Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-12
NORTH
WOODS PATROL
BECOMES PAST
Mounted Forces That ROamed
Far Into Arctic Wastes
No Longer Need.
HAS STIRRING HISTORY

territory as vast as the Oulleu StHLC7
west of the Mississippi. From Hudson
bay to the Rockies, from the interrs-
tonaI boundary TO and beyond the Arctic
circle they carried security to the law
abiding and terror to the lqwbreaking.
On the vast prairies, in mountains and
forest, through the ice-bound reaches OF
the Arctic coast they made "the long
patrol" protecting the settler, succoring
the weak and administering justice with
& relentless hand to white and red, to
British and alien.
The march Of civilization has brought
into this vast territory prosperous set
tiers, where the royal northwest mounted
police found the Indian Of the sun dance
and scalp knife, the excitable Metis (the
French half breed of the pIains), and
the outlaw who sought this mo Mans
land" to escape justice and continue
In crime The Indian and Metis are
now peaceful farmers, the ranch has
been replaced by the farm, and rail
ways now cover the country as thick
Pe the Indian trails Of the seventies
Only in the far north is any Of the
original work of the police left. Here
81 the greata barrens, aIong the desolate
shores of Hudson DAY and the Arctic
ocean, through the Rockies to Dawson
will ''the scarlet and gold" do the long
patroI The famous corps has done It's
work and has lost its identity in the
new national force. The uniform hos
been preserved; the romance and esprit
de corps have gone.
GREAT COMPANY
HELD GUARDIANSHIP
For nearly two centuries the Hudson
Bay Company had ruled that vast terri
tory between Hudson bay and the
- h. n, anti Of
Canada acquired possession. The great
company had been a guardian to the
warlike Blackfeet, Assiniboines and
Cree Indians, and kept in q fashion law
and order. The hardy Scotch factors
had in many instances married into the
tribes and their influence was powerful
and firm Then came the change in
control. 1t became a "No mans Land"
with the great company without au-
thority and the Dominion government
without any machinery to enforce its
edicts.
It was q dangerous period. The
United States government was seeking
to curg the fierce Sioux. They, in turn,
were making oyertures to the Canadian
Indians to Join them. The whisky run.
ner was unchecked ina his debauchery
of the Indian It vas at this period
police came into existence, and since
then have been the most potent influence
in preserving order in this vast terri
tory Three companies were modified at
Winnipeg, or as it was then known,
"Fort Gary" Three other companies
came through the United States and
Joined them, and in all 500 men restored
and preserved order in a territory as
large as Europe, without a railway and
peopled with nearly, 100000 Indians
rent with tribal wars and embittered
against the whites by the depletion of
the buffalo herds, the almost sole
source of their existence. 1t was then
that the famous scarlet and gold uni
form was adopted. To the Indian the
cred" scat symbolized the power of "The
Great White Mother" and Col. Robert
sOn-Ross, organizer Of the force, sug-.
gested this uniform IN his report
PREJUDICE AGAINST
UNIFORM OF MEN.
During my inspection in the north
west I ascertained that some prejudice
existed among the Indians against the
color of the uniform worn by the men
OF the rifles, for many Indians said,
"Who are-those soldiers at the Red river
wearing dark clothes? Our old brothers
who formerly lived there meaning II
adding, We know that the soldiers OF our
great mother wear red coats and are
our friends
And in this way, to impress the IL
dams Of the plains, was adopted the
uniform that has given distinctive iden
tity to this famous corps.
From the Red river the new force made
its first long patrol. Through what was
then known as the Great American Desert
Vt struggled for 500 miles, establishing
posts, and finally winterlng at TT. SIC
Leod, in the foothills Of the Rockies
From there its activities spread until
now on Hudson Bay, Coronation Cuff,
the frozen Arctic and the desolate Yukon
are posts from which patrols keep watch.
By horse, canoe and dog train they carry
the authority Of the law to the Eskimo
Of the Arctic, the whslers Of Herscheil
Island and the goidseeker Of the Rockies
IN the last fifty years they have brought
the wild Indian into treaty" have made
the cattle rUstler or whisky runner only
@ name, and in the Klondike rush that
Beething mining camp of Dawson was as
safe as an eastern hamlet. During the
TeE' mo OF tr' l.c' Il tH
Canadas western domain PASSED from
Q country Of tribal conflict through the
railway stage, when our first great trans
Tie without provoking strife with the
original owners Of the country, to the
period of peaceful settlement and the
upbuilding Of modern cities. and IN these
varied stages the famous force adapted
itself to the conditions without loss in
effectiveness OF of the sincere regard Of
the complex population.
In dealing with the Indian tribes the
Royal Northwest Mounted Police did in
valuable service. They won not only
the confidence of our own Indians, but
also Of the fierce Sioux, who sought ref
uge in Canada after the Custer massacre.
%hey made treaties and kept them. The
Blackfeet, paid this testimonial to the
men who abolished the sun Dance and
tribal wars:
"If the police had not come to the
country where would be all now? Bad
men and bad whisky were killing Us 50
fast that very few indeed Of us would
have been left today. The police have
protected us as the feathers Of the. bird
protect it from the frosts of winter"
PROMISES MADE
TO INDIANS KEPT.
That famous warrior, Red Crow Of the
same tribe. said:
"Three years ago when the police first
came TO this country I met and shook
hands with StamiXotokon (Col MacLeod)
Since that time he made me many prom
ises. He Kept them all-not one of them
was ever broken"
p" hen Pia-2-lot. q 'warlike Cree chief,
came south with his band and held up
the construction of the Canadian Pacific,
q sergeant and constable Of the police
arrived, entered the hostile camp, ar
rested the old chief surrounded by his
braves, and landed him in Jail He was