The San Francisco call., 1895-08-02
CROSSING THE TETON

"The nearer the troops approach jack
sons Hole the more there is heard corrobo-
rating the stories told Of the hard charae
ter OF the men who precipitated the pres
ent trouble. A number of reputable citi-
zens and their families, who were passed
in the Teton Basin. said they had come
over the mountains beca use of the threats
made by some of the Jacksons Hole men
to go out and attack the Indians as soon as
the troops drew nearer, thereby putting
the lives of all white settlers in danger.
These people say the original trouble was
started by prospectors, hunters and parties
without visible means of support, and that
reputable people took no part in the affair.
Notwithstanding the threats made
against the life of Agent Teters and his
chief clerk, R. McBeth, they have
gone ahead of the troops in Jacksons Hole
to warn the settlers not to attack the In
dians and to obtain the names of all the
parties concerned in what Agent Teters in
sists on calling the massacre of the In
dians. 1t has been decided that when the
vicinity of Hobacks Canyon is reached,
Colonel Randall of the Eighth Infantry,
Agent Teters and Clerk McBeth, accom-
panied by Interpreter Lavatta, Captain
Jim, chief of the Shoshones, and friendly
Indians, will go on ahead of the troops to
have talk with the Indians. Captain
Jim will make heap big talk to the In
dians and tell them that the Government
will protect their rights, that Agent Teters
will make a personal appeal for them.
Captain Jim will ask all the Indians to
go back to their reservations without fight
ing. If they do not go he will assist the
soldiers in removing them, and will call
upon his tribe to assist
Great hopes are entertained that Captain
Jim may be able to influence the red men.
He is a wonderful orator, has an almost
magnificent presence and in fact is looked
upon as a second Red Jacket. Captain
Jim served with General Crook in the
Piute war, and bears the highest testi-
monials from him. He is also well known
to General Coppinger. When asked
whether the Indians now in the Jacksons
Hole country could fight all the soldiers on
the way, Captain Jim said:
lone Iniun man allie same three whitee
man, when Iniun man know country.
When Nez Perce war broke out, In jun man
had 700 warriors and whitee man had 1000.
Injun man scared whitee man ale time
four months, and kill $50 whitee man and
Iniun man lose only four men,"
When asked for his opinion of the out
come of the present trouble the willy old
chief replied:
"Injun Agent Teters he tellme no talkem
now. Pretty soon, maybe so, heap lot of
fight. Maybe so Injun man he heap killem
nigger soldiers man, maybe so all of 'em.
Injun man maybe so he go back home, me
think so. Maybe so he fight now; me
don't know. Whitee man he killem five
Injun man an one papoose. Injun man
heap mad now; bad heart. Me go see and
maybe bring him home to reserv alton. He
no come, maybe SO big Father bring more
soldier man."
Two days ago as a party of thirty Lemhi
Indians were entering Jacksons Hole
under the leadership of Chief Jim they
we're warned by settler named Curtis
to keep away from there. Chief Jim re-
piled that his Indians did not receive
rations enough to keep them from starv-
ing and that they would as soon be killed
by white men as to starve on the reserva-
ton. The Indians went on into the Hole
to hunt big game.
This statement from Chief Jim is sup
ported by Indian Agent Teters of the Fort
Hall Reservation, who says that his Ban
mock and Shoshone Indians must be given
more rations or allowed the privilege of
hunting in Wyoming, as the majority of
them cannot live on the present allowance
without hunting. Very few of these In