1S s customs
civilized @ for snt they v are fnsgs IN which
Son oe weeo fnss to Work
a. The trades they have learned at school, 1t would
az vastly Cheaper and profitable for the indians
"a cell as for the Government 10 nave nj uno'
ssoured BY the Indians supplied from within them
seyres instead OF shipping shoes. clothing stoves
o"gSs harness and all other gear from outside The
learn to Be ns st them aa pGasss their
ssiSng Cor the benefit OF their tribesmen TINS IS
The only way Of giving them some occupauon, anu no
r.ss,nr them above the stage and mental state OF
oflciAl Government paupers ur ,op,xcox
Professor of English Literature In kenyon Cohege'
Gambler Ohio. Nov. TO- looo.
WHO OWNS THE STREET CARS. ANYwAYl
70 tho Editor Of The Tribune
Sir. Would It, or would it not. be cheaper IN the
end In both ends, for whoever owns the broadway