The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-26
INDIAN MAY BE
MINING MAGNATE
Has Discovered Gold in Uintah
Reservation.
MAJOR M'LAUeHLIN'S STORIES
DEATH OF SITTING BULL AND
OTHER INCIDENTS.
IAJoR M'tAUeHLIN'S STORIES

Among the mining magnstes Of Utah
VIII I'm a few years be mum bered a full
bloOded Ute Indian now on the Uintah
reservation, IL ne can carry out his
plans. This Indian says he has dis
covered a remarkably rich gold ledge
on the reservation He is waiting IN
til the big tract is opened, when he
proposes TO become a citizen of the
United States, locate the ground and
develop it. This information comes
from Major James Mclaughlin, the
celebrated Indian inspector, who re-
Gently returned from a trip to the
reservation TO negotiate with the In
dams for the opening of the reserva-
ton
This Indian, whose name I can't
recall just now" said Major McLaugh-
lin yesterday, lis a thorough miner
and prOspector. He has spent years
working in the mines of Colorado and
Utah, and in prospecting. He is
highly intelligent man, speaks English
well and struck me as competent to
carry out his plans. He told me there
was any amount Of copper on the res
ervatiOn, but that he paid little at
tention to that He had discovered
some big lodges of high grade gold ore
and worked on it enough to convince
him Of its great possibilities. Having
made sure il, he had covered up all
traces Of his work and IS waiting IN
til the reservation is opened to take
advantage Of il. He viii take his al
lOtment OF agricultural land as a mem
Der Of the tribe, thereby becoming a
citizen, and VIII then locate the min
eral he has discovered. He intends to
20 II alone and will not tell anybody
where the gold is until he has com
pleted his locations. Then he proposes
10 go ahead and develop them"
Major Celebrated Character.
Major Mclaughlin, who left yester-
day for South Dakota, is the most
celebrated man in the Indian service.
He has been in this service over for
~ years. A Scotch-Irish Canadian by
birth and an American by instinct, he
crossed the line into the United States
as soon as he grew up, and entered
the northern army. Early in 1868 he
was sent into the northwest, reaching
St Paul when it was only a prairie
village, and ever since then he has
been dealing with the Indians. He has
been conspicuous in nearly all the In
dian troubles since that time, and has
seen the growth of the entire west
from the Canadian boundary to the
Mexican line. Major McLaughlin's
reputation was gained largely on his
ability to combine the slxilful appIica-
ton Of force with diplomacy and his
faculty Of gaining the confidence of
the Indians. He has concluded more
important treaties with the Indians
than any other man and has carried
to a successful conclusion more deli
cate missions.
Indian Tale of Clusters Death.
The major is the only man in the
world in fun possession of the Indian
side of the Custer massacre. The red
men who participated in this battle
were afterward under his charge and
they cOnfded to him the story. This
has never been written, although the
ms Nh nT loot fswse
for years been. seeking to get il. The
major has promised to write it when
1 get time but the leisure has so
Tar not come.
Major Mclaughlin was agent at
Standing Rock at the time of the
trouble with Sitting Bull. and the ia
nous Sioux chieftain was afterwaTd
killed by the majors Indian police.
i had splendid. well disciplined
force of Indian police said he, in "A
reminiscent moment yesterday. They
were ready to DO their duty without
fear or favor. and to bring in father
or brother If ordered to do so. Sit
ting Buu was giving trouble again,
and i sent force Of police out 10
arrest him The old chief had sur
rounded himself with his friends, all
armed There were tWenty-seven In
dian police, and over $50 armed men
with Sitting Bull. The policemen went
right in and placed Sitting Bull under
arrest He called on his men to pro
tect him, and they fired, killing a lieu
tenant and sergeant of police. The
police promptly fired back killed the
men who had shot the lieutenant and
sergeant, and killed Sitting Bull. They
had been ordered to bring him in, and
they brought him in-dead-''
Future Of Indian Race
Major Mclaughlin is really entitled
TO the rank of colonel. but he made
20
title and IL has chung to him He is
an Optimist as TO the future OF the red
race
The trouble with so many people is |
that they expect too much of the IN
dams all at once" said he. ct is
SLOW process to educate a people.
Think how long IL took to educate our
own race. The Indians are superior
as a race to the negroes and to any
other race except the white. They are
proud, intelligent. independent, brave
and possessed of many other ADMIRABLY
qualities. Education is doing a great
deal for them, although slowly. There
are many educated Indians who are
entitled 10 be on the same plane as the
whites, and there are many of unusual
ability. Charles Curtis. for example.
the representative in congress from
Kansas. who came near being elected
United States senator not long ago, is
q half-blOOd and as smart a man
you are likely to meet DR.. OrOnya-
teka the head of the order of Forest
ers. is a full-bloOded Indian. There
are numerous other instances.
II do not believe we viii ever again
have any serious Indian troubles The
Indians are too much scattered and
they never can be united in any great
number for hostile purpose. I be
lieve that IN time the enCire race viii
be absorbed into the body polite and
that all the Indians viii be American
citizens, taking ar active and intelli-
gent part IN the government and in
the social life Of the nation"