The Elk Mountain pilot. [volume] (Irwin, (Ruby Camp), Gunnison County, Colo.) 1880-19??, 1919-07-10
AN INDIAN STORY OF THE
LINCOLN HIGHWAY


of the Sioux Indian Congregations
Church of Santee, Nebraska.
What is now known as the Lincoln
Highway crosses Nebraska over the
trail made by the Indians before
American history began. The broad
smooth valley of the Platte river
formed natural road from the Mis-
souri, to the Rocky Mountains. The
Indian trail along the Platte was
travelled by the first whites-explor-
ers, trappers and traders-who
pushed beyond the frontier settle
ments in the early part of the last
century. This route was the main
one followed by the host Of gold
seekers on their way to California in
lS49.
About the time of the beginning
of the gold rush, the United States
Government built a fort on the
Platte river where the city of Kear-
ney, Nebraska, now stands. Federal
cavalry was stationed at the fort
for the protection of travellers. Those
were wild days and outlaws found
unprotected immigrants easy prey.
There came along one day a COM
pany of immigrants with large
drove of cattle. Near what is now
the outskirts of Kearney, one of the
cows went lame and had to be
abandoned. Soon afterwards band
of Indians happened by and found
the lame COW. Knowing that the COW
would be slaughtered and eaten by
wolves, if left on the trail, the In
dams killed the animal and ate it
themselves.
In the midst of the feast, United
States cavalry troop came tearing
down the trail from Fort Kearney.
The officer in command CURLY de-
manded the surrender Of the Indian
who had killed the COW. The leader
of the Indians replied that his band
supposed they were doing no harm
in butchering a COW that could not
travel and had been left to perish
on the road.
Just then the officer caught sight
of an Indian who he supposed had
killed the COW, and, fool that he
was, Immediately shot the Indian
without further parley.
Instantly there was an "lndmn up
rising" of vengeance. The soldiers
fled toward the fort with the Indians
in hot pursuit. The fight ragged along
the trail for miles, and but very few,
If any. of the cavalry troop reached
Fort Kearney alive.
For years afterwards those In
dams attacked all white travellers
along that trail, and when the Union
Pacific railroad was built, they tore
up the tracks and wrecked the trains
Thus the lives of many whites were
lost and much property destroyed be-
cause one hot-headed cavalry officer
had neither judgment, nor tact, nor
common sense.
II you go to Pine Ridge or Rose
bud reservations, few old Indians
now living there will tell you this
story in speaking Of the early days
when the whites first moved west
ward across the Nebraska prairies.
But the last 70 years have wrought
great changes. and today what was
once a trail, blood-stained and worn
by the advance guard of new ma
ton, is one Of the greatest national
roads in the world-the Lincoln
Highway. For more than 461 miles
this road extends in the State of
Nebraska, and this is only part OF
its transcontinental length. To-
day the pleasure-seeker tours in his
automobile over the same ground
that the early white settler and i'm
migrant knew as a trail through the
wilderness.
But few tourists know that when
they motor along the Lincoln High
way near Kearney, they are passing
the scene of the ''lame COW" fight,
where the brutal action of white
man brought down the vengeance OF
an outraged Indian tribe.-Highway
Magazine.
ITS CHAMPION Dempsey NOW