The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-06
STUCK ON THE CREES'
A Newspaper Reporter Who Thinks
They are Just the STUFF. =
BUT THAT IS IN ILLINOIS
Out This Way They are Regarded
az q Low. Greasy. Marauding
and MercIless Crew Who
Need Fixing.

Great Falls. May 5.-when the Cree
Indians were In Northern Montana
they were so disreputable. even in per-
sonal appearance. that an Eastern man
in the city meeting one Of the Cana
dian renegades had all his fond allu-
sions that the Indians were a noble and
abused race. dispelled. Fortunately
many OF them left the state. and are
now at Joliet. Ill. Whether the Indi-
ans have used soap-perish the
thought,-or whether Little Bear has
expressed gold-bug sentiments. which
accord with the sentiments OF Illinois
republicans. II is impossible to say;
but he has evidently won the admira-
tion Of the Joliet correspondent of the
Chicago Inter Ocean. who writes to
that paper: III.
without a home, A nation absolutely
homeless wanderers upon the face OF
the earth-not one of them with a rest
ing place they can call their own. A
race willing and anxious to work for
themselves. their wives and their chill
dren. but no one that could or would
give them employment.
"Encamped upon the fair grounds
that lie upon the crest of a hill north
of this city are 100 Cree Indians. There
are about 100 men and the rest women,
and children. These Indians are ma
tives OF the far Northwestern Terrific
ries OF the British possessions. They
Joined Riel in his rebellion against
Canada in 1885. and when Riel was de-
feated they fed across the border into
the United States. The border had
been closely guarded to prevent their
escape, and they were about a month
in getting across. The great chief of
the Crees was Big Bear. He died just
before they got across. His son, Wild
Boy, became his successor as the ruler
of The tribe, and has since taken the
name of Little Bear. The tribe settled.
II being there can be so called, in the
northern part of Montana They sub
sisted by hunting and fishing, and
when they could get work in harvest
ing they would take IL. They suffered
very great hardships, and frequently
literally starved. Both the whites and
the Indians OF Montana were greatly
prejudiced against them. Canada
would not take them back except as
prisoners, and the United States treat
ed them as aliens, and would not sup
port them. Their condition and dispo-
sition became a very serious question
to both the state government and to
humanitarians. They were made the
scapegoats of all the criminals In the
territory If there were any horses or
cattle stolen, the crime would be laid
to the Crees. II they attempted to set
tie upon a piece OF land and work IL,
about the time the first good crop
would be ready for the harvest some
white man would come along and take
up the land and drive them off with
the crops still in the ground. and the
Cree could get no redress. That they
were peaceable and Industrious. they
have dozens of letters from army off,
GERS and other authorities to show.
Among the most public spirited men
of Montana is Mr.. Lewis Beverage.
He has lived for AZ years in the far
West, being one of the earliest white
settlers in Montana. He has large
mining. cattle and stage interests.
Wealthy as he is, his heart is as large
as his wealth, and he has been a
friend to the unfortunate Crees. For
a long time he has drawn literally
from his private funds In their aid.
Accordingly he has organized an ex-
hibition called Beverages Wild West.
and has placed II in the hands of his
son. Charles L. Beverage.
The Crees at the fair grounds were
brought to Joliet after night several
days ago, and the citizens here were
entirely unaware of their existence or
character until to-day. 1t was ru-
mored that there were Indians out
there, but no attention was paid to It..
To-day a representative of the In
ter Ocean visited them. They are liv-
ing in their own tepees or tents ex-
actly as they do in Montana, excepting
that they are fed in one of the exhibit
ton buildings. They were all smiles
when seen, and through their interpre-
tiers declared they were the happiest
Indians in the world. The elder Mr..
Beveridge was there. and they all
seemed to fairly worship him. Besides
being fed, they have all been newly
clad in materials furnished by Mr..
Beverage, but made by them accord
ing to their own fantastic ideas. The
result was that when they assembled
In the enormous tent. where they will
give their performances. they present
ed a Kaleidoscope scene that would
put the hues of the rainbow to the
blush. Seating themselves in a circle.
with the two sexes entirely separated.
their five medicine men took their po-
sition in the center of the circle. and
their ceremonies began. The medi-
cine men chanted a weird. unmelodious
song telling Of war. and kept up a
fateful drumming upon a drum which
they all beat in unison. The Indians
individually arose and began to dance.
occasionally giving vent to wild
whoops-
There are a dozen chiefs in the tribe
here. They include Little Bear. Thun-
der Bear. Tolouse and Rain-in-the-
Face. Through the interpreter Little
Bear said that he wanted mercy from
the whites for his people; he wanted
land that they could work and live
upon. or they would starve. He want
ed to see the great father of the
whites and ask him to let the Crees
become his children also. He would
not ask the great father for anything
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