Montana oil and mining journal., 1937-06-12
Hunger Among Cheyennes Caused Cattle The in Early NneteS

| TO give the most reassuring reports
/ They declared that the question OF q
| possible war depended entirely upon
! the government In the matter OF feed
/ ing the Indians Peace would follow
it was felt, If the Indians were given
what was properly due them.
From Fort Benton, late in June, 1892,
came the information, as reported IN
the River Press, that q lot Of roaming
Indians made raid on the house Of
Joseph Allard, at Crow Coulee, some
20 miles down the Missouri river. Mr..
AlIard was absent from home, said the
account, at the time, and the Indians
succeeded in frightening the family
away together with a young man who
was at the ranch. After taking what
provisions they wanted, the Indians
attempted to steal the horses, but were
unable to catch the animals. It is not
known to what tribe they belonged,
said the Press.
The more serious complaint, on the
other hand, came from the horse
growers whose ranges were located In
the vicinity of the Cheyenne Indian
agency on Lame Deer, in the matter
of the lack of adequate protection from
alleged Indian horse stealers. Several
Of the leading Custer county horsemen
stated they found their horses in In
dian herds, the brands changed to the
Antelope head, which was the tribal
brand. The StockgTowerS' Journal, the
year previous (1891) stated that as a
measure Of justice to the horSemen,
the Montana Stockgrowers' association
should place an inspector at the agency
as a measure Of protection and pre-
yention.
"At the urgent request of leading
horse-growers. the Stockgrowers' Jour-
nal invited the attention Of the board
of stock commissioners to this subject
and noted the fact that as the aSSO-
citation was relieved Of the necessity OF
keeping two stock inspectors at Chi
cago, one could be placed at the agency
without increasing the number In
stances Of changing of brands Of we'll
known parties to the tribal brand by
the skillful addition of a few extra
lines, were given and stress was laid
upon the very significant fact that
many pony-mareS had large American
colts trailing them, the colts being
very much larger than the mares. The
suggestion was not needed. Nothing was
done to prevent this loss to the horse
men and things have been allowed 10
go in the same old way. There Is little
doubt that sooner or later serious
trouble win arise out of this condition
of things. HorSemen are human and If
they cannot get their interests pro-
tected in the proper legitimate way
they viii take measures to protect
themselves and undesirable collisions
and conflicts will ensue. The horSemen
stock inspection and in all fairness
are entitled to the protection they
desire
1T is not so very long ago since a
fine blooded animal belonging to
prominent horsepower of Custer
county was disfigured by the chang
ing of the brand and the addition OF
the private mark Of the Indian, In
whose herd it was found
IF the board of stock commissioners
will take no steps either for the protec-
ton Of the horSe-growers or for the
Of peace and good order
most seriously threatened by the ex-
istence of the most unsatisfactory state
of things, an effort should be made to
induce the Indian bureau to issue an
order abolishing the tribal brand un-
der cover of which these wrongs are
perpetrated with immunity and the de-
lection of the criminals made almost
impossible.
'The radical measure Of abolition is
better than inspection. Let the tribal
brand be abolished forever hereafter,
and let every Indian owner OF stock,
like his white bretheren be compelled
to have his own individual brand on
his stock and duly and properly regis
tered as required by existing laws"
When Captain Tully in the summer
Of 1892 reported that the Cheyenne In
dians were quietly taking their beef
on the block, he gave the added sig
information that there were
quite a number of Indians out kill
ing deer in spite Of the fact that the
for shooting these wild animals
was closed until the 18th of September. |
A storm Of protests arose at once. At
tention was called to the fact that the |
laws for the protection Of large game |
as amended by the acts approved Feb. |
%, 1889, and March 4, 1891, shortened |
the time in which the killing Of such |
game was legalized, by period Of one |
month. The penalty for killing white |
tailed deer, black-tail deer, mule deer, !
mountain sheep, Rocky mountain goat, |
elk or moose, between June is !
and Sept. Is was q fine of not less |
than $40 nor more than $50 for each |
offense.
Captain Tully had stated that at
least so Cheyenne Indians and their
families had been out hunting since |
The first Of August. They had writ
ten permission to hunt on their reser-
vation, but none to permit them to go |
outside its limits. White Bull with his |
Powder river valley. These Indians, it /
was stated, were cautioned not to leave |
the reservation, and that If they did |
they were liable to arrest.
They should be arrested" said the /
Journal, "and tried for the offense and |
II convicted should undergo the pen !
altieS prescribed by law