The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-11-20

with Yellow Hair to a frightful and elor-
.ous death.
At the confluence OF the Big Horn and
the Little Big Horn rivers. on a high
bluff which commands the country In all
directions. was the chief village of the
Crow Indians. In The spring OF 1873 long
wagon trails and large bodies of Amer
lean troops came up the Big Horn Val
ley, and soon small fiat-bottomed steam;
thence into the Big Horn, coming to
anchor at the Crow village.
MOST EXTENSIVE POST IN WEST.
With scant ceremony the Indians we're
driven from the traditional home of their
great chiefs. and before the snow fell that
winter Fort Custer wa5 well under way
In tint the new post became the most eN-
tsnsiye as well as the most expensive In
the entire Northwest. and many expedi-
tions went from the shelter OF its barracks
In wyoming, Montana and other States.
The stream Of settlers which poured :nt6
the great Northwest owed its protection
from the Indians more TO old Fort Custer
than TO any other army post along its line
Of travel.
That which the Indians failed to accom-
pitsh with the bow and arrow and scalping
knife they have effected with the piow-
share, and by accepting to a certain extent
the civilization OF the white man have rem
dered unnecessary the close proximity TO
their homes Of en army post
When the call 10 arms came in the spring
OF 1885 the soldiers at Fort Custer were
sent TO Cuba. and the post itself was aban-
doned. A small guard was stationed there
for some years, and last summer the work
OF dismantling was begun.
When the post was abandoned the build
ings reverted 10 the original owners OF the
| ground, and SO the Crow indian tribe be-
: came the proprietor Of the old fort. The
! Indian Agent. Colonel S. G.. Reynolds. has
been distributing the building materials
those Indians living in the vicinity. and. as
a result, many old bucks who have lived
In tepees all their Ives VIII this winter,
for the first time. spend the cold months
within a small shack. the walls of which
were formerly some part OF the barracks
or even OF officers row."
ONE HOUSE STANDING.
Over on officers row" there is just one
house standing. Years ago the command
ing officer OF the post lived there and
many military functions took place with
In its walls. But now the new owner,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., proudly
passes his red p:pestone calumet around
the circle which he and his friends have
formed within the iarSe dining-room. while
the fayorite calico" pony OF the old In
tho biS Teception-room and watches his re-
Election n the French plate mirrors which
! line the walls.
Just without the confines OF the post. off
toward the south. is still TO be seen the old
stage coach and the station at which the
vehicle ended its long journey from Chey-
eAuc- w I1ilcs SWay- EOtn the stage anu
the station are in a dIlapidated condition.
but the former will be removed 10 the
agency and preserved as a menento OF
the early pioneer days.
OF O haunted house. and every stick Of
timber in that building remains OF the
original site. Not 2 brave on the reserva-
ton will accept a piece CO the house which
was formerly bad medicine TO them. and
the Indian agent gays he can do nothing
except burn the debris OF the structure.
| Remains CT the waterworks system are
on every hand. the iron hvdrants lifting
| their heads even among the tepees Of the
indian village On the parade ground. But
no water can be drawn from the pipes aua
the supply tube TO the standpipe is dry
| and twisted
Even the carriage OK the old cannon
which commanded and protected the
| pumping station IN the river valley was
\ left In position when TIE troops started
for Cuba One wheel Is broke end the
iron tires have fallen from the feiIoes, bit
| the ammunition box is yet intact.
The magazine is being torn down by the
| Crows 4 the bricks are being removed
to some OF the new Indian houses where
| they will be used to build chiraneys. the
very first the Crows have ever used.
ESTABLISH A CEMETERY.
A mile above the old fort the Indians
| have founded one OF the above-xrouad
| cemeteries. the dead being wrapped in
blankets and deposited on high scaffolds.
There was a time when the Crows buried
their dead with the weapons and trinkets
| owned while alive.
But when the craze for elk teeth arose
the Indians climbed the scaffoles. IN
wrapped the bodies and secured the elk
| teeth, which they sold at good prices. No
| more teeth are buried with the dea now.
The old fort and the new Indian village
stand on the dividing line between tat
| part Of the Grow reserve which win be
| opened to the white man next year for
| settlement and the portion which the In
dams reserve to Themselves. OF b for
| mef there are bou L00o.o % acres. Be-
fore the tepee OF the chiefs. as far as
I the eye can see. both I'd and down the Big
| Horn River, is q magnificent valley, miles
wide and more than 100 miles long. which
\ some day will be one Of the garden spots
! of the world. But at present old White
| Earth sits smoking his pipe and gazing
with contented ewes over the land which
| has returned to him and his after be.nR
in the hands OF the white man for a quar-
ter OF a century.