Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-27

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RECRUITING OFFICE ESTABLISHED
On the 18th day Of May last First Lieut. John
Kinzie OF the eighth United States infantry ar.
rived at Pine Ridge agency and with malice
aforethought established thereat an infantry
recruiting rendezvous. Accompanying Lieut.
kinzie were three non-commissioned officers
one musician and one plain. unadorned pri
vate- The rendezvous was established in q
bunch OF three conical Sibley tents located
just across the road from the agency officers
and within easy reach of those Indians who
failed to secure what they wanted from Capt.
Penney, the agent. and who had to look else.
where for the desire of their respective hearts
or stomachs.
Vigorous efforts were at once made to i'm
press the aboriginal mind with the idea that
nothing could be more desirable than intimate
and oath-bound relations with the infantry
arm OF the service. Now to the Indian there
was nothing the matter with the infantry
'srm'; the difficulty arose because Of the in
fantry leg" In other words, the Indian does
not care to walk, and he will. for as long a
period as possible, discourage any and all
efforts in the direction Of populariz-
ing pedestrianism; 1t is perfectly natu-
a soldier, but his finer feelings rebel when he
sees before him-so far as the United States army
is concerned-only an enlistment service Of five
years. with all the rights, privileges, immuni-
ties and recompense OF private soldier in the
rear rank Of an infantry company. When an
Indian desires to proceed anywhere he catches
and mounts pony. 1t may be that his imme-
diate objective point is less than half a mile
away, while at the same time it will take ten
minutes Of running and yelling to catch the
animal, but this is not considered by the In
dian. That horse or some other one has to be
caught and the warrior then proceeds in a
manner betting his condition az one Of the
lords Of creation.
INDIANS DON'T LIKE TO BE "wALK SOLDIERS"
This love for horsehesh was one of the great
stumbling blocks that stood in Lieut.. Kinzie 6
way but it was only one. Jocularly- disposed
individuals (who were not out on recruiting
service) dropped mysterious hints as to the
walk soldiers" even going SO far as to init
mate that the infantry. when on march. car
RED all Its snpplies-including Sibley tents and
stoves. Such humorous falsehoods as these
we're promptly nailed. although they did no
real damage. The Indian soon came to see the
Joke, but he did not enlist. In vain was it ex-
planned to him by Lieut.. Kiuze, through
the medium of Interpreter Wells, that the in
fantry really walked but little in campaign;
that most OF Its movements were carried out
with the assistance of railroads; in vain was it
truthfully stated that the infantry service is
easier than the cavalry; in vain was the expendl-
ture OF private funds for recruit tching-to-
bacco, cigarettes and hard bread. All was in
vain.
ALL RIGHr FOR CAVALRY.
More potent than all other opposition COM
bined was the fact that troop o. cavalry had
been enlisted at Rosebud agency. The friendly
Ogalallas, whose homes are on Pine Ridge
could not understand the discrimination which
made cavalrymen of BruIes, who were hostile
last winter, and infantrymen of those who
stood by the government Several other peo-
Indiana hv
but they never found out. 1t is possible to
raise troop of cavalry at Pine Ridge
at any time and in two or threee hours, but the
infantry idea at that place is entirely lacking in
feasibility. Several Of the chiefs and head men
have done and are doing all in their power to
aid the recruiting officer, but they have not yet
succeeded III overcoming the generally adverse
sentiment prevalent among the young men. Red
Cloud and one or two other of the more promi-
nentleadersare opposed to recruiting of any kind
because the taking away from the reservation
OF 80 many young men must necessarily lessen
somebody influence in tribal affairs. These
antique cumDerers OF the ground could not
prevent cavalry enlistment, but they can, as
sisted by circumstances already referred to,
trip up any infantry rendezvous. No one un-
less conversant with the circumstances can be-
GIN to estimate the amount Of patience ex-
pended by Lieut. Kinzie.
Capt. Bailey, who is here with his company
ID OF the eighth infantry-and who il in COM
mand OF the camp, has also labored hard to
turn q section Of the red man from the error of
his ways, but so far without apparent result.
Capt Day Of the ninth cavalry has had SINH
lar experience. He has been trying to help
Lieut. kinzie
IL you want an Indian to do anything you
must feed him. That does not necessarily
mean that the Indian at Pine Ridge is not
being fed (his rations are now ample),
but 1t does mean that there must necessarily
be what are locally denominated ''feasts,' at
which beef, hard bread, coffee and sugar are
the main features. The War Department says
1t wants infantrymen from the Sioux, but it
does not authorize the expenditure Of nickel
for the only means that can bring about the
snlistments it apparently desires.