Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1891-04-09
AN OLD-TlMER TALKS
Col. Laird Reyivcs "reminiscences Of
Early Times Around About
Pierre.
The Oahe Mission Dog Feast in Which
Ben Ash Played Il Prominent
Part.
A Racy Story That Early Settlers Re-
member and Like to Hear Re-
pcated.

Col. S. NJ. Laird, of Pierre, is widely
known as one of Picrre's characters, says
the Sioux City journal. and he is one in
every way equal to Walter ScotL's school
master, who furnished such Il fund of in
formation and interesting "reminiscences
Col. Laird was one Of the early settlers
there. and is an old Ohio man, having
lived good many years in President Car
fields town. He is the present United
States commissioner and Il member OF the
state board of regents. 1t was he who
largely figured in Pierrc's successful cap
ital campaign in the BackIIills last fall.
His experience has been a wide one. In
conversation with Journal colrcspOn-
dent Col. Laird tells the following Incl
dent, which is particularly appropriate at
this time:
During the time Ordway was governor
of this territory there were practically
only two parties in the Countrywide Ord
way party and the Pcttgrcw party. The
two factions asked few questions about Il
mans politics, whether he was rcpGh-
lican or II democrat, outside of which side
he favored, and men Were selected for
candidates particularly for their running
qualtes-,hc man who could roll up the
most votes.
Il remember one election it was extra
close. | had charge of the Pcttigrcw
forces, and "" had made Il canvass of the
county, 50 that we knew just how many
men we had to man. The other side
had done the same, aud it was known
that Il few votes either way would decide
the result.
up at Oabe mission Rev Mr. Riggs,
who had been working as missionary
among the Indians for years, had gath
cred around him some twenty families OF
them, who had become quite civilized
had taken land in sevcralty, and were
therefore entitled to vote. Knowing this
our men decided that Rev. Mr.. Riggs
would make a good candidate for super
ntendent of schools, and besides he
would be on our side anyway. We found
out the Ordway crowd was getting ready
to give these Indians u dog feast. AS
soon as got word sent messenger tc
Rev. Mr.. Riggs post haste to tell him
what they were planning to do, and tha,
il he would see the indians were all right
we would give them dog feast any time
it would do the most good. AT this
Riggs held up his hands in holy horror
No. he said, you need not worry.
know these Indians TOO well and have
worked with them too long to be fooled ii
any such way as this. You just leave il
all to me, and can guarantee YOU it viii
be all right
$50 we left the matter with him.
might mention here that the Ordwa,
forces were in charge of Ben Ash
Hughes county's present democrati,
sheriff. 1t seems Ash understood the In
dian character a little better than Rigg:
did, although in a rather different way
Ash had spent his whole life among then
too, and besides is as sllrcwd as the mex
man you'll meet in a days journey. Ash'
mother was the first white woman in thi
country. They lived at Yankton. Asl
was in the government employ, and uset
to make trips as scout all through thi
country as far as Fort Laramie whel
there wasn't Il white man in it and no
even u trail. So he had good chance
which he improved well, to learn some
thing of Indian character. On election
day the Ordway men loaded up scvera
wagons with provisions and started then
up the other side of the river to abou
opposite the mission. Here they opcne,
up Il big pow-wow, to which all the In
dans in that country were invited.
was not long before Riggs Indians scented
the feast from afar, jumped into thei
canoes, and all but two or three of then
were among the affairs most active par
ticipants and best patrons. During TIL
day the viands gave out, and there was
great scrambiing TO get more of them /,
keep the Indians from leaving, and I,
further guard against this they took an,
hid Riggs Indians canoes, so that the,
could not get back to vote.
1.-The feast cost them between $500 ant
s40O, but they won the day. 1t was
shrewdly managed scheme, and resulte,
| in our defeat by from three to five vote
on every candidate except one or two
They knew the Indian nature better thai
Riggs did, who had been with them al
his life. =
"From that day to this l have rathe
lost confidence IN all plans looking to TIL
education and civiizing of the Indians
l have noticed that where any progress
has been made there has been some whit
blood in almost every case"
Col. Laird also related something of tn
experience of this Rev. Mr.. Riggs whicl
has been truly wonderful. White Swan
who is the chief justice-the highest ju
dietary officer of the Cheyenne nation,
saved Rev. Mr.. Riggs and his father