The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
A CAUSE OF INDIAN RUIN.
EFFECTS UROUGHT BY THE WIS
hEY TRADE ~ THE NORTHWFsT.

Enormous Profits of Exchanging whiskcy
for Furs-Trnders Had to he Ready TO
Figh,-u,rtsIity Caused by tho Trafnc
Death Of the Chief calf shirt.
KIpp. Mont. Nov. 2S.-Long before the Lou
isiana purchase. before the memorable expedition
Of Lewis and Clarke the Hudson Bay Company
had established It's posts on the Saskatchewan
River at the foot Of the Canadian Rockies. From
,ncrc the trappers and traders Of the great cor
marathon made annual excursions south 10 the
headwatcrs Of the Missouri River and even 10 the
yellow stone. all of which they pronounced British
territory. when. in 1892. the American Fur
Company built some forts on the Upper Missouri.
the older concern at once n mt several expeditions
OF Blackfcct warriors to dcmolish the forts and
murder the ntrudcrs But these forays resulted
So disastrously hundreds Of the Indians being
killed by the cannon Of the Long Knives that .ie
field was abandoned and thenceforth the British
company confined its efforts TO the southern trbu-
tarirs Of the Saskatchewan. In time the forty ninth
degree Of north latitude became the international
boundary, hut as no survey was made no one
knew It's exact location. The English saying that
II would strike the Rockies upon the headwaters
Of Mix River, while the Americans asserted that
Chief Noun tain. some thirty miles further north.
would he oil the southern side OF the line when
the survey WAS made
Both of these great companies traded liquor
10 the Indians but with such restrictions that II did
them no harm. Only the great chiefs could oh
tain II. and that ut rare intervals. These in turn
did not give IL Ia their warriors but drank among
themselves, cnyicd and admired by all the tribe.
who gathered Ia watch with absorbing interest
the antics Of their leaders as the powerful spirits
cloudcd their brains. In those days drunkenness
caused no quarrels the more they drank tho more
friendly chiefs hrr arna In other and whfn
finally the liquor completely overcame them,
they lay down to sleep side by side like brothers
They believed that this strange white mans
water was gift Of the GODS that their drunken
dreams were visions granted them by the unseen
spirits, enabling them to see into the future
and regulate their actions accordingly. On
the American side this condition Of affairs
not destined TO last In the early COS independent
traders, whose sole stock Of goods consisted Of
liquor. began to divide the Indian trade. and
forced the great fur company To wind upi,s affairs
Then lcgan the whiskey trade among the Indians
Of the Northwest which appalling in its effects
upon the simple red men, IL ruined them phys
ically and morally; thousands Of them died from
the effects OF their drunken quarrels
At this time all the country in Montana be-
tween the Missouri River and the Canadian line
was an Indian reservation, and the Government
prescribed severe pnaties for any one found
trading liquor upon such land. or for even hav-
ing II in his possession in the Indian country.
In looking about for a place TO carry On their
business beyond the reach Of the United States
marshals, the whiskey traders determined to in
wade Hudson Nay Company territory. Accord
ingly. during the years 1901. 1918 they built
forts ON the ST. Mays Belly and Old Mans
Rivers named Whoopup. SandoH and Fort Tnpp,
where they carried on an immense trade with the
Blnckfc-t and Blood Indians The Hudson
bay Company WAS powcrless 10 deal with these
traders and saw with dismny its annual take of
robes and turs dwindlc TO almost nothing. II
urgently requested Its Government To make
gotiations for an international survey Of the line
There was. ~ coursr. lot Of red tap To such an
undertaking. Tut in 1873 the line was surveyed
10 the Rocky Mountains, and in 1874 n detach.
mrnt az the Canadian mornt-t Iolicc came 81
ward. caught some Of the whisk-y Traders rcd
handed. and put stop 10 the Ill, gal Lusncrs.
II seems surprising that few men could have
gone into a Wild country. built forts, and carried
on q successful trade with horde Of Indians
who constantly on the watch 10 take their
lives. and who. when ircnzicd with bad whiskey,
were uncomfortable But Ibis il lust what the ~hs-
key traders did. and they accomplished their
ends because they were brave set OF men
as ever lived |, WAS in the fall Of 1870 that Joe
Trip. l.. Sp-arson and several others arrived at
the ST. Mary's River. a short distance above its
junction with the Belly. Their wagons were
heavily loaded with liquor for the winters trade.
news which quickly spread among the Indians
far and near. Several OF the redskins had been
allowed To come into camp. and had endeavored
to buy a quantity Of the much prilsd FIRE water.
but the traders refused to sell drop until they
had built fort Enragcd AZ this. and thirsting
for the liquor the Indians began siege Of the place
and the traders were obliged 10 work with rife in
one hand, and axe or saw in tie other. Time
and again night attacks were made upon them.
but they always repulsed the enemy withou, loss
Ia themselves. In the daytime n band Of the
Indians would come sweeping down and bullets
would rattle like hail the logs they were laying
up A few rounds from the old Henry rifles
however, would drive them out the plain. and
the powerful 1910 Sharp's rife owned by Trip
would raise tho dust around in such lively man
ner that they would hurry out Of range and out
! Of sight To repeat the performance another day,
II did not take very long To build the fort, which
| for obvious reasons they named Stand of. TWAS
n long row Of log cabins matched with dirt. and
| having many loop holes through which rifles
! could he thrust. The few windows 80 high
| up that could not SIC through them from tho
! ground. n very necessary prccaution Adjoining
| the living quarters were the stables and corral
| also built sody Of logs. Here the horses and
! bulls were locked mp, sale from providing Indians
| and their bullets The trade room was small
| apartment about fifteen feet square with a fre
| place in one end, 4 high counter, a. high a.
ones shoulders extended from wall TO wall across
/ III" centre ~ 'h- room and was male Of hewn
logs. bullet proof i 'ook up SO much space thu,
not more than twenty or twenty Ave Indians
could get in Al time. 4 shelf under the counter
! held number Of loaded rcvoycrs and rifles within
easy reach Of the traders. Al the end of tho room