Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-11
COURAGE OF THE
SIOUX INDIANS.
THE ONLY PEOPLE ON EARTH WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN CON-
QUERED- SENATOR PETTlGREW TELLS OF PIONEER
DAYS IN DAKOTAS

could not face the people again a
bully, and it is said that he went into
Montana.
That trip to the Hills was an event.
full one to me- continued the senator.
The night after our arrival Deadwood
burned to the ground. l was asleep in
a little hotel, and right across the hall
from my room Major Reno, Of Custer
massacre fame, slept.
Il was awakened about 1 o'clock in
the morning by the cry of fire. Hastily
DOMINIC my clothing, / opened the door
into the hall, where &. blaze came in
which nearly burned my whiskers off.
| hastily closed the door and locked it,
but in that .momentary glance l saw two
men in the flame dragging another. 1t
proved to be Major Reno, as l after
wards learned that he was taken out
in an unconscious condition. ] opened
a window, jump,i upon a roof near by
and escaped l went through blazing
streets to the residence of judge, lately
Senator G. c. Moody, on side hill.
From his front yard. 7, with couple
of friends, stood and watched the
frontier city below US disappear in
flame and smoke. The houses were
nearly all of pitch pine. They sizzled
with the heat and finally famed up and
I disappeared, one after another, like
finder boxes. Before the sun arose every
vestige of human habitation all along
the gulch was in ashes. Town lots We're
jumbled together, and it took a long
time to mark their lines again. But by
s O'Clock that morning tables were rugged
US on the ruined streets and gamblers
We're at work with their games. BY
night temporary counters were set up
and saloons We're doing business. In
one year new city had been built and
it is prospecting today.
zone of my companions on that trip
to the Black Hills was an ex-member
of congress. who had been largely in
strumental in securing the passage OF
the bill which opened the Black Hills to
settlement. He was not personally
| known to many, but his name was Il
household word. The people of .he Hills
We're ready to worship him. Well when
we entered the town OF Deadwood. the
night before the fire. the eE-congress-
man, who had a weakness for liquor,
entered the handsomest bar-room in the
town. He had been drinking consider
able and 1 followed him to take care
| of him. He marched up to the bar ana
shouted in a tone loud enough for all
in the crowded room. to hear him: Give
me some roc gut. 1 amt asking for
!
| got. I want rot quit
! 1.-THE barkeeper. an athletic and fierce-
looking young fellow, was insuhed, and
came around from behind the bar to as
sault my friend with club just as |
stepped between them to remonstrate.
my inebrated friend shouted: I'm Judge
Blank an the Hills are mine. want
rot gut, an I'm going to have it.
"As soon as he mentioned Sis name,
the barkeeper stopped and asked me IT
that were indeed Judge Blank. I told
him that it. was, and he rushed back
to his place behind the bar, eXcla!mng:
Here, all you DIFFERS! Stop your games
and come right up to the bar and drink
al the expense of the house. Here is to
the health of our guest, Judge Blank
who owns the IIills!' OF course they
all came up, and the judge had to shakc
hands all around Then turning to tn"
barkeeper he shouted: Where is my
rot gut? The barkeeper commenced
pulling champagne corks, and they
popped at a lively rate. Every man in
the immense roon.. had champagne, ana
it was of the finest quality. too. AS he
drained his first glass. Judge Bank
roared, i knew Id get what l called
for. That is the weakest whisky l ever
tasted.'
by this time the crowd was as jolly,
eood-natured and harmless you
would be likely to find anywhere on
earth, in a place of that. kind. They had
lots of fun with the judge. and told him
that the champagne was apolinarlS
water. He stood there and drank until
he was carried away to bed. HE slept
all through the night of the fire. al
though he was carried out and driven
about five miles in wagon. to place
of safety. Later when Informed OF the
narrow escape which he had expert
enced he stopped drinking and remained
a temperance man as long he lived.
. He always said that the Deadwood tens
perance lecture cured him. 1t was a
fiery lecture
Does the rough and gambling element
!. still predominant in western South Da-
kota?"
. No; the Black Hills country is settled
, bv a peaceable, abiding community.
|, The history of all frontier places is alike
First come the adventures, who take
+ everything in sight in their own peculiar
way: then follows an orderly occupation
, of the country by home-seekers and
, home builders from the better elements
of the older states. We used to have
, a pretty hard time of it in the eastern
, portion of the territory with claim
jumpers. l was obliged, when mere
boy, to guard my own homestead entry
with shotgun. Since then the beauti
. full and prosperous city OF Sioux Fall!
has grown up about my homestead, 81
that my residence is now in the hear
. of the city.
: THE growth and development of Da
= kota territory have been phenomenal
q Gambling is almost unknown. The bar
4 rooms are closed. Temperance and pro
:, hibition prevail. Churches adorn on
g praires in country and city. Even on
4 Indians are partly civilized and becOm
G ing reconciled to changed conditions
{ No more sharpening of knives for duels
e no more shooting of ante0e' with car
|, bines, no more exciting times of