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

in my pocket to have soldiers
brought from Fort Missoula and
that he and his 5 or 90 warriors
could be tied and carried over to
the fort like so many bags of grain.
The chief, although ragged, dirty
and half starved, drew himself up
with great dignity and said:
You may carry me to Fort
Missoula dead, but you will never
carry me there alive. | have heard
before that your great father had
printed a book showing my name
to the treaty, but | never signed it
nor told anybody else to sign ii for
me. AS to carrying me to the fort
like bag of grain, you did not
talk that way when your people
were going to California, and came
Through my country sick and hun
cry. | had many warriors then
and could have killed them all, but
we nursed and fed them and did all
we could to make them happy.
Nearly all my warriors are
dead, and | have only women and
children. You have your foot on
Imy head now he said as he threw
on the floor a fragment of an old
wooden hat and put his foot upon
lit, but then | had my foot on your
head. There is not a drop of white
blood on the hands of my people,
and when Joseph, the Nez Perez,
|my kinsman, marched through my
country on the way to Canada |
refused to take his hand because it
had white blood on it, and told him
that if he hurt a single one of the
whites in the Bitter Root valley, |
would attack him with my war
riors at once.
"'There, he said, pointing to an
old blind Indian in the room, is
a man who drew his revolver and
defended the wife of the blacksmith
at Stevensville from the Nez Perces
at the risk of his life, He, point
ing TO the cell of Father Ravalli,
which joined the room in which we
were, was there and knows that |
refused to sign the Garfield treaty.
have no faith in what you say
now, for the government has brok-
en- all its promises made by your
lgreat father in 1855
Il watched the chief very closely
when he was speaking, and came &c
the conclusion that he told the
truth. Turning to my companions
| said that we would take a recess
for an hour, and / then took the
Indian up to the little village tav-
ern and requested the landlord tc
lgive them the best dinner he could
furnish, as they were actually fam
Iished for the want of food.
"As soon as | could do so with
out attracting attention, ! went
back to the Mission, and, going in
to Father Ravalli's cell, told him
what Chariot had said in regard to
the Garfield treaty, and asked him
lif he were there and knew the facts
He said very earnestly:
Il do not want to have any
thing to do with the matter. | am
an old man and have but a short
time to live. | do not want any
collision with the government nor
the white men in this valley, who
seem determined to drive Chariot
and his friends out of it. ! have
heard of this publication by the In
dian commissioner, but have never
said anything in regard TO its
truth or tasty. / hope you will not
ask me to make any statement now.
Il said to him: Father Ravalli,
you have devoted your life to the
cause of humanity and justice,
Chariot and his men cannot remain
in this valley. AS you know, there
will be an armed collision between
them and the whites, who are re-
solved to have their lands. / can
call upon the commandant at Fort
Missoula for troops, but am I'm
willing to do SO, for such action
could only result in the virtual ex-
termination of this remnant of a
once great tribe, of which Chariot
is the hereditary chief.
1.-THE United States has not
complied with its agreement as to
the survey of the Bitter Root val
ley. Twenty-eight years have ell
apsed and the president has order
ed the Flatheads to leave the Bit
ter Root valley and 60 over to the
Jocko reservation. If Chariot did
not sign that treaty he has been
T.