Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1908-04-16
Working for Uncle Sam,

late of this city. written to w. II. Con
tren under date of March Ia, 1908,
interesting and runs as follows:
Dear Sir:-About a month ago | wa
| in Massena, Iowa, and the postmaste
handed me letter directed to W. V
Parkinson, and as that was my grand
father name took the liberty of open
ing it. w. V. came west before | wac
born and died several years ago at the
age of 90. Think he would have lived
longer but for the habit of chewing to-
bacco. which he contracted in his youth,
and the "old geezer" died with chew
in his mouth Have often heard him
speak of a long-legged guy back in
Wisconsin by the name of Christy, and
suppose you are the one. Could not
forward your letter to him as he did
not leave any address. Suppose it is
somewhere in Paradise Alley but there
arc so many parkinsons there he would
probably never get it.
When | first read your letter | in
tended to answer it, but on second
thought guess | viii not, for fellow
that don't answer promptly such rich
creamy gems of letters as | write is
pretty blamed mean. | have always
noticed when you do find mean 7. X.
he is the limit. Don't you sec you
wooden-headed Indian, what you have
missed? If you had answered promptly
you would have had big bunch of my
letters by this time. Look at Mauger
and Fawkes. They have wad of them
as large as bale of hay, and in few
years they will be worth $1,000 piece.
Only last week one of Shakespeare S
sold for $500, and he is dead one com
pared with me. But | will fix you.
Won't sign this and you will never be
able to get blamed cent for it.
Well. you see by this paper that am
back working for Uncle Sammy. Am
in the Rosebud reservation, South
Dakota, sixty-ive miles north of Val
entine, Neh., and thirty miles from the
main agency. Have charge of sub
agency called the Butte Creek sub My
postofice is Wood, S. ID. Have nice
place. better than any | had before.
PleasSst room and office well furnished.
Good store here. We issue rations to
the Indians once a month, and beef
every two weeks. | board with the
trader, who is a young man from Vir-
GINA, and his brother-in-law clerks in
the store. They are couple of princes
and pure sports. Keep a pack of
hounds, Ito hunt coyotes), game chick
ems and running horse. Are typical
southern gentlemen. There are scads
of prairie chickens, ducks, rabbits,
cyotes and some wolves here.
| came here the 10th Of this month
and like it fine. No snow or mud.
Have team and will have to do con-
siderable driving. My territory is about
twenty-five miles wide and forty-fve
long. Indians, do not farm any, but
raise lots of cattle. Don't know how
many Indians there are in the district,
but there is a big bunch of them.
If any of the boys have gone bad
since | left Mineral Point, my con-
science is clear as always set them
good example and kept them in the
narrow path. Could not stay there
forever just to look after them. That
was harder Job than looking after
Indians. How are the X. P.'s? Hope
they are prospecting. Haven't been to
lodge since | left, but meet lots of the
boys wherever ! go Say, | enclose
check for $4.25 and want you to pay
my lodge dues, then give that Bennett
Sl.25 and tell him to send me the
weakly" Tribune. / want some light
fiction to read to the Indians. Now
don't put this off as long as you did
answering my letter, or the Tribune
will be of no use to me, unless it is
printed on asbestos paper.
| Say, "Bill, " have had boss time
since leaving Wisconsin. Put in three
months in Colorado shooting jackrab-
bits, then went to Southern Iowa,
stayed a month with another brother
who is in the dry goods and grocery
business, and then went to Missouri to
visit IN old chum for two weeks, thence
here.
Now remember, | do business on a
thirty-day basis, and if you don't an
swer by that time | will cut you off my
list. By the way, who keeps my chair
warm in the store? Give my regards
to all the boys. w. V. p.