The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-13

CASS LAKE, Mimi, July 12.-(SpeciaI)
The inhabitants Of this village have not
yet abandoned the hope that something
Will prevent the execution of the order of
the interior department to compel them
to abandon the town SITE They will re-
main to the bid, and while there is no
idea Of armed resistance nothing will be
left undone that may delay or prevent
action. Judge Ives will leave for st. Paul
In the morning to consult with the state
authorities, and hopes something definite
may come of his visit. William Rogers, a
full-blooded Indian, has written a letter
which throws new light on the attitude
OF the Indians as to the Cass Lake con-
troversy. In his letter Rogers says:
'On July 1 was at Winnibigashish Wis
iting my friends. We talked about differ
ent things, and they asked me how the
trouble was at Cass Lake. 1 told them as
far as could find out the Cass Lake In
dams We're feeling very bad, especially
the Indian women, to think they may.
have to go back to regular Indian life be-
cause some Of the high chiefs and the
government officers wanted to move the
Cass Lake people away. l always under
stood the white people to say the gov
eminent wanted to civilize the Indians
but it don't look like it by moving the
whites away from Cass Lake l cannot
see the point where the Cass Lake people
are hurting the Indians; they are helping
the Indians; and the government is cut
ting their heads off. 1 nave talked with
a good many Indians, and 1 have not
seen any IN favor of moving Cass Lake
people away l have been around them
all summer and last winter, and | have
seen the Indians and white people trad
ing and dealing together and everything
was always fair with both parties, as far
as could see. know the Cass Lake In
dams never lived better than since the
white people came here. And if the gov
eminent wants to ciVilize the Indians they
can not do better than leave the white
people here. The government officers can
see this if they want to-"
On July 10 at Cass Lake the two In
dian chiefs who have the highest au-
thority among all the Cass Lake Indians.
with Rev. George Morgan, made the fol-
lowing statement in the presence of
Walter Johnson, Henry Smith. William
Dunlop and B. A Strawbridge, relative.
TO the protest sent to Washington bv the
Flat Mouth faction:
II those Indians signed for the whites
to move out we did not know ANYTHING
about 1t We are the two chiefs. and
with the wife of VIM. Johnson, who died
more imam year ago, we have the say
mere among them. And we have no oh
lection to the people staying here. some
years ago the Indians around here went
10 Washington to see something about
their land, and Flat Mouth helped them:
there was nobody else to work for them
He is not a chief here; he is a chief at
LFeech Like He has nothing, to say up
mere. at Cass Lake. All the objection the
Indians here have ITO the people STAYING
here is, those people fishing so much and
the steamboats, that tear up their fishing
nets and won't pay for them always.
Object to the people from outside CATCH
ing so many fish. Lots of these Indians
around here now see where they made q
mistake when they kicked about the
white people being here, when they signed
their names to get the whites away and
are Kicking themselves now. They made
mistake in trying to drive the whites
off. But we two chiefs never had any
objection to the whites being here
X It seems that Flat Mouth likes to run
this place here, but we don't recognize
him as any authority at all; not around
CasS Lake. We are the only chiefs around
Cass Lake who have that authority. We
would much rather have a town in the
reservation here, where they have no sa-
looms, than right outside of the reserva-
ton and lots of saloons. OF all the reser-
vations they have got around here in diff
ferent places for the Indians, these Indl-
ans here are the poorest Of any. and
when the white people settle among US
and set good example to the Indians.
and they can get different things to eat
and wear, the government turns around
and wants to drive the whites away"
Rev. George Morgan, Episcopalian min
lister at Cass Lake mission, says: cit is
much better for the Indians to have the
white people here, for the Indians can
learn from them many good things. It
is hard for me to make them understand
my preaching always. I never had any
objection to the people of Cass Lake STAY
ing here"
A. A. White, of st. Paul, whose scrip
covering Cass Lake was refused al CT
Could, has been here and has taken pos
session of his new town site He is con
ndent his scrip filing will hold good He
left today for st. Paul