The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-01-19

the nlSn tdDle IanU WneFe We HrSC came
upon the Manvais Terre, the scene utterly
beggars description; it is only such a scene
as can be realized in some wild, distorted,
nightmare dream; pinpacies, turrets. pyra-
mids, mounds and butes Of every possible
shape size, description and color. from
gray to bright red, and from 5 to 500 feet
high, piled in inconceivatle confusion by
nature in one Of her very widest freaks.
1t seems that no sane man would at
tempt passage through, yet by dint of
numbers and hard work we succeeded in
digging our way through bad places to the
river, a distance of IL miles. The next
day we only moved three miles up the river
heavy forces being at work to dig a road
out. On the Sth we crossed the river and
our road for several miles was the dry bed
OF stream SO narrow that only one wagon
could pass at time, and the sides in
places many hundred feet high. Dismount-
ed men were deployed along the heights and
to take possession of all commanding points.
Here the Indians soon appeared in great
numbers but only to find themselves baffied
and driven back like swarm Of mos
quitos, and all the points from which they
calculated to fire upon the train in our
possession This skirmish fight lasted all
day; at night we bivouacked at a little
lake. The next morning the fight recon-
menced, but only lasted for a few hours.
when the Indians retired apparently
thoroughly disheartened, and well they
might be. Their loss had been heavy and
tney naQ WOunQeO out rev or our men ana
killed none. The country on which we
fought was the most unfavorable that
could possibly have been selected for the
invading party; and the same force that
We had fought before had been reinforced
by others from the South, so that 1t was
probably large a body of Indian
rors for l cannot call them braves) as
has ever been assembled on this continent
ION the 18th we reached the banks Of
the Yellowstone in latitude AZ degrees. 20
minutes, longitude 1O4 degrees 30 minutes,
160 miles from our corral on Heart river.
Here hailed the appearance Of the two
steamers with delight, we were about out
OF rationS, and our animals were about
starved for the want of grass. On the 18th
the advance, as you know, reached this
place 30 miles distant from the crossing OF
the Yellowstone.
Between the 18th of July and the 10th OF
August the expedition has travelled 457
miles. fought three days, forced rivers and
dug the way through country SO broken
as to seem utterly impossible, often suf-
ferng for days together for the want Of
grass and good water. taught the combined
forces of the Indians 4 lesson they will
never forget; for the Iirst time demon
strated the practicability of steamboat
navigation on the Yellowstone; surveyed
All unexplorel country and found its i'm
mense resources of heavy beds of coal ly-
ing exposed in every direction. Such have
been some of it's labors but time alone
western frontier of our country
The above article occupies the three col
unns on the second and last page of the
Frontier Scout On the first page are
three complimentary notices Of the Scout
and three local items occupying one col
umn. At the top of the second column is
the following notice.
The want Of room oblges US to omit
several articles Of Importance this week"
Immediately following this notice and oc-
balance q 70 q he yyO
unns is disquistion on 3. BIS, otherwise
PED bugs. From the general tenor of this
article it would be fair TO assume that
bed bugs were among the earliest arrivals |
on the frontier and We're among the mosl
enterprising and persistent of the earlier
settlers in that country
AN AMUSING INCIDENT
zone Of the CHEF ltsorts of the town in
TIE early days was the general store owned |
by O. NJ. Iarawav located AZ about the
corner OF First stree ana HenneDin ave-
nue.. Here the villagers would meet daily
IL true country town style ana discuss The
news of the day and the gossip of the
neighhorhood. 1t was also q favorite trad |
lEg Place with the Indians.
Il remember very distinctly one incident !
"nlch was ludlcrOuS enough to bear repeat
ing. party Of about Is Chippawa braves
from the Mile Lac reSi IN came into the |
store one summer afternoon and purchased |
ammunition. They We're decked out in their
gaudiest feathers and painted in their !
most hideous fashion, ready for battle ne
slght was no very uncommon one as at |
that time 1t was quite customary for war |
parties. either of The Sioux. from the south,
around Shakopee, or Chippewas from the |
Mile Lac. to pass through the village on
war sorties.
W nile the Indians were replenishing their
war supplies eDacon Harmon walked into
me store and as soon as he knew what
the chief could MT see matters in Har-
q ha oh of Of fho
not 10 go The deacon was for peace. and
ne tried to represent to the redskins that |
IL was decidedly wrong for the red men to |
scalp one another. The Indians gathered |
around as the discussion waxed warm |
The chief could not see matters in Har-
mons light. He said in Indian pato:s OF |
course. that the Chippewas had a lead !;
pipe cInch on the measly Sioux for this one |
time at least. and they aid not propose to |
PASS up such promising opportunity to |
pay off few ancient grudges. They had |
1t all arranged to surprise the Sioux at !
early dawn the next day. During the night |
they were to cross the Minnesota river |
steal cautiously to the camp of the enemy |
ana spring upon him like wild beast from |
the forest. They anticipated very easy !
victory. To clinch the matter the chief |
told the deacon that they were going af-
ter the scalp Of the Sioux. and they would |
bring them back the next day To this |
sweeping statement the assembled Indians |
SlBnlIled tnelr assent by gruntS of SatiSfac- |
ton, and the entire party departed single !
file. upon their warlle mission
The next forenoon about 10 O'Clock there !
wandered into the village a tired and dusty
looking lot of Indians. The chief who had
done the brave talking the day previous
had been shot through the jaw, and the
remainder Of the crowd We're not inclined
to be communicative. BY dint of prescr-
Verance, however the curious ones sue
ceeded in securing an admission that the
surprise part of the scheme had gone
wrong somewhere. Instead of surprising
the Sioux the latter had surprised them
and the assault had been SO sudden that
they had not waited to count their enemies
but had taken to their heels without a
moments delay.
During the Indian wars which were rag
ing throughout the Northwest during the
year 1852 the settlers at times became very
much alarmed for their personal safety
AS a rule the Indians had treated the
whites with every consideration, but with
their Warke instincts aroused there was
no knowing when they might turn upon
the settlers and utterly destroy them. To
guard against such a catastrophe the set
tiers erected stockade az a point which
is now known Bridge Square. This
stockade was very hastily and imperfectly
constructed, and was made up for the
most part of dry goods boxes and pork bar
rels. Every few days exciting rumors
",1tl1 ooh hn