The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-03-26
Northwest Mounted Police Loses
Identity as Civilization
Lessons Its Need.
BODY HAS STIRRING HISTORY
Ranged Far Into Arctic Wastes to Pun.
ish Crime, Maintain Order and ex.
tend Relief-Won the Conf.
dence Of the indian.

ottawa.-1'hat famous corps. the
Royal Northwest Mounted Police, has
ceased to exist. 1t is now merged
with the Canadian mounted police.
For half II century 1.-THE scarlet and
gold Of the riders Of the plains had
been the symbol Of law unJ order IN
territory as vast as the United States
west Ut the Mississippi. From Hud-
son bay to the Rockies. from the Inter-
nati"E.:l mun -ry to and beyond thu
nrrric ''"cle .ey carried security to
the l:"'-ahlhing and terror to the law
breaking. On l." vast prairies, in
mountains and forest. through, the ice.
h"u::d reaches Of the arctic coast they
made the long PATROL" protecting the
settler. succOring the weak and nd
lninistering justice with relentless
hand to white ami red, to British ana
alien.
The march of civilization has
brought into It's vast territory pros.
porous settlers, where the Royal North
west Mounted Pol. e found the Indian
"f the sun dance aud scalp knife. the
Of the plnins). and the outlaw who
sought this mo mans land to escape
Jus - and confirm. in CRIME. IT,, In
dian and MttiS are now peaceful farm-
"r>, the ranch has been replaced by
the farm. and railways now cover the
country as thi"'' as the Indian trails
of the seventies. Only in the far nOrti,
is any of the original work Of the POI
lice LIT. Here in the Great Bnrrens.
along 40 'lesOlate shores Of HUDSON
hay and the Arc'', ocean. through the
X 'ckies to "wSol will 1.-The scarlet
and gol'" d" the long patrol. The tn.
NOUS corp; has done it's work and has
lost its identity in the new national
force. Tile uniform has been pre-,
served: 70 rom: nee and esprit de-
corps have gone.
Origin Of the Corps.
For nearly two centuries the Hud.
son Bay company hud ruled that vast
territory between olson bay and the
Rockies. when in 1870 the Dominion VI
Canada acquired possession. The grxa,
company had been II guardian to the
warlike Blackfeet. Assiniboines and
tree Indians an kept in a fashion law
and order. The hardy Scotch factors
had In many instances married into
the tribes and their influence was pow
crfut and firm. Then came the change
in control. II became mo mans lcnd'
with the great company without au
n MI In int
with6 t amy machinery I" enforce it.
e.licts.
II was IL dangerous period. The Unit
ell States government was seeking Il
curb the fierce Sioux. They, in turn
were making Overtures to the Cana
dian Indians to join them. The whisk,
runner Was unchecked IN his tleb,lllch
cry Of the Indian. 1t was ut this ne
road that the Royal Northwest Mount
ed Police came into existence, an(
since then have Leen the most p,ten,
influence in preserving order in thi.
vast territory. Three companies wer.
nobilized ut Winnipeg. or. us 1t wa.
then known, Fort Garry" Three othe,
companies came through the Unitet
States and j"i.,esl them. and In all 5(a
men restored and preserved order II
st territory as large as Europe. wtthou
railway and peopled with nearly
100000 Indians rent with tribal war,
and embitteretl against the whites BY
the depletion of the buffalo herbs, tn,
almost sole source Of their existence
l, was then that the famous ''scarle
I'D gold" unifort. was adopted. r.
the II linn the ''red" coat symbolixe(
the power Of ''the great white mother,
and Colonel Robertson Ross. Organize
If the force, suggested this uniform II
his report.
During my inspection In the north
west ascertained that some prelude,