The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-05-04

dams, however, and their wants and
purchases were limited and their
cash more SO. Eight months later,
on our return trip, we found Shake
pee thriving village, settlers hav-
ing moved in from the states.
The river in March was at its
spring flood, and was difficult Of
navigation. There were many places
at bends in the river where it was
hard TO distinguish between the real
channel and some cross cut, and oc-
caslonally the Tiger was caught in
Whirls and cross-currents and forced
into the woods and had to be stopped
and warped" back into the chan
mel. The captain and the engineer
We're worked to the limit, and from
daylight to shutdown, could seldom
leave their duties even for moment.
The oxen were crowded between
decks, and | remember how Paul
made friends Of the pair nearest
him and laid a board across their
backs for a table, from which he
took his meals, standing all the time
in reach of the controlling levers Of
his engine.
After week Of exciting and in
teresting events, enough to fill a
book, we reached the mouth Of the
| Redwood river where we established
the agency and farms, soon after
which and while the spring flood
was on number of other steamers
arrived, bringing immense supplies
to be distributed to the Indians.
Col. Prescott, an expert interpreter,
whose wife was q Sioux, came on
the last steamer and remained to as
sist in distributing the annuities. 1t
will be remembered that this same
Col. Prescott was well known
throughout the territory and figured
prominently during the famous
Sioux rebellion in 1863.
Prior to 1852. the Sioux annuities
had been paid at St. Paul, where the
Indians were subject to all kinds of
graft and robbery and where they
remained after receiving their an
nuities until they had squandered or
been robbed Of their last dollar,
when they returned to their hunting
grounds and lived on fish and game
until the following spring. The es-
tablishment of the agency and farms
at Redwood was an attempt on the
part of the government to keep
them away from the temptations
and dangers of the city and to in
duce them to cultivate the sDil and
thus guard against a state Of semi
starvation which usually preceded
the annual payment from the gov
eminent. This last feature Of the
case was plainly apparent when the
Indians who came to us in April ar
rived. They were more than semi
starved and begged that we issue
first something they could cook
quickly. We gave them shelled corn
which they boiled but. not waiting
for it to become thoroughly swelled,
gorged themselves on it. and we
soon had scores Of sick Indians to
look after.
One of our men rode in great
haste to DIR. Williamson's Mission,
at the mouth Of the Yellowstone
and he came to our assistance. He
had been for many years a doctor
and missionary among the Sioux
and understood themsiwell. | re-
member that when he arrived sew
eral Indians had died.. large
number were dangerously sick and
a large number were rayenously
eating half-boiled corn. His first
treatment was radical and severe.
He seized pork barrel stave and
drove the Indians away from their
feasting, and placed; guard of
older Indians to see. that no more
corn was. eaten until thoroughly
cooked. I can never forget their
weird funeral rites; the intense and
boisterous grief Of surviving rela-
tives; the stoicism with which they
suffered from self-inflicted wounds,
and the dismal array Of elevated |
burials on the bluff back Of the
agency.
During the spring and summer
the entire Sioux nation came to is
fo,. fhnir anuuifinr n naad 49, &C.