The Washington herald., 1908-04-05

Plenty Coos is a wise Indian and big
chief. The Indian Affairs Committee of
the Senate found that out yesterday.
Only what Plenty Coos came to tell
about would he talk about when he ap-
pealed before the committee. No side
questions or variations from the point re-
ceived any respect from the proud head
Of the Crow nation and with grace and
good humor the learned Senators allowed
that Plenty Coos was all right and he
should not be pressed.
With more wise men Of his tribe Plenty
Coos came ali the way from Montana to
tell the white chiefs that the Crows did
not want their reservation split up and
their lands sold for gross profit, Not en-
tirely aVerse to monetary consideration.
however, were they. In case the land
must be opened, the Indian would think
about It, but he would not sax now.
Plenty Coos would not cross that bridge
until he came 10 it. It was something
for the young men to think about. he said.
The young men were chary of opinions,
and Senator Clapp. chairman of the comF
mittee. remarked in an aside that he had
seen enough Of Indians to know that yhey
would say so mucn and no more. IRStheir
estimation IL was the turn Of th9 other
side. They had done and would listen.
Chief Is Friend of AEeat.
Other considerations besdes the pro-
posed sale of their unwopKed lands in
dueed the Indians to coHde 20 Washing
ton. Indian AgeP{ S. L. Reynolds. To-
Gated on the CROW reservation, is under
charges before the Senate committee The
complaining witness is Mrs. Helen Pierce
Gray, OF Minnesota, and Martin X. Sniff
fen, secretary Of the Indian Rights As
sociation. of Philadelphia. appeared 10
be interested in the prosecution. Plenty
Coos proved to be the friend of the agent.
The charges were not gone into exten-
sively. Much Of them had been thrashed
over at previous hearings. 1t was on
questions submitted by the prosecuting
witnesses, intended 20 put the big chief
in the attitude Of a critic of the Indian
agents policy OF placing doubt on his
authority TO speak for all his people in
giving Reynolds a clean bill. that he
Strengthened up and told the chairman
that he came 10 Washington TO talk
about the Crow lands and not TO answer
side questions.
Coos shows HIS Dignity.
Mr. Sniffen had been permitted to read
q question TO him. Il was whether Plenty
Coos had not said 10 him last January:
AS look around, I see my people are
just Ike a child. They do not know how
to farm. They were not made for farm
ers'
This was leading up to the other ques-
tions that Mr.. Snlffen had in writing. and
the chief scented a complication on the
subject matter.
"All that is done. All that Is passed, -
said Mr. Plenty Coos. Il am tired OF it
shall only speak Of what ] came here to
speak about" And when Mrs. Gray got
leave 10 ask a question. the chief stoIidly
declared that he would answer no one but
a member Of the committee.
Senator Clapp repeated the question
and got a prompt response:
Il shall answer no more questions ex-
cept about the matter in front of me"
This referred to the detail maps Of the
Crow lands. which had. been sliced for
white settlement under the terms of a bill
proposed by Senator Dixon. Of Montana,
and referred to the Committee on Indian
Affairs.
Talk Through Interpreters.
About matters personal 20 himself OF
Mr., Reynolds, and detached from the SUBJ
ject Immediately under discussion. the
Indian chief was agreeable. His test
mony was taken with the aid Of two
interpreters. both belonging to his dele
cation. and both students at the Carlisle
Indian School Reynolds was the friend
OF the Indian, he said. and the best agent
the Crows ever had. While he cut off the
Indians rations. he had been teaching
them to work. and they were all getting
along better.
Senator Dixon inquired about his Indian
campaigns and the number of scalps he
took, and Plenty Coos chose to be IN
dulgent. Fhe Senator also had him tell
the committee how he got his name and
something about his campaign with Gen.
Crook in the Sioux war.
TIE big chief was quite modest and
would respond tersely to interrogations
Yes; he was with Gen. Crook in 1875 on
the Rosebud in the campaign that led II
the Custer massacre. Every Indian IN
the fighting days had a GOO stick" that
was frequently ornamented on TOP by n
scalp. All his deeds os valor were re-
corded on the stick Each record was a
GOO, and so he became known as
'Plenty Coos"
He Got Many ScaIps.
ASK him if he took many scalps?' sug-
gested Mr.. Dixon
'Ie says he took plenty Of them," the
interpreter replied, and Plenty Coos wore
an innocent smile.
'ffany white mems scalps in the
burch?' asked Mr.. Dixon.
No said the warrior I'm his own
tongue, with protesting gestures. The
white man was the Indians friend"
All the scalps were Of the Sioux. the
Arapshoes. the Blsckfeet, and the Chev-
ennes. His people were in the center of
those tribes, and he fought them all to
hold his own, made sallies into their
camps. as the interpreter put II, whereat
Plenty Coos glowed with pleasant recol-
lections
do you think you could take that
mans scalp?' inquired MIR Dixon, point
ing at the official stenographer. who is
bald. Plenty Coos laughed outright. It
---------------=--
~