The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-04-05
HOW THE
INDIANS
WERE SUBDUED
j. F.. FlNNEY MET OSAGES
II NDER DISADVANTAGE
IN CLOSE QUARTERS

why Hiatt tho old trader at the
Osage Indian Agency at pawhuska.
lost the highly profitable patronage
Of the powerful Beaver band OF the
Osaecs in the carly 10s was long Il
mystery And how Florer X Dunlop.
rival traders drew the }eaycr hand
away from Hiatt wIs an even greater
mystery
The fact never became public uatil
he story was told recently by J r.
Finney. now living a Wellington.
kas.. bur who was clerk for Florer
n Dunlop in buffalo days Both Fin.
ney and Florer came near losing
their lives in the adventure thar cost
Hiatt the trade Of the Beaver band.
john Florer was the senior menlber
of the trading firm OF Florer and
Dunlop
The Osages went on their annual
buffalo hunt early in November each
year to gather robes aud a supply OF
meat sufficient to fiji their kettles
until their next annual hunt. The en-
tire tribe followed the warrior-hunt
.ers to the buffalo grounds the hear.
.Ol which was where the town OF Cleo,
Okla. now stands. Once ON the hunt
ing grounds the different village
bands raised their topces. and for
several months lived away from the
reservation IN mll enjoyment or a
wld nomadic liie. lfeasting. dancms
and singing filled the camps with mcl-
riment The toll OF skinnin9 the bur
fdlo and Of emitting mp and curing the
meat by jerking it fell upon tho
women
Finney And Florer Set Out
In those days the Dsages at all
times We're forbidden to leave their
reservation without permission o.
their agent This precauJion was talk
en- TO prevent their gorg on raids ami
TO koep .hem from fighting their oid
enemies, the PawIees. CheYennes ana
Arapahoes.
On their annual hunt they We in
charge Of representatives. Of their
agent, usually plainsmcn who spoke
the Usage language The licensed
traders filled big wagons with mer
chandise and moved them along Vi,h
the Indians for traffic in buffalo hides
as the hides were brought into camp
It was customary FOR the traders t1
spy out the ground in advance of thc
dcpalture of the indiana, choosing the
most accessible winter trading point
~ the fall Of 1874 Finncy and l9lorcr
undertook this journey t,r he firm Of
florer & Dunlop, John Florcr being
the senior member of the firm ana
Fnney one Of its clerks The Osages
were getting ready for their hunt but
none had left the reservation, 80 far
as known all being required to move
in body There hal been much nm
resi- among tn Chrycnnes and Ara
pahoes that year and small war par
Ties were stealing ont from all thn
re9etVation3 after 8ralpH
flnney and Florer started alone IN
a heavy covered lIacll drawn hy Two
strong horses Each carried six
shooter and, IN addition. Fiuney hll
Il Winchester ana Floter shotgun
| he moment they pulled west of Bird
Creek on which the pawhnska agency
was situated, they Werc outside civ
illzation. Beyond lay the vast plains
reaching to the Rocky mountains.
FInney and Florei planned an early
start the morning after the sixth day
ont, intending If possible TO reach tho
- h"'''H'' ~ NV va y WI ~ dltt pun
into Pawhuska the second day Of Tho
homeward trip. They had not seen
anybody since they lett .pawhuska
'Thay were on their way before sun
rise next morning, rattlip down a
trail that led finally to ford on Salt
Fork, the only one in hat part Of
the country that could bo safely
crossed with a wagon.
Sighted a War party
Tho travellers haI made about six
miles when something attracted their
attention tour or i've miles east ol I
them on the salt Fork Trail Some
ming was flashing and glittcrne in I
the sunshine. The ambulance was
stopped. The elittering and flashing
anne from the points OF Indian spcirs .
reid upright by the warriors as they
'cde westward along the trail Tn re
were eighteen indians, an finely
mounted
War party. sure as fate exclaim-
'i Florer. But they're not OsaGes
or the whole tribe is on the reserv1-
lion getting ready for the Lu~