The San Francisco call., 1895-07-30
PICTURESQUE SEAT OF VAR.
The Bannocks and Their " Happy Hunt
ing Ground on Earth

The Bnnmocks and Their Happy Hunt
tng Ground on Earth"
POCATELLO, IDAHO, July 29.-The seat
of the present Indian trouble in North
western Wyoming is located in probably
the widest, most beautiful and most in
accessible spot in all the United States.
Jacksons Hole and the valley watered by
the tributaries of the Snake River lie inn
mediately south of the Yellowstone Ma
tional Park, and partake OF the same rug
ged grandeur that has made the park
world-famous.
The valley is hunters paradise if any
place ever justified the name. Within this
basin, extending from forty to fifty miles
south of the park and varing in width
from fifteen to twenty miles, it is estimated
by the old trappers that there are at least
90. 900 elk. Antelope abound, and it is said
to be the only remaining spot this side OF
the Canadian line where the moose can
still be found. Bears and mountain lions
are not rare in the mountain Businesses,
and game birds are too plentiful to attract
any attention from the hunter.
Is it any wonder then that this veritable
"happy hunting ground" on earth should
be constant source of attraction for the
Indians2 Every summer the red hunters
for hundreds OF miles on every side of this
locality have made trips there to hunt elk
and trade among themselves. OF late
years, however, the settlers have made
more and more decided objections to the
annual visits of the Indians, who are no
respectors of game laws, and slaughter the
Young and female elk without regard to
season. The Indians, under the treaty of
1868, claim the right to hunt on all unoc-
cupied Government lands without restric-
tions. The settlers insist that the State
game laws must be respected.
This year the settlers in the Jacksons
Hole country determined to break up the
practice of the Indians hunting in the vi
cinitv of their ranches. So when two
weeks ago an Indian hunting party was
discovered party OF deputy constables
surprised its camp at daylight one morn
ing and arrested ali the bucks and started
with them for Jacksons Hole to be tried
for violating the game laws. When the
camp was raided two ponies to which were
strapped pappooses were frightened away
and have never since been heard from.
While the sixteen Indian bucks were
being taken to court they made break
for liberty while going through some
heavy timber. The constables fired into
the party and killed from four to seven of
them-it will never be known Just how
many.
This act precipitated the present trouble.
The Indians cannot be made to believe
that the killing of their companions was
anything short of downright murder and
they are determined to avenge their
deaths. Their superstitious belief, too,
that the soul of an Indian grows lonesome
on it's long Journey to the "happy hunting
grounds" unless it is accompanied by the
soul of white man, will make them all
the more determined to at least provide
each dead warrior with white soul for a
travelling companion.
The Indians, and those directly con-
nected with the Indian agency, claim that
the settlers and the cowboys kill more elk
and violate more game laws than the
Indians; and worse than either class, all
agree, are the fashionable tourist hunters
who slaughter game indiscriminately only
to secure a fine pair of horns.
There are seventy-five heads of families
and possibly $50 white settlers in the Jack
sons Hole country. The men are well pre-
pared to withstand an attack from the In
dians, having 100 rifles among them and
1000 rounds of ammunition apiece. There
are at present $50 Indians located thirty.
five miles south of Jacksons Hole, and still
farther south are as many more, all of