Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-29
PIUTE INDIAN TALK.
Capt. Lee's Report Of His Investigates I'm
Northern California

EACHk ANDlAN HAkA-
Capt. Lees Report Of His Investigates I'm
Northern California
HI RIcoMMKSps THAT PORT BrpwEIL. CAL. Re
NOT ABANDONED As A MILITARY Posr-THE
PrUres AND THE MESSIAH oRAzK-rALks WITH
THE RED MKx.
The report Of Capt J. N. Lee, ninth
infantry, who recently investigated the
condition of the Rute Indians Of north
ern California, just made to the adjutant
general, is an interesting document
He Capt Lee) says he left Reno. New, No
vember 2s, on a marrow gauge road TO Ameda.
the terminus, seventy-fve miles north. and
thence he went by stage $50 miles TO Fort Bid
well, Cal. To judge from the talk he heard on the
way, the general impression seemed 20 be that
there was no uneasiness or concern whatever
on account Of Indians. At one point. Moul-
tons. he learned that some settlers felt uneasy
on account of the changed manner Of the In
dams. Again, at another point he was told that
the abandonment of Fort Bidwell would leave
the outlying settlement exposed 10 danger.
He arrived at the fort at noon on December
and found Lieut.. Phister. first infantry. in COM
mand Of a detachment Of ten men awaiting or
ders to complete the abandonment Of the post
WHY CHIEF ARCHIE WANTS THE SOLDIERS TO STAY.
That afternoon he had an interview with
Chief 'Archie" and ten Of his bucks, in which
the latter said: I'VE try to do right; what the
government wants. We like 10 live here
always and nowhere else. Tell governmen {
whites are everywhere: No place for us TO go,
but stay here. Had few ponies; all died
have enough to eat Get -four, get
some game, deer, antelope. rabbits and ducks
in the mountains and lakes. This has always
been our home. Our children born here. Old
ones die here. Here before white people came
Glad white people here. Glad soldiers here
because they give Indians something to eat
Sorry government sends soldiers away. Soldiers
here. then white man don't bother Indians.
Soldiers so away, may be some bad white man
bother Indians"
AN INDIAN RESURRECTION PRoPHEsIEp.
Then 10 Evans, Piute, remarked: About
year ago see medicine man at Mason's Val
ley. Walker river. He has two names, Kort-
tsow and Wo-Po-kah-ti He go to sleep
and tell Indians he go away of
where dead Indians are. See them-thcy
all live again and have long hair. They all
come back and live here. He say he destroy all
soldiers. Tell soldiers hurry up and come and
he will destroy all of them. Can take club and
destroy them. Soldiers will have no bones and
Will drop down. Will DESTROY all white people
with big snow or something like that. Whites
take away Indian food. He will make buffalo
come back plenty"
HOW IT LOOKS TO THE BLIND CHIEF ocHoHo.
The next day old Chief Ochoho was inter-
viewed. He said: l'Twenty years me chief =
long time-now me blind, no good for chief
any more. When 1 was boy white
man come. We think that good.
Now We same rs white man-all
friends. Some white man may say he cut my
head of-me blind. No like that. That's bad.
White people got ali the land. All right We
no bother them. i want 10 stay here all time
live i want nobody to come along TO kill me.
White men give Indians work-thst may get
grub. Me no care whether soldiers go way or
not Long time ago soldiers give Indians grub
and clothes, then they quit, and now dom
care if Washington for soldiers to go
away-soldiers go aw- maybe some bother
fonow-maybe not Maybe some white man get
drunk, go to Indian camp. make trouble.
trouble, Indian always go to
soldier chief, and he stop all trouble. Me all
same as Washington. II Washington want
white man TO go over this country, bring stock,
cattle and al that, me say all right All same
| as Washington"
GEORGE SAYS THE HUNGRY INDIANS HAVE TO
EAT SLOTS.
George. another Piute, said in private talk:
Indians feel all right to white people, afraid
to do anything against whites. White man kill
an Indian may be, Indians make no trouble
white men kill another Indian-stin Indians
submit, because they are afraid of white
men and will hide. White man
take Indian land and Indian do
nothing bad. Indians very poor and have
and kill all the game. Indians suffer, get hun
CRY, work for whites In winter Indians beg
for grub. Indians eat slop from kitchens.
Good deal soap in slops. but Indians eat slops
from boxes and barrels when they are hungry
IN REGARD To THE MESSIAH,
George raid. 1.-Two Indians from every tribe
about twelve tribes-come long way to hear
prophet. Some three, four and five months
journey. Some of these Indians talk by signs.
Sometimes four or five hundred Indians in
MasOn's valley near Walker Lake. They listen
to the dreamer or prophet. Some Indians
laugh and say prophet is crazy, but most In
dians listen to him and think he will make good
times for Indians.
HE say when Indians die they go way of
(pointing south instead of up. Nineteen or
twenty years ago some kind of prophet at
Walker Lake he die and his son take his place.
Indian prophet preach that way for long time.
he tell Indians to keep up dances and good
times will come and will all be showed under"
CAPT. DICKS POINTS ABOUT THE MESSIAH. ETC.
One Piute, 'Capt. Dick" by name, made an
interesting reference to the relation Of the two
races: ''Good many white men many times
bother Indian squaws. Bad talk. whisky give
EN-. Offer money to bother Indian squaw.
Indian bucks no like dat. Maybe SO me try to
get big white man, lawyer, policeman, to stop
| that"
Later, in a free-and-easy conversation, Capt.
Dick gave Capt Lee some valuable points
about the messiah doctrine. Long time.
twenty years ago." he said. Indian medicine
man ii Mason's valley at Walker Lake talk
came way, same as you hear now.
In one year, maybe, after he
begin talk he die. Three years ago another
medicine man begin same talk-heep talk all
time. Indians hear all about it everywhere.
Indians come from long way off TO hear him.
They come from the east, make signs. Two
years ago me go to Winnemucca and Pyramid
Lake, me see Indian Sam, a head man, and
johnson Sides. Sam, he tell me he just been
| to see Indian medicine man to hear him talk.
Sam say medicine man talk this way: AL In
dams must dance everywhere; keep on
dancing. Pretty soon, in next spring. Big
Man Great Spirit come. He bring back
all game of every kind. The game
be thick everywhere. All dead Indians come
back and live again. They all be strong, just
like young men-be young again. Old blind
Indian see again and get young and have fine
time. When Old Man (God) comes this way
then all the Indians 20 to mountains high up
away from whites. Whites can't hurt Indians
then. Then while Indians way up high