Arizona silver belt., 1895-09-28
ABOUT THE BANN0CKS.
The Indians Who Have Been Giv-
 ing the Government Trouble.
4 wsrIiio Tribe That Is Disturbing Eie- mcpt Among the Ssvages of the Northwest--One Version of
 Their Grievances.

A wsrIiko Tribe That Is n Disturbing Eie-
 mont Among the ssvagcs of the
 Northwest--- One Version of
 Their Grievances.
 The Hammock Indians, who were re- ported to be on the war-path because of the settlers interfering with their killing of elk, occupy the Fort Hall res ervation in southeastern Idaho with the Shoshoues. The Shoshones, says the Philadelphia Telegraph, are more numerous than the Bannoclls, who in 1894 were T72, all told 1S2 being males over 1s years of age, while of 1,745 Shoshones there were 2s6 males above Is years of age. The Bannoclzs, or BannalSs, belong to the general family of Shoshunes or Snakes, which family also includes the various tribes of Utes, Comanches, Moquis, Chemchuenes, Ca huilla and the Kechi, Kizh and Netolo tribes of California. Their tradition is that they came originally from the far east, and their language, which is so different from that of the western Shoshones, resembles that of the Co.,
 
 first found them was about the head waters of the Brazos, the Colorado and eastward to those of the Arkansas and Missouri rivers.
 The main tribe of the Bannocks was first found near where they are now es- abolished, ct the Fort Hall agency, in Oneida county, in the southeastern part of Idaho, along the Snake river valley. They are taller and straighter than the mountain Indians round about them, and have the reputation of being more warlike. They are nearly all able to speak the language of the Sho- shones, but the latter do not speak the Bannock tongue. This is the same as that of the Flutes, and the latter say that the Bannocks split of from them. Before the Bannocks got horses they were very expert in the use of the bow and arrow, They are distinctly hunt ing tribe, and look upon work as an everlasting disgrace, except for squaws. They view themselves as the salt of the earth. They have earned reputation for bloodthirstiness, and are said some times to kill their aged parents when the latter begin to become burden,
 The only purpose for which the Ban nocl:s appear to be preserved is to vex and annoy the Shoshones, who take more kindly to labor, schools and the use of other clothing than blankets than do the BannocliS, who have ap- peared to be incura bly opposed to civ ilizatiou for themselves and other h. L thrown together for many years on the same reservation, and while the Sho- shoues have manifested willingness to accept the benefits of schools and in- struction in the use of implements of agriculture, the Bannocks have as- sumed superiority because of their 1 refusal to be civilized, and have taunted the ShOshones as "squaws" because they embrace the opportunities for i'm | proyement held out by the government The Shoshones are peaceful and indus trious. There were raised and sold for . the reservation during 1893 more than . SIS, 900 worth of agricultural products, of which it is safe to assume that the . Shoshones produced very considera- ble share. The reports of the Indian agent show that of all the Shoshones . and Bannocks on the reservation only 40 can speak enough English to be un- derstOod in ordinary conversation. The . degree of civilization to which these Indians have reached is indicated by 1 the statement that there was one mar riage during the year, and fifteen chiefs were living in polygamy.
 Gradually white men came into the prairie, and, finding it well adapted to the raising of hogs, turned thousands of these animals loose in it. The hogs ate up the roots which had supplied the Indians winter needs, and they com plained of this as a great injustice, This led to bad blood between them selves and the whites, and in 1878 a party of the Bannocks went on the war trail, killing several settlers and steal ing horses. They went along the trail which Chief Joseph and his band had followed the year before, driven to war by just such causes.
 Gen. Miles with 100 men and seven scouts went after them, and at day light on September 4, 1878, surprised them in Clark's Fork pass, on Clarlc's Fork of the Yellowstone, beyond the National park. Eleven of the Indians were killed in the battle which fol- lowed, and the rest, nearly 100 all told, including women and children, were captured. Capt. Andrew T. Bennett, of the Fifth infantry, was one of the killed among the soldiers This party ~F nav n CTS several months, their stock was taken from them, and then they were returned to their reservation. They have made no trouble since. The loss of their grounds for the supply of roots was not so serious to them as the loss of their hunting grounds.
 The game in the Yellowstone park has undoubtedly attracted them now, and it appears to Miles as if party of irresponsible settlers or cowboys had goue after a hunting party and cap tured it, Speaking of the reported killing of these Indians, Gen. Miles said that probably many an innocent settler would pay with his life for the acts of these men. Scalps and horses are the two things which the Bannock is taught to crave. The warrior who has taken these from his enemy will go when he dies to a land ruled by big chief who wears the feathers and robes of a full chief and rides fast horse. This big chief will lead them all in the chase, and buffalo and other game will be plentiful and easy to take. To pro vide horse for the chase the favorite horse of dead warrior is killed at his grave. Formerly . squaw was also killed at the grave and sent after him to wait on him. Although the Ban noclIs are comparatively few in num- Der Gen. Miles says that if they are much stirred up they may get recruits