The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1910-07-22
A LETTER FROM MONTANA.

fldlih, Mont, July =, .SlO.-ll
have been wondering II my Big
Sandy friends would not take the
pains to read a short letter from a
member OF their circle now in the |
wild West.
Most OF my acQuaintances in old
Lawrence know my mission 10 Mon
tana. | was lucky enough TO draw
a number in the drawing for lands |
in the Flathead Indian Reservation.
was to show up in May or might
lose my right, so | preferred to
show up" And now the law re-
quires that ] reside on it twelve
months and then | can obtain title
70 II. So you see | am in a way
tied up for the present, but /
think the price OF the tie up is
sufficient to warrant my staying, so
here | am
AS TO the ranch, as ii is called out
here, | hold 100 acres OF level land
It can plowed any way you wish and
there is no bushes or stumps or
sprouts or anything TO interfereI
with the pillow, except on, say six
ty acres, there is heavy coat of
grass sod and the power to break
this will necessarily have to be rath-
er heavy. The soil is mostly black,
although some of the upper side Is
more gray. But | am told that
this is Just as valuable as any of
the 100, There is about forty acres
Of this gray soil. have a well,
found water at a depth of 10 feet,
cold as Kentucky ice.
There are lots OF Indians here,
and from their regalia you cOHld
not tell men and women apart. They
wear gay colors alike, even the
breeds wear the red and green
around their necks. Full bloods of
both sex wear long hair plated with
red flannel tied on ends of plats
and covering the hair about one
third its length. Broad hats, and
around their waist is tied a gar
ment resembling a blanket and ex,
tends down about the knees OF
perhaps little below and is Of the
most gorgeous Colors. Moccasins
made of buck skins serve them as
shoes. They are surely 4 peculiar
set OF fellows. PeCuliarities in ev'
} erything. When they buy anything
: to eat and II is delivered in glass
tin or anything that will endure
/ the weather, they empty it, anC
' hang the receptacle in a bush anC
r let 1t stay there II there are NJ
! bushes they use the fence fol
} this purpose. When you are rid
1 ing or driving on the road and are
E about to meet an Indian he leavel
/, he road soon as he sees you com
( ing and often by the time he II
opposite you he is fifty yards from
! the road, and stir at full gallOp
: You never see them walking. Yol
S never see, the little ones arounC
S the wigwam playing. Even on thu
hottest days, the door is closed ant
I all seem to be away, but If yoU
d peck on the door" you will flint
= them ut home They are very clev
0 er and gentle to the settlers. Con
e versing and laughing freely, and AS
e almost every time for a match 4
e light their pipe or cigarette. al
d not able to make even an intelligen
J. guess as to how many Indians ar
" still on the reservation. But the
e are not scattered over the prairie
Il They have allotments of so acre
e .ach and had the selection befor
II the opening of whites So they hav
II the lands near the timber, for her
e they can get wood and water, an
d it sedms that that is all they wan
p have never yet seen an India
y Garden" They simply neve
Il pillow the ground, and would prefe
o to carry water two miles than di
s. zen feet So with no flowers plan
u ed no garden growing and no OF
buildings, an Indian home looE
I. like a deserted Kentucky cabin. b
YOU should not think they are a
without means. know on
Swift" that has two thousan
&c head of cattle from two to fou
. years old. know of others. Blu
= Head" keeps from two to thrt
y, thousand head and often has OF
" thousand horses. Big Grain"
~ another rich Indian.
'e There is plenty of game here AN
fish to a finish. | was going ;
Dog Lake the other day and sa
two Indians getting off their poni'
md run; before | got up
re where they were and had left IL
Id ponies they were back to the roa