Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1931-11-05

celVlng part OF the powder but said he
was not at the powder house.
turned, with instructions to take them
back to Benton.
Doty pushed on in pursuit of the
thieves. On Elk river he found another
camp of Blackfeet, where the chief,
Bulls Head, Immediately surrendered
the horse and gave two others as
amends for the misconduct of his men.
Sixteen days after the theft, Doty re-
turned the horses to the Pen d'OreilleS
at Benton and what promised to be a
distressing incident served to strength
en- the faith of the Indians in the word
of the governor.
1t was September s when the Nez
Perces moved to the Yellowstone. 1t
was two days later when the Flatheads
sent word that they could not stay
more than a fortnight longer. The
| couriers said that, unless the council
were held in less than three weeks,
there would not be a western Indian
there. Cumming remained Indifferent,
even opposing the suggestions of Stew
ems as to the nature of the treaty which
should be submitted to the council. He
took no part in the strenuous efforts
made to hold the Indians together,
though it was his incompetence which
had caused all the trouble.
The boats had not yet arrived. Stew
ems sent messengers down the river and
found they had not yet reached the
mouth of the Judith and would not be
there before October 8. That was a
hundred miles below Benton and rs
days would be required to tow the cargo
that distance. The Indians were scat
tering and, though their friendliness
continued, they were becoming restless.
1t was essential that the council be
held at the earliest possible moment; it
was the psychological time, when all
the Indians were in the right mood.
To his agents and couriers, who had
been told to assemble the Indians Oc-
tober 3, the governor confided a new
plan and sent them scattering with the
message. The council would be held
at the mouth of the Judith where the
boats would be unloaded. All Of the
tribes were brought together, the en-
tire western delegations attending and
the Blackfeet sending selected parties
with their chiefs. Had Cumming
brought the supplies through on time,
there would have been $4,000 Indians
at the council, as it was there were
5000.
In assembling the Indians at the
new council place, some lively messen-
enger work had been done. Hazard,
the governors ~13-year-old son, rode
$50 miles between 10 o'clock one norm
ing and 3 o'clock the next afternoon.
Doty rode 300 miles in quick time: Hig-
gins went to the Yellowstone, 200 miles
to the south; Tappan and Adams rode
as far.
Three days were spent explaining to
the chiefs the necessity for the change
in the place of the council and on
Wednesday, october 10, Governor
Stevens went down to the mouth Of
the Judith. On the next day he reach
ed the point where the boats were I'M
loading, a mile below the Judith. He
prepared the council ground and as
signed the Indians to their respective
ground as they arrived. Cumming came
down the river in a skiff and did not
reach the Judith until Saturday. Mon
day, the last of the Indians had come
and ON Tuesday, october l6, the coun-
Gil was opened.
Vexatious though the delay had
been, it had served thoroughly to &C
quaint the Indians with the purpose of
the treaty and to give them an under
standing of the attitude Of all concern
ed. The Crows were the only n Of
the tribes summoned, not represented.
The Snakes had been compelled to re-
turn to their home. but were counted
upon to support the treaty. In the
council were the Blood. Blackfeet, Pie
gans, eros Ventres-eastern tribes
and Nez Perces, Fatheads, Kootenais,
Pen d'Oreilles-western.
Two days only were required TO reach
an understanding as to the treaty.
The governor referred to the fact that
all the tribes were at peace with the
white mar and he wanted them to be
| friendly, each with the others. There
was no dispute except as to the zone in
which the Flatheads and Pen d'Oreilles
should be permitted to hunt buffalo.
The Blackfeet wanted to hunt south
into the Yellowstone country; the Pen
d'Oreilles wanted to hunt in the Mis-
souri, valley, as it was closer to their
pass over the mountains. The Black
feet finally agreed and the treaty was
signed. October Is, 10 and 20, the
days following the signing of the treaty,
were devoted to the distribution Of
presents, to feasting and rejoicing.
They fraternized pleasantly and all
agreed, though the Crows were not rep
resented, there would be no attack
made upon them by any of the treaty
tribes.
The treaty was signed in time to es-
tablish peaceful conditions in the great
central valleys OF Montana before the
arrival Of the immigrants who came
In the early sixties. 1t insured for the
immigrants immunity from the out
RACES which had characterized the set
Element OF the Sioux country and the