Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1904-08-30
LETTER FROM c. X. DECKER


are certainly fine as health resort. L
bought pair Of small Indian ponies
and have been doing some driving
through the foot hills Of the Rockies.
Last week | went TO the Lemhl
Indian reservation in Idaho. aud L
had about the best trip of my life l
went over with freighter named
James Williamson. Jimmy is fine
fellow about twenty-six years old and
has freighted for about twelve years.
He had on a load of flour (ten thou
sand poundsl in two wagons and drove
eight horses with jerk line. lie
rides the nigh wheel horse. 1t looks
pretty risky to go down off the noun
tains and make the short turns on the
grades where the bank along side
drops down almost perpendicular for
several hundred feet, with eight
horses and two wagons and only one
line and that only on one horse.
We had two extra horses with us
one for saddle horse and one to put
in the team in case one should get
hurt or get away in the night. Jimmy
slept in the trail wagon and L slept
in the lead wagon. The wagons are
the regular western style with bows
and canvas cover. During the day
would throw the cover back Off the
front bow and could lay there and
take in the scenery or read or s.eep as
/ chose. l told Jimmy it was like
having private car. We had plenty
of grub and stopped to eat where ever
meal time found us.
We were two days and half making
the trip to the agency and reached
there about 200 p. III. Jimmy un-
loaded that afternoon with the help
of some of the Indians and next
morning started back to Red Rock as
he expected load for Salmon waiting
for him there.
The Indian Agent.
| stopped with the Indian agent,
Mr.. Covey and wife and the teachers
and employees and L certainly did
have good time.
The next.morning after | arrived,
there were thirteen Indian teams
came in loaded with freight from the
railroad at Red Rock. These Indians
are what are called working Indians
and have to earn what they get as
they are able bodied and. the govern
ment has quit issuing rations to
them.
Indians Good Butchers.
After the wagons were unloaded
they all went down to the slaughter
house to butcher. They killed two
beeves in very short time as some
of them are very good butchers. 1t is
fun to see the SquawS scramble for the
refuse, they even Scrape the hide to
get what little meat may stick to it..
After dinner a horse buyer named
ChaS. Shocks came in to buy horses
Snooks is a young man about twenty
six and lives near the reservation and
speaks the Lemhi language as good as
the English. He has handled hun
dredS of these Indian ponies and
must have bought about hundred
this time.
For The Japanese Cavalry.
His last shipment was sold at Red
Rock for the japanese Cavalry. They
went from here to Seattle, Washing
ton, and from there to Japan. After
Snooks picked out what horses he
wanted from the Indians bunch they
roped some of the balance and did
some "broncho busting" Some of
them could ride very good but there
were only two first class riders in the
bunch. One of them a tall fellow
named Mo-be was the best rider on
the reservation. He is fine looking
fellow and about the best speclman
of an Indian that | ever met.
Indian Boy Stolen by Whites.
l met an Indian here whose life
history would make quite a story
His name is VIM. Burton and he has
been the interpreter for these Indians
for some time. He saw me standing
watching the Indians and came oyel
to visit with me. l was surprised a.
the way he spoke English, in fact ht
speaks it as we'll as you or would anC
after visiting awhile | asked him hov
he learned to speak English so we'll
He then told me that when thirteeI
years old he was playing along th'
trail when some whites came alOns
and stole him taking him to the stat
of Washington and from there tt
Portland, Oregon. From there h
went to California and Nevada ant
worked on ranches and rode afte
cattle like the white cowboys. On
day he began to think of his parent
and concluded to return TO his brit
place. He was gone eighteen years
Indian Girls Basket Ball Team.
He has daughter that he sent +
the Fort Shaw school in Northern
Montana and she was chosen fror
there for one of the girls to play il
the Indian girls basket ball team a
the st. Louis Exposition and | under
stand that they are about the best i
the United States. The last Gay