The Carbon County chronicle. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1924, 1924-08-20

good care of himself.
"On the day after arrived il
Washington called upon the sec
rotary of the interior and asked
him to have search made for the
original Garfield treaty with the
Flatheads in 1872, and, after some
hours, the document was found
with the signatures of Arlee and
Adolf, second and third chiefs of
the Flatheads, but there was no
signature by Chariot. The names
of the witnesses we're affixed to
the treaty, but it was evident that
the signature of Chariot had been
forged TO the instrument as pub
lished by the commissioner of In
dian affairs.
THE secretary agreed with me
that a great outrage had been per-
petrated upon Chariot and readily
consented to permit him, with a
few of his tribe, to visit Washing
ton in the hope that he could be
persuaded to resume his place as
hereditary chief of the united Flat
heads on the Jocko reservation.
In the latter part of January,
1884, Major Roman, agent for the
tribes of Indians liv-
ing on the Jocko reservation, I'M
der instruction from the commits
sioner of Indian affairs, came to
Washington with the following Bit
ter Root Flathead Indians;
Head Chief Chariot, Slem-Hak-
Kah little Claw of Grizzly
Bear, Antoine Noise, Gallup
Squai-She (Came With a Ring
Around His Neck, Louis, Licoot-
Sim-lIay Grizzly Bear Far Away
John Hill Ta-Hechet (Hand Shot
Off, Abel, or Tom Adams, Swan
Ach-Ham (Red ARM, and the of
ficial interpreter, Michael Ravais,
whose Indian name was Chim-Coo-
Swee (The Man Who Walks
Alone).
"They we're kindly treated by
the president, the secretary of the
Interior, and every argument was
used to induce Chariot to move
from the Bitter Root valley to tht
Jocko reservation. His only an
swer was that he had come to SEE
the great father in order to gair
his consent to his remaining in the
Bitter Root valley where he was
born and wished to be buried. He
declared that under no circum.
stances would he 60 to the locke
reservation.
AT this time Chariot was al
most totally blind and finally sug-
gested to Major Roman that if he
could restore or improve his eye
sight 1t would do much to obtain
his consent to reuniting the tribe
on the Jocko reservation and his
resumption of authority as heredi-
tary chief. Major Roman told me
that Chariot was very much de
pressed by his loss of eyesight, as
he was a great hunter and could
no longer see to shoot game in the
mountains.
Major Roman talked with the
chief on the subject and reported
that Chariot was willing to have ar
operation performed, as both his
eyes had been attacked by a catar-
act. ! consulted with the secretary
of the interior and he authorized me
to employ the best occulist in
Washington and agreed TO pay The
expense out of the contingent fund
"The operation was successful
ly performed but even after this
Chariot still persisted in his re-
fusal to leave the Bitter Root val
ley and go to this Jocko. All Of
fers by the secretary of the inter-
ior Of pecuniary reward could not
shake Charlot's resolution. An Of
fer to build him house, to fence
in and pillow sufficient quantity
of land for a farm, TO give him
seed and implements, and agri-
cultural implements, and to do
likewise for each head of a family
belonging to his band; also to give
him a yearly pension of $500 and
to recognize him as hereditary
chief had no effect.
After remaining in Washington
a month, Chariot and his compan-
ions returned to the Bitter Root
valley, nothing having been accom-
plished toward inducing him to
make his home on the Jocko reser-
vation."
In 1908 Senator Vest was sur
prised to receive a visit at his resi-
dence in Washington from Chariot
and several of his tribe, at which
time Chariot informed him that IL
years before he had gone to the
Jocko reservation and had become
the first hereditary chief, but in
c,etad +ba+ tho Dro,nicec made IN