New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-13
THE CHEYENNE INDIANS.
MIR. GRINNELI. DEFENDS THEIR REPU-
TATION.
A TRIBE OF 200 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE THREAT
ENED WITH THE LOSS OF THEIR REsERvA-

I ENED WITH THE LOSS OF THEIR hhornNH
TIoN-ENERGETIc AND PROGRESSIVE
To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: good many people-and less number or
| newspa pers-west OF the Missouri River are just
now doing some rather tall lying about some
amiable friends of mine and these have no one
to say a word in their defence. should like to
enter a modest protest against this misrepresenta-
| ton.
The Northern Cheyennes, who occupy a small
reservation between the Tongue and Rosebud
rivers. In Montana. number about 800 individuals
Their agent is Captain c. w. II. Stouch, OF the
Sd United States Infantry. officer who has not
only an excellent army record. having ser'en
through the and ever since. but mas also
proved himself successful in the arts OF peace.
having for years managed with distinguished
success the Sisseton Sioux agency on the missouri
River and for nearly two years more the
Northern Cheyennes at Tongue River
For some months past some OF the western
newspapers have been full of sensational nonsense
about the Northern Cheyennes. who are there re-
ported TO be at odds with their agent. TO have re-
fused TO obey him. and to have slapped him In the
face 1t is said that he has control over them.
that they have been killing hundreds Of cattle ana
that they making ready to go on the war
path.
Nothing could be more absurd than these state
ments and can imagine the amused twinkle ina.
must have crept into Captain Stouch's eye when
that grizzled and war-worn veteran read that Some
OF his Indians had slapped him In the race Inc
one grain Of truth all this mass of char Is that
some few cattle have been killed on the reserVa-
ton.
II is readily TO be understood that If You take
thousand people. matter what their color or
their place Of abode. you will not ma tiat they
are all of them saints Among them there VIII De
some who are selfish unruly and careless OF the
rights OF others Some of the young men among
the Northern Cheyennes have killed few cattle.
though only two three instances are known
where this has been done These cattle belonged to
cattlemen inhabiting the adjacent country ana
were ranging on the Indian reservation and eat
ing the Indians grass. 1t is. perhaps. not very
surprising that some of these Indians failed TO re-
sist the temptation thus offered them.
AS a matter OF fact all through the summer
these Indians have been thinking of anything
rather than of going on the war-path They have
been working hard they could, trying to
gather the hay crop which at best is not large on
their reservation and which this year Is much less
in amount than usual owing TO the dTouth and the
very severe heat which caused the grass to dry up
before It had time to mature.
ANXIOUS TO WORK.
During the last five or six years have spent
siderable time with these Indians. and have
them work. and know how extremely anxious they
are do anything which may enable them TO earn
little money. For month last summer was on the
reservation. travelling about among the camps all the
time. and then greatly impressed by their In
dustry and their extreme desire for work. Not day
passed while the agency but that Captain
Stouch had half dozen applications for work. and
constantly coming into the office and ask
ing permission to over TO the Crow agency. where
it was reported that work could be had the rrigat
ing bitches that there being dug for the Crows.
have never been among Indians who seemed TO
greater confidence in. and affection for. agent
than these people have for Captain Stouch They be-
lieve in him thoroughly good example OF this was
some weeks ago-it was about the Fourth OF
Juy-when a party OF Crows came over to visit the
Cheyennes. The cheyenne had had four steers
given them for feast the Fourth. and these had
been killed and the meat dried. and when the Crows
arrived the Cheyennes made preparations give them
a feast. OF course with the feast social dance
expected. and messengers the camps
Captain Stouch allows these social dances, provided
there : no disorder, and the meetings break up at
10 O'Clock p. AS IL happened. this dance
ranged for july G, which Sunday. and the agent
very much astonshed on that quiet Sabbath
evening hear the drums beating IN toward the
dance house. Learning from an Interpreter what
in progress he the Captain Of the Indian
Police to tell the Indians tina. they could dance
Sunday. and go back to their camps They
obeyed at once without murmur. and in So cheerful
Z manner surprise even Captain Stouch The
following day, Monday. they We're allowed have
good dance This speaks volumes for the influence
welded these Indians b. their agent. It may
be doubted If Intelligent white peop.e having no
knowledge Of the significance Of Sunday would have
ODtNtu 50 promptly. captain StOucH ndd no troops
obeyed but his simple command was enough for
ENvIoUs CATTLE-MEN
The secret Of the false reports freely circulated
by some of the Western papers notably by those
the Yellowstone River. this agency is that the
cattlemen Of the adjoining country wish to have the
Indians moved away to other spot. Their reser-
walton IS excellent cattle range the grass is rich
and sweet hills ana gulies afford admirable shelter
from winters storm, and there IS timber enough on
these hills for fuel house logs and fencing. To the
western cate-men II seems an outrage that the In
dams should possess land which the whites them
selves could turn to profitable account and a strong
effort is being made 10 have the Cheyennes removed
one Of the Montana Senators succeeded at the last
session in having an appropriation introduced into the
Indian bill providing for the appointment Of commits
sloners arrange for the removal Of the Chevennes
to some other locality and three petitions looking TO
ne same end are said to be in circulation. at
Miles city. one Sheridan. and one at Tongue River
On the other hand, the Indians do not wish
move from this country Here they have lived
souri, River nearly 80 years ago Here their
fathers lived, hunted the buffalo died and
nuflsd Here the bones of many OF their children
lie hidden away In caves in the rocky bluffs.
furthermore soon after these Indians surrendered
ana were settled on this reservation, one Indian
COMMISSIONS and General Nelson A. Miles, for
soemny promised them that they should never
be removed so long as they were peaceabe. Yet
even In our day. The Indians have desirable lands
occupancy Of which is guaranteed by the Govern
- l''NN'" i"itH - ~'iupHl kept, ana
the Indian has to move on. The harder ne works
the more he improves his land ,he worse II Is for
him The better he makes his home. the his
white nei6hbors desire II. And yet we have among
us many people interested in the work of PRO,
tccting the Indian In his rights.
What induccmeDt has the savage to try and
make a permanent home for himself hen his past
experience and that Of all his race, tells him
that ne Is really working for the white people who
to come after him. that only a little while
and he and his children will be hurried off to
some strange place set down the barren prairie
and advised there 10 become civilized and self
supporting
For several years | have been trying to sec II
I'm some way II could not be arranged that n few
thous and cattle sho i'd be given To these Cheyennes
and their reservation fenced. Even II II
were cut down somewhat the east IL
would support. If properly fenced. from 10000 TO
20 900 mead Of cattle enough to render Indians
Id O free he frnr