Arizona republican., 1899-04-20
PINE RIDGE FENCE.
When Completed Will Be Seventy
 Miles Long.
Is to Be Erected for the Purpose of Keeping Cattle Out of the Reser-
 walton and ZfII Be a Dur z able Structure. s

The mammonth government fence along the entire northern border of the
 Pine Ridge Indian reservation, which
 las been projected for several years. is
 finally being constructed, and will be
 completed in a few days. The fence
 is one of the longest in the west, hay
 ing total length of nearly 70 miles
 Before the construction of the fence
 the reservation and the ceded lands
 were divided only by the White river
 which, when frozen in winter, formed
 TO effective barrier against the invasion
 Of cattle belonging to white stocknen
 They drifted with blizzards to the res
 eTvation. This resulted in friction be.
 tween some of the Indians and the eat.
 tjemen. Only last year nearly 1.OeC
 head of cattle belonging to members
 Of the Western South Dakota Stock
 Growers association were found on the
 reservation, where storms had driven
 them. They were seized by the In.liars
 and held to enforce the payment of one
 dollar a head for their care during the
 interval pending their voluntary re-
 Inoval by the owners. The services of
 South Dakota's congress delegation in
 Washington were required to secure
 the release of the cattle without the necessity of paying the amount de manded by the Indians.
 Since then the friction between the cattlemen and the comparative handful of Sioux who were disposed to make them all the trouble they could reached an acute stage. and tLe construction Of the fence was finally determined upon. At one time, since this course was de- cided upon by the commissioner of h. dian affairs, it was believed seriously that a faction of Sioux at Pine Ridge agency, led by the celebrated chief Fed Cloud, who was opposed to the building of the fence, would resort to fierce to prevent it's construction. and the Washington authorities even weLt so far as to intimate that United States troops would be detailed to protect the contractor and his force of men. How ever. this element contented itself with Lclding a council. promulgating pro- test to the Indian commissioner and se- lectiug a representative to go to Wash ington to lay their objections before the federal Indian commissioner. Their chief objections were that the money to be used in the erection of the fence, which cost about S2OO q mile. was taken flom the funds deposited to the credit or the tribe in the United States treas u?-y at Washington, which money was intended by congress for educational purposes only, and that to put it to the Use proposed would be violation Of law and their treaty rights. They fur ther said that they were on good terms with the whites. and did not wish to ''bear the consequences of the revenge ruI spirit of the band of selfish crea- lures within our borders"
 United States Indian Agent Clapp, of the Pine Ridge reservation. and James Mclaughlin, the well-known Indian inspector, were both severely de- Lounced for favoring the erection of the fence It was also pointed out that while there were nearly q million head CT cattle on the ranges in the ceded lands directly tributary to the Pire Ridge reservation. in one winter on-y 500 head drifted to the Indian lands, and that this comparatively small num- her did not justify the construction of ar expensive and useless fence. especial lv when it was decided to charge the to the Indians account.
 The new fence does not closely follow the White river. but runs as close to it as is permitted by the dense growth cf underbrush along that stream. On the Indian side of the line live many Sioux, who have in the aggregate large number of cattle of their own. These, it is expected, will be able to procure abundant supplies of water from the draws running back from the river to the Indian side of the fence. The structure has five wires and is very durable. the posts being of iron and cedar. placed alternately. so that if Lrairie fires destroy the cedar posts the iron posts will still maintain the Hence in good condition. Gates are placed at intervals, to be used in emergencies W hen it is necessary to get to the river. The gates are securely locked and no one will be permitted to have keys 10 lem except a white government em- .!oye known as the ''boss farmer" and he Indian agent himself. The fence will be under the direct personal super 7ision of the boss farmer. who will be leId responsible for it's condition. Sub- agencies. under the charge of white have been established at in- ervals of about 15 miles along the en- ire route of the fence, and at these the | Indians living in the neighborhood re- .eive their supplies of beef. bacon, cof- | ec. tea. sugar and flour at stated pc iods. It will be seen that the fence | oes not run through an uninhabited | art of the reservation, and that if will | lot be a serious task to maintain yatch upon it similar to that main- aimed by railroad section men for the of keeping tracks in good re- air.-N. Y. Sun.