The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-06-30
Lack Of Confidence in u. S. Indian Agent
Smead's Promises.
REDS REESE TO RELEASE STOCK
That Had Been Graz. Co. here, Belonging to White Men
Wanted the Tax The4 es and as That Seemed
the Quickest Way Mon> Given Indians.

Grazing conditions on the Flathead
reservation are in a chaotic condition,
due to the tax of one dollar per head
on all cattle ranging there and the
outcome VIII probably result in the
Indians and half breed residents driv-
ing off all stock belonging to outside
people. The reservation stockmen
hold that if they pay the tax for cat
tie grazing On their own lands, they
are entitled to the entire range, and
to secure this they will see that all
outsiders keep out their cattle. The
matter has been brought before
Agent Smead, but he claims that he
has already issued permit to John
Herman and the Pleasant Valley Cat
tie company, allowing their cattle to
range on Indian lands. This has in
tensified the general discomfort of
the Indians with Mayor Smead, and
they propose to take the matter be-
fore the interior department, claiming
that the agent had no authority to
issue the permits without first gain
ing their consent, or at least letting
them know that their lands were to
be leased to other parties. Lack of
confidence in Agent Smead is the
cause of the general discomfort of the
Indians, they claiming that he has
failed to keep his word with them
in many instances, and to this i'm
preston was due the trouble had by
some outside cattlemen in getting
their stock off the reservation after
the big roundup that just ended.
When the roundup was finished,
Charles Lynch, the Pl asant Valley
stockman. had several hundred head
Of cattle in the vicinity of Camas
prairie, and they were pounced lpon
by the Camas prairie Indians, who
refused to let Lynch have them until
he had paid them the one dollar head
tax. Agent Smead was also present
and asked Lynch to pay him the
money, saying that he would turn it
over to the Indians in the fall, as is
demanded by the tax law.
The Indians, however, would not
run any chances and refused to re-
lease the stock, and told Smead that
had never kept his promise, and that
before they would allow the stock to
go they would have to get the money
Lynch wanted to pay the Indians to
save delay, and trouble, but Smead
objected, and tried to frighten the
Indians by threatening to bring sol
diers. This only served to rouse their
loE> ,,I III 10
soldiers both, and dared him to carry
out his threat The Indians started
to drive off the cattle, and after again
warning Lynch not to pay them
Smead returned TO the agency, after
leaving instructions with one of his
Indian police to telegraph him if the
conditions became serious. He took
the stand that Lynch should pay him
the money and in the fall he would
return it to the Indians, and that the
latter must release the stock. The
Indians demanded their money down
and declared their intentions of hold
ing the cattle until they received the
cash. They laughed at Smead's
statement that he would pay them in
the fall and said he was lying to them
and that if he got the money in his
hands they would never get cent of
it. and hey refused to lose their adj
vantage by releasing the cattle. The
agent was accompanied by only few
policemen, while the Indians num-
bered about 80, and for a time it
seemed certain that trouble would en-
sue. as the latter We're angered by
Smead's threat to bring soldiers and
were ripe for mischief. They were
also smarting under what they claim
is Smeads unfairness and declared
that they would fight before letting
the cattle go or until the money was
placed in heir hands.
After Smead returned to the
agency, Mr. Lynch talked with some
of the Indians, and by giving his
word that he would make no attempt
to get away with the cattle his cow
boys were allowed to take them in
charge. and several hundred more
were added to the bunch as result
of the roundup then going on, The
next day he had to go away some dis
tance, and when he was returning he
was met by one of his cowboys, who
told him that the Indians had again