Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-02

strange Indians, who may nave come from
the West, and may even claim to have been
in the immediate vicinity of the new Mes
siah. have recently joined the Sioux at
these agencies is indisputable They are
spoken OF as apostles OF the new religion
and il is by their advice that the Indians
have gathered into camps, given mp work
of all kinds and gone to eating, praying,
singing and dancIng-untilI the millennium
cones.
TENETS OF THE NEW FAITH.
The excitement began among the Sioux
at the great council of the Sioux Nation,
held about the middle of September, and is
the direct result of the e1hortations Of In
dian emissaries from Montana, where the
Messiah was said first to have been seen
last spring. The main article of the new
creed is the belief that the present surface
Of the North American continent will be
covered 30 feet deep by a new stratum OF
soil. which shall be inhabited by Indians
only ana be thick with game as were the
praires before the white man came. Beneath
this new stratum the white man and his
cities and his railroads and his steamboats,
and his civilization shall be buried IN the
twinkling Of an eye, and the New World
shall be as if il hao never known him, or at
least as If was 800 years ago.
But the Indians-and here is q strange
thing-shall not be overwhelmed in the
general ruin. They will be endowed with
a supernatural strength to wrestle with the
difficulties of the occasion, and will squirm
through the new soil until, after much
labor and many fears and lamentations, the
red man shall at last struggle out to the
new surface of the new earth where they
will find grass waist high and immense
herds Of buffalo, antelope and wild horses
ready at handl
There is something touching in this happy
restoration. To reach il the red mau must
pass through his purgatOry-ths new earth
stratum.
GENERAL INDIAN DISTURBANCES.
The outbreak OF the White River Utes,
who have LEFT the reservation in Utah and
gone into Colorado to kill stock, is believed
here 70 be a part OF general uprising pre-
liminary to the appearance in the flesh OF
the Indian Messiah. 1t is known that the
Nez Perces near Mullen, Idaho, to the num-
ber OF 400 have appeared in band at that
town and presented a formal demand that
the whites leave the country, ITO which
rhev have no title" These are the same
Nca Perces who took part in the massacre
oI 1871 They are dissatisfied with their
reservation at La Pivai and are said to
threaten again to overrun that vast stretch
OF Northern Idaho known as Camas Prairie.
The excitement among the Cheyennes,
X hiowas and Comanches is scarcely less.
Captain TrImbieton, OF the Seventh United
States Cavalry, commanGant at Fort Sill, is
known 20 have declared within few weeks
that in his opinion "the greatest Indian up
Using OF recent times is certain TO come
soon, as ''the Indians have got the idea
that the Great Medicine Man is coming 10
Elpe ont the whites and restore 10 them the
I,s 3 IT,,
bletOu is known as a man of experience and
discretion His declaration that the 5000
Indians abont Fort Sill have renounced
Christianity and enUered upon a series of in
carnations and fanatical orgies is certainly
worthy OF note.
ARE TIE SIOUX sTARvING2
The opinion in this part of Dakota is that
the Sioux have been so badly treated by the
Government lately that their disafection
uas much TO justify it. In June, 1889, the
Sioux signed treaty for the ceSSiun of a
uart OF their reservation to the Government.
They have not vet received cent of the
consideration due them for that cession.
General Crook was with the commission
that secured their signatures to the treaty;
General Crook had been their conqperer,
and aterward their benefactor and friend.
They knew him and believed in him, and
largely 10 his influence that the treaty was
ratified.
1t was General Crook who promised the
Sioux that the Government would pay them
IN full and promptly FOR their lands and
that their rights should be respected. The
sioux have been repeatedly deceived by
agents OF the United States Government
notably when the attempt, that so nearly re-
suited. in 1875, in war was made to remove
them by force to the Missouri river, but
they trusted Crook. Now that Crook is
dead the chiefs say that his Government
has failed absolutely to carry out his
promises.
ON SHORT ALLOWANCES.
The recent census at Rosebud Agency and
here was grossly inaccurate, my informant
declares. The number of Indians was
counted down instead of properly enumer-
sted, and as result their allowance of
Tations has been greatly limited. Owing
to the delay il the passage by Congress OF
the Indian appropriation bill not only the
Sioux, but the Indians of the entire country
have been and are suffering for food. Ii is
EOw October and the supplies due IN July
have lot vet been sent out 10 them.
As q result they listen all the more eagerly
10 the en- issaries who have come from that
part OF Montana where the Messiah is said
TO have been seen. The idea of an approach
ing millennium and the extinction of the
whites renders the reservation Indians all
the more willing TO eat their breeding sheep,
cattle and fowls and quit work of every
kind. The Sioux at these two great agencies
Pine Ridge and Rosebud-are receiving
scarcely anything ct all even under the re-
uucej census apportonment, instead OF the
9uIl rstions they are entitled to.
THEY SEE NO HOPE.
Ii is useless to attempt to reason with
starving Indians, especially when the mys-
Jerious apostles from Montana and Utah
have succeeded in convincing hundreds OF
the Sioux that when the Messiah appears
their struggle for their rights will at last be
crowned with success. Indeed a man Off
cislly acquainted with the Sioux for 25
years said 10 me Yesterday:
Broken treaties, delayed appropriations
and religious frenzy have combined to make
the Indians eel that the worst has come to
sne worst, and that even if no Messiah came
they might as we'll die fighting, with their
wives and children around them, as see
their dear ones plnched and starved by q
Government that owes them a living and
has abundant means 10 pay that debt were it
SO disposed. By the very failure TO deliver
them their supplies IN July, when they
were due, the Government has, as a last
stroke o. cruelty, deprived the Sioux of the
opportunity TO earn money by ireighting
these supplies. There was nothing to haul,
so they have been deprived not only OF their
Government food, but o. almost their only
opportunity TO make money enough to buy
food elsewhere. COILS BERLow.