The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1891-11-06
Life on the Indian Reservation.

The are interesting extracts
from letters received from Mrs. Geo. w.
Horton Fitch, of Keshana, Wis. daughter of
Mayor c. H. Richman.
Oct. 25th. Received a letter this week
from Mamie Grub, also from Lizzie
Mopnce telling what a nice time they had
at Woodstown, and how they enjoyed
gathering chestnuts. Friday we took a
sack and went into the forest to gather
pine cones, and, returning. wished they
were ahestDuts.
We started this morning for Oconto,
sixteen miles away, to see some sick ones.
we had a team of brown horses, belonging
to the Government. We looked stylish
behind such a fine team. We anticipated
an enjoyable journey, as it was such a
lovely Gay, SO warm | could not have my
Goa tuttoned. We had not gone more
thar two miles, however, before we struck
a log and broke one of toe springs of the
wagon, SO We had to turn back. | rode
however. out the DIR. had to walk. We
had our lunch and horse-feed with us, but,
contrary to our expectations, ate the lunch
at home. We then put the horses to another
wagon and drove over to Stockbridge, as
it was too late to go to Oconto. We took
our washing over and brought last weeks
washing home. Like Mrs. Charles, our
washerwoman, very much. She is an
Indian, but SO tidy and neat: so is her
home. | think we will have our ownteam
next week-wagon and harness all new
the government is to furnish them
and the feed for tie horses too. The DR..
will be the first one on this reservation
ever furnished a team. We are delighted
with the prospect for theywill be the best to
be had. Friday an Indian hut was burned
and the Indian was burned dreadfully.
DIR. went up and brought him down to the
hospital. The DR.. thinks he will recover.
The Government is building a new hospital
here, and it will be a splendid building
when finished. One Of the sisters from
the Catholic school here. came for me to
90 over and see it. We walked up along
the Wolf river where We came to an Indian
hut and went in. An old Indian woman, a
hundred years old, lives there all alone.
She has an acre and a half Of cleared
ground which she plants to corn and
gathers herself. She carries all her wood
from the forest, and she has lots of it.
She has made herself a wigwam, just as
they used to make, and she stores her
wood in it. She was so glad to see us,
she kissed us both. We could not help
laughing. 1t was a novel experience for
me to be kissed by an Indian a hundred
years old. She cannot speak English at all.
Three black bears were killed here last
week, and lots of quail and prairie chick
ems. DR.. bought a cord of tamarack wood
this week of an Indian for $3.50. 1t is a
splendid kind Of wood and how he enjoys
splitting it. The man brought it with two
big oxen. How funny they seem to me.
The squaw drive them also. | think |
would want a pair of lines on them. The
pine trees are grand-just like the one we
had in the yard on the farm, only three
times as large. There are no very large
oaks. Pine, cedar, tamarack, poplar and
beach are the different kinds of wood.
Oct. 2Sth, evening. My days work is
lone but DR.. is yet busy making out his
report and wishes me to write you to send
him an extra copy of the MONITOR, as be
sent the copy | received to his mother in
Washington, D. G. DR.. went over to
Stockbridge this morning and while he was
gone l made cream puffs, mince pies, and
c~rullers. They were splendid and pleased
the DIR. so much that be put a new S. bill
in my pocket book. When DR.. was COM
ing home he saw an Indian watching for a
bear. At night the bears cross over the
ridge to feed on acorns. He would have
the DIR. get out the wagon and see the
tTdCkS Ou tuc lOdd. llc luuldH CotiLiatcd
by the tracks that the bear would weigh
500 lbs. A few nights g a man was
coming oyer here about dusk and he saw a
bear and two cubs playing in the road. As
he had nothing to kill them with he had to
stop and wait until they went away. | am
positive l will yet kill one this winter, it
will please me if | do. You know how
could shoot the rifle on the farm and don't
you think l could kill one if | had the OPP
portunity? Tell grandpa Richman If he
will come out here we will go fishing and
we will be sure to each lots of fish. Pick
erel have been caught here that weighed
sixteen pounds. Such large fish will please
EXCISE me. don't think | could land one
of them. | had my hands full with a six
pound one.
The meteorological summary for the
past month shows that there were IA days
Of perfectly clear weather. 1t was the
warmest October since 1887, the maximum
temperature being Sc degrees and the low
est SO degrees. The prevailing winds are
from the northeast, and during the coast
storm blew with a velocity of forty miles
an hour. The rainfall was the smallest
for -four years. Frost was seen only four
times.