Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-08-21

Bull would not consent, but advised
as they had been 80 successful in the
fight and secured 80 much plunder,
that the proper thing to do was to 70
down into the river bottom and have
a big dance. His advice was finally
taken, and the Indians again mutilat.
ed the Custer dead by taking the heads
and other parts of their bodies. When
they reached the river bottom these
trophies OF battle were placed on poles
and q triumphant dance kept upuntil
the Indians actually wore themselves
out physically.
Only two or three OF the carbines
with which Custer's command was
armed have ever been found in the Unit
ed States, and there has always been
much speculation as to what the In
dians did with them. These arms were
breach.loading Springfield carbines of
the model OF 1871 or '72. The Indi.
ans secured about $50 OF these. 1t
has been the theory that they cached
them somewhere in the Bad Lands.
When the ghost trouble occurred last
fall it was believed that the Indians
who first started TOR the Bad Lands
had gone to get these carbines. But
the Indians who cleaned out Custer
and his command were better posted
than they were thought to be. Those
who were sent to bury the dead al
ter the battle OF the Little Big
Horn were at loss to know why the
field was 30 strewn with knife blades.
This is explained by Chief Gaul, who
says that alter firing the carbines n
few times the shell extractors would
not work, and the soldiers attempted
to force the shells with their knife
blades and in 80 doing broke the
blades from the handles. They then
threw the carbines away and used
their revolvers. This gave the In.
dians an opportunity to get very close
to Custer and his men; and this is
why, Chief Gaul says, they were en-
abled to exterminate the entire COM
mand.
The Indians discovering that these
carblnes were not effective for rapid
firing took them along with them when
they were pursued by the troops into
British Columbia, and traded them off
to the Canadian Indians and half
breeds. This accounts for these arms,
for it is known that number OF guns
OF this model were captured from the
halfbreeds during the Riel rebellion.
SITTING BULLS HOUSE.
A number OF efforts have been made
to get possession of Sitting Bulls
house, located on the Standing Rock
reservation, but none have as yet been
successful. The two wives of Sitting
Bull, who are now making their home
with his brother, about four miles
from the scene OF death, are holding
the house at 81 900; and if any one
should offer them that amount thev
would Immediately raise the price to
81, 500, or somegreater amount. This
is the Indian style OF doing business.
1t Is reported at the agency that the
department has issued such orders re.
specting the disposition of Sitting
Bulls property as to make it next to
impossible to get any Of it off the res
ervation, even though his heirs should
make d legitimate sale. The family
leoo eu ACO1 20 AN11AOCl VI Uolll6S duu
about SO head OF cattle, ,::and they put
in their time caring for this stock,
drawing rations from the agency as
before his death.
A NEW MEDICINE MAN.
1t is only short time since the In
dians at Standing Rock raised the cry
that they had found new medicine
man, who could perform wonders.
Agent Mclaughlin soon had him in
the guard house. Some of the best
Indians on the agency went to the
major and said that they had seen
this man perform his wonders, and de-
manded that he be released. The
agent refused. Then they agreed with
the agent that if the new medicine man
could not move the "standing rock"
without touching it, then they would
be satisfied to let him remain IN prison.
The agent consented and gave him q
Trial. After SIX hours OF terrible men
tai labor, during which time he made
much medicine, the rock failed to
move, and he was again placed behind
the bars and kept there until he ad-
mitted that he was notgood medicine.
STANDING ROCK.
Many persons. no doubt, have an
idea that the stone from which Stand
ing Rock derives it's name must be
some huge mass OF monumental ap-
pearance. 1t is not. The rock is
about the size of an ordinary wash.
ing tub. Around 1T the Sioux Indians
gather and make medicine. After
pacing the medicine in small bags at
the end of sticks, which latter are
forced in the earth, they sit about
waiting for the medicine to be charm
ed by the dead squaw whose body the
rock is supposed to represent. The
most generally accepted legendary tale
of this rock is to the effect that it Is
the body OF a squaw who, learning
that her brave was about to take g.
new wife, fled from the family tepee
and was last seen at this spot. The
Indians claim that her body was
turned to stone as retribution for
desert ng her husband, ana they have
ever since made it sacred by worship
ing it, on the theory that it must
have charms to heal the sick. 1t is
more likely that the squaw drowned
herself in the Missouri river, which
flows near by.
Col. Plummer and Deputy DISCARD
have made arrangements for the op-
ening OF the Minot land Office Oct. 1.
The intense heat of the past week at
Pembina is followed by cool weather,
which is favorable to the ripening
crops. The majority will not begin