Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-01-19
THE PINE RIDGE iNDLixAGENor.
What Captain G. Le Roy Brown Late of
Newark, is Accomplishing Among the
Dakota Indians.


United States infantry, recently stationed
1t Delaware College. the following inter
csting excerpts Indicate what is being ac
rumplished under military rule at the far
distant Indian agency of Fine Ridge, South
Dakota, to which point Captain Brown
was transferred by the war department
some time ago.
After referring to the many difficulties
that at first appeared in his path, he goes
on to say
Work, with the Indians in my knowl-
edge and experience, has been spasmndiC,
and i'll the main results have not been
commensurate with the expectations OF
the friends and well-wishprS Of the race.
six thousand and more Indians belong to
| thus reservation, and under proper condi-
| tons ana with proper management there
! appears TO he no reason why they should
/ not within q reasonable length Of time be
! come selfslppor'ng and sclf,rcSpcCtng
citizens OF the United states. Whether
( they Will become such, or drift away to
| the Happy Hunting Grounds in d more
\ on loss inm0rali2ei siapr, Us has been the
| ease Win su many other tribes IN other
| parts OF the country SINE only cnn tell.
! found The Indians IN terribly shat
| tered state when ltu0k charge q iittie oyer
! year ago, They could NOT settle down
/ apparently to the idea that tna uld way Of
| peace WAS TO return y certain element OF
! rrDrga5tes and malcoHtehls that have
\ Hooked here from other agencies during
! the trouble" made themselves busy Iii
| the Cninps OF the more progressive Indians
With them, the advent Of the Messiah
and the expectation Of u return OF every
thing to the old Indian WAYS are true,
1 lhey still cling to their ideas in regard to
ghost dances and the ghost shirt, uufor
tunately, the minority did not 50 believe
| and fortunately again, many Of the most
enthusiastic OF the ghost dancers have
known me years ago, when | had charge
| Of them on the Missouri river.
was personally acquainted With many
| of them; hat eaten at their houses, had
campcl with them; had worked with
them; had taught them t. build houses
! aud Chimneys and induced them to care
for their cattle, to make hay ani huLta
barns and encouraged thca in many WAYS
! to better their condition, OF uUIirSe ON
seeing me- it carried them back to OLD
times and they naturally talked about It tu
others. This turned the current of Thought
IN the right direction, that i5 the direction
9f housrBuilding, Ctring for their stUcE,
Nc
cast about me at once for something to
draw away tie attention of inG people
from their recent troubles, and WIS able
to do So by AT once starting them TO con-
strUct log building. all over the reservation
TO be used as school uultses, and a. fast as
! could obtain teachers and start such
schools going. also started several
blacksmith shops, isslte.statiUns whore
rutlOus could be issued on the outside dis
triGts instead of 40 the agency as formerly.
This last move was bitterly opposed by
all the old chiefs, us it prevented them
from getting all the people together. as
they had been accustomed 10 do in the
past, and holding grand ''puw-wOw'
every week or So. had the beef corrals
established At different points where beef
cattle could be slaughtered aud issued di
rect To them. This the old chiefs opposed
for tile same reason.
The construction of these buildings and
the adoption Of these new methods of
issue drew away the attention of the
people from their troubles, as | had eS-
pcCtcd.
also obtained authority to purchase
from them such beef cattle as they might
have III for murket, and, fortunately, they
were able 10 supply in the course Of the
last seven months some 100000 pounds
, This, III spite OF the demOrallzed condition
Of their homes and surroundings was Of
great value to them, and stimulated them
immensely in the building If houses and
| | furnishing of same, rs well as in the de-
sire to look up and take care of their
cattle.
also was enabled to issue dnring the
, early part of the summer, ., Ilu head 81
, cows with calves by their side, With these
i cows ana calves were issued only to such
|
!, them, and provide Corras and hay. lhcir
, cattle were not issued until such corral.
and hay had been provided
= ms, of course, stimulated work in that
j direction, and after the cattle had beer
a turned over, it necrssitatcd some member,
]. OF the families looking constantly after TIT
! herds, they being required to keep thu
calves up ut home.
- From the START | made it q rule to he ou
. on the reservation at least three days on
| OF each week, gong from camp to camp
h from houses 70 tcprcs and from door /,
4 door lypu might say where there wcrt
"a DOORS talking to these people ubJu
I, schools, about cattle aud about farming
" encouraged the forming nj deDutin4
societies at several points where the Indian
would meet once . week to discuss Ger
tam subjects OF Importance to them, Ih
It questions debated were simple ones. \
to when was the most desire be as Il resi-
ic uence, Il ''tCpee or "a house; winch was %
r. the most service to man, II buffalo or
ii: domestic COW. |, myself, managed 10 b.
4 present at different times at these debates
ii was also much benefited In the earl
part of my administration By the com
IA pauiunship. advice and hrtp II tile Rev
~ ! Charles COOK, All educated, Christian In
IS. dian, level headed and bright minded,
e, IN my first trips found that the gret
ii. majority Of people all overtime reaurvutiu
IT were LIVING IN tepcc5; that most vi IA
houses ana nearly All oil the barns hT
been burnt up during the troubles q
since the trouble. Here and there iuuu
: some al tile mixed boUds, white men Ill
RI more progressive tuaia,Is had reformed I
". th"r old homes ami had rebuilt q
Ih nearly every trip ont on the reSyryaip
s!I9G thai time have found neW Auus,
lie Or ncW ClI ms taken uIr On the HUal
H. the last trip TOOK ont Oh the Te.cryutjU
| cOuHlCd Is new hpi,scs that hna Dru
ri bUtI within the past month. That w.i- j
N one locality down On White river Il hpl
the lnl.cUntruts have heretofore bee
lie located IN trpres. About ~ gUNerumcl
bltunEs I'll tnd hayr been erected
irI different points on the reservation lNril
Tug past year, and probably something
nv the nelGhbprH0vd oI lubI buiidia4s
M different kinds have been put ~ /
m lHutIil-, a great many little farms nu,
been Enclosed, and during thr IHst suII
Nh meg great majority OF the lunulirs h3
III more or less land uit4er cultivation. til
III ~ilh the exception 81 a few Of the mo
~ pfuunuttCcd Of the rrnc4aGes injected hu
from other agencies At the close oil the /
49, cent ~UHE trUuhic.
Nearly all the day schools have hit
gardens attached To tlIGa, tiIlt haze Tee
nd lniV.,c during The past year Nearly
ria haNe their stables aid other DuliGlaga,
az number lave started small UrrAlf.is.
nv have myself, sHPyrutuudvd tie p.antji
M. ct several thuUsJud fruit aud forest ire,
wi these material improvements cDDfHl
lun nothing ~ comparison with the muHic
Improvement lt the temper and dspU
tpn Of tie people themselves.
Now, wherever ! 70, | am met With
on sinllc and q joke, where formerly q troy
the ana s'lllen sileucr WHs luy greeting.
un The schools AUye been iillGd 10 uyt
DIES lowing II most instances and the Ir0l
indicate gratifying desire