The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-24

'"The stubbornness with which the
border Indians persist In refusing to
recognize the international boundary
line and the fact that Canada and the
United States are not under the same
government Is at once astonishing and
menacing," said Marcus w. Wallace,
OF Forsythe, Mont, at the Windsor
last night. Mr.. Forsythe is a stock
man from north of Forsythe and is
typical cattleman. He sat in the cor
rldor OF the Windsor and told some of
ms experiences with the Indians along
the boundary. The occurrence that he
lnstanced is said to be common enough
on the Montana and Rocky mountain
border.
Last spring." said Mr.. Forsythe. 81
went I'D into the Canadian Blackfeet
country and bought a bunch of cattle.
The Blackfeet are not civilized to any
great extent, but they have been forced
by the Canadian government, which
certainly keeps It's Indians under bet
ter control than we do, that they could
not be supported in idleness They
took to stock raising when they were
obliged to quit cattle stealing, and
some of the tribes have big herds of
stock. l went over there and picked
UP 60O head In the spring. It was pref
ty early and the Indians were willing
enough to turn their cattle into money.
The bunch that 1 bought was owned in
common by about thirty families. They
have not yet abolished the tribal
relations of the Indians up in that part
Of the Canadian Northwest, and l had
to deal twice-once with the chief Of
the tribe and again with the actual
owners of the stock. There was
great deal of smoking and much talk
ing before I got the deal effected, but
I finally bought the stock cheap
enough. The one thing that bothered
the Indians was the fact that I held
to the theory that after I had paid
them for their cattle I would have to
pay my government so much a. head
In order to bring them into the coun-
try. I had practically fixed the price
with them and had told them that the
fouryear- would be worth five
dollars head more to them If they
were already on this side Of the line.
I told them this during a smoke and
the council broke UP before the deal
was over. I knew that Indians were
slow enough at trading, SO I paid no
attention to it when I was not invited
to another council for three or four
days. I also noticed that good many
of the young men with whom I had
been dealing disappeared from the viii
lage. On the fifth day the absent
bucks put in an appearance and a
council was called for that night.
1--WE had a smoke, and the chief
made a harangue which was inter-
preted to me- He told me that the way
was easy now; that his young men had
driven the cattle across the boundary
and I could now pay the additional
price per head. Those fellows had ac
tually driven the bunch Of cattle sixty
miles south across the boundary and
| were ready to deliver them on Amer
lean soil and duty free. When I tried
to explain that this would not do and
was a violation of the law for which
I would be held responsible, they were
inclined to be ugly, and I nMgQl have
had trouble but for the presence in the
| neighborhood Of troop of mounted
police. I finally induced them to drive
the cattle back and sell them at the
original price. But that was probably
the first lesson they had ever learned
OF the very fixed and legal character
of the imaginary line that separates us
from the British domain
Judge John A. Lovely, Republican
candidate for the supreme bench, is at
the Windsor. He said last night that
he had no idea that the state cam
paign would open in his part Of the
state for some weeks. He says that the
general disposition of county politicians
everywhere is to put off the opening
of hcstilities to the last momeHE He
believes that the actual work of the
campaign will be concluded in four
weeks.