The chronicle=news., 1914-08-10

DecaHe VICIOUS untll the (lyll war
broke out when everything was In n
turmoil from one end OF the land to
the other. In 1852 the scout,
Charles Christy, then a lad of fif-
teen, came up the Missouri river with
Jim Baker and landed at Fort Ben
ton, the head of navigation. The
place was the outpost of all creation
in those days and was the most i'm
portant point on the plains. 1t was
a strong grout stockade built by the
American Fur company and was gar
risoned by battalion of soldiers who
had nothing to do but stick around
and see that the Indians did not steal
anything.
The Sioux had village across
the river while other Indians such as
the Crows. the Blackfeet. the Assin-
BONES. Gros Ventres, Bannocks, Sho-
shones and Chcyennes came and
went in their nomadic fashion and
Everything rocked along nicely. Ma
jOr Culbertson, the master at the
fort. was not only squaw man him
self but knew how to trade with the
aboriginals so as to make a lot OF
money for the company and keep the
bucks in good humor. while at the
same time retaining his own scalp.
which In itself was quite an accom-
plishment even in times of peace.
Boy-like Christy had to have a
chum and as there were no white
kids nearer than Salt Lake. thous-
hn Il
next best thing by picking out n
good-looking Indian boy from the
Sioux village. The tribe called the
red kid Tatanka or something like
that and as he was of Christy's age
they nicked in nicely with each 9TH
cr and got along like Fagin's THEY
es. Tatanka showed Charlie how to
make bows from the lancewood and
arrows from the osier and they were
then ready for business. They an
nOunced themselves as hunters and
said they would show the warriors
how to fetch in the game.
The boys decIIed to make red
headed woodpeckers their speciality
and had pretty good luck in shooting
them as the birds hammered away on
the dead timber in the river bottoms.
The heads OF these pecking birds
were highly priced. by the warriars
for the decoration of their shields for
it was long before wampum or beads
had been introduced among them.
Every time the kids brought in a
woodpeckcr's head there was great
hustle In camp and the bucks readily
gave up a pair of moccasins or some
thing equally as valuable to get one
of the topknots. In this way the
youths soon accumulated quite a
stock of Indian wares which they
traded off to the travellers who came
up on tho boats. Flour sold at dol
lar a pound and it took a good deal
of strategy to get 1t at that but they
got along all right and made plenty
of money for boys.
One day TatanKa was sent out with
the cattle to herd them when it came
his turn to take out the stock. He
got into row with big husgy calf
and killed it. Then at evening when
his pony ran away and left him afoot
he picked up the .arcass of the slain
calf and packed 1t on his back. He
shofted it around now and then so
as to make the load easier and once
in this way the head stuck up over
his back higher than that of his
seen by some garrulous squaws who
were out picking berries and they
wondered what the funny thing was
that they saw bearing down upon
| them in such mysterious way.
About this time Tatanka sat down
on sand hummock to take rest
and as the squaws approached near
| enough to make out who and what 1t
was that had frightened them they
set up a great kiyi whcreupon the
villagers ran out to see what it was
all about. One of the squaws point
ing toward Tatanka said the word
which meant Sitting Bull. as indeed
it seemed he was, and ever after
wards that was the name by which
he was called. In later life he be-
came the greatest Sioux chief and
was the war general who personally
directed the massacre of Custer and
his battalion of the Seventh cavalry
on the Little Big Horn in 1876
Field and Farm
| A Prim Sort of Picnic: Life is not
a picnic under the most favorable
circumstances, hut that of the old
time wagon boss had more cheerful
features than fall to most of MS.
There was ever anxiety about the
weather and they always packed up
and went, rain or shine. No one
who has the true picnic spirit will be
discouraged by flood and wagon
boss never yet saw the weather that
stopped him. They ate out of doors
sitting on the ground, and that is al
so true of picnics. and they had good
appetites although the grub did not
always suit them and there were al