The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-26
BUTTE News.
POOR LO1 NEVER So POOR
The Poor Red Man Squats on the
City Dump and Starves.
APPEALING FOR CHARITY
The Commissioners Don't Want to Help
Them Because 1t Would Be a Dam
cerous PRECEDENT
They Are furnishing.

The condition of the Indians on the
city dump reservation is becoming
serious question, as there is no longer
any doubt that some of the women ana
children of the band are on the verge
Of starvation, Joe Mellette and Harry
Denney, two of the half-breed members
of the band, called on the county COM
missioners yesterday and made another
plea for assistance. Mellette, who is an
English speaking, intelligent young
half-breed, acted as spokesman, and
said the Indians were actually starving
and that some of them had had nothing
to eat for several days.
How did your dance come out?" in
CURED one of the commissioners.
VERY cold, very cold" replied Mel
lette I'VE made only 81. and we are
very hard up now, and IL is necessary
for us to tell you how we are. Indians
are starving"
How many are there of you?" asked
Chairman Clark.
About 1o0-Crees. Chippewas and
haff-breeds-many women and chill
dren.'
"They all belong to Canada, do they
not?''
No: some do. Some are not treaty
Indians and have no home-no right to
go anywhere. Some are American citi-
zens''
Mellette and Denney are said to he
lawful citizens of the United States and
the state of Montana. For 10 years
Denney was a scout in the employ of
the United States army and for six
wears was interpreter at the Flathead
reservation. He has been one of the
few men in the band who has been
working and helping to support all the
other Indians, but lately he has been
sick and is now under the care of the
county physician. About eight of the
Indians and half-breeds have been
chopping wood in the Blacktail gulch,
about IA miles from town. and have
hauled the wood to Butte. where it was
sold. Their horses, however, have been
so poor and weak that it took them
three days to drag a load OF wood to
the city. Denney also has two boys of
IL and IL years, who have been cut
ting wood and hacking 1t to town on
their ponies, but the animals gave out
for lack of food and had to be aban-
doned.
Horses are played out said Mel
lette in telling his story to the com
missioners. Cant haul wood any
more. and we don't know what to do.
Horses starving as well as Indians.
Lots of Indians. women and children,
sleep in one blanket, and cold, | tell
you. Pretty rocky. We don't want RAJ
tons all the time-only once in while,
like now"
The commissioners heard the In
dams plea and then referred them to
the county auditor.
1T is hard to tell what to do" said
Chairman Clark. 1T is hard to let
them starve yet / don't believe we
have the power to do anything for
them. If we help them il will only be
an inducement for them to remain here
and probably bring others. They We're
fed by the people here last winter, and
/ think that is probably what brought
them back again this year
The county auditor was not in when
Mellette and Denney called at his office
and some one sent them To the presi-
dent of the Associated Charities.
Tt is stated that among the Indians
on the dump are several graduates of
Indian schools. One of them is Mary
Mellette. a sister of Joe, who. ii is said.
went to school for a number of years.
She has a child and is one Of the dirt
lest and most helpless looking MEM
bers of the whole band.
The ladies of the Associated Charities
received the Indian committee, but
told them they could not assist them,
and sent them back to the county COM
missioners, but the latter had adj
journed for the month and have adopt
ed set of rules taking from the audi
tor authority to extend aid without the
approval of the board. So the Indians
will have to starve unless the people do
as they did last winter-send out vol
untary contributions OF food and cloth
ing TO the camp.