Montana oil and mining journal., 1937-06-12

lions system on the Mon Tana Lou" Grin
Cheyenne Indian reservation. I'VE hear
complaints every day from StOckgroW-
ers," said the Stockgrowers' Journal,
who inform us that at least five
percent of their losses arise from that
cause. Organization is the, only method
of stopping 1t, and until we have
mutual protective society, energetic and
well manned, the losses win continue" !"
That was in August, 1890.
The Messiah Craze was beginning
to have it's effect among the Chey-
enne Indians. Maj. w. A. Cooper, Spe-
cial agent in charge in the summer Of
1890 was anxious to have Captain
TLlly arrive as the newly appointed
agent. While it was not intended as
reflection upon Major Cooper'S admin
istration, yet it was observed that the
Cheyenne agency is in deplorable
state of mastery inactivity. A gentle-
man called there the other day and
found everybody away, so far as he
and hunting around. The traders store,
a long way off, seemed to be the only
place to find the employees"
Lending color to the gravity OF the
situation at the agency, the report
reached Miles City that Two Moons
and a considerable group of Cheyenne
Indians had been arrested on oroer OF
The major, it appears, had ordered
Two Moons and his group to stop their
dances with the agitator, Porcuplne,
who assumed to be the new Messiah.
Major Cooper, however, seemed 70
lose his nerve and let all the arrested
Indians go without punishment"
People living in the Rosebud river
valley were reported unhappy with
the present status of the Indian ques-
tion.b Troops from Fort Keogh were
dispatched to the Tongue river re-
zion. The understanding, in the sum-
mer of 1890, was that the soldiers were
in the field to keep the peace.
"Officers of the Custer troops, com
mented the StockgrowerS' Journal eS-
pecially Major Carroll, are reported by
the people to have declared they are
In the field to protect the Indians. Inc
people are not satisfied that the IN
dams are as we'll intentioned as they
should be, but they fear, they say, that
the CheyenneS, encouraged by the no.
tion that the whites have no troops
to protect them, may yet make a preak.
w. W. Anderson, who operated q
ranch on the Little Muddy, tributary
of Lame Deer creek, before ms re-
turn to his place on Dec. 80, 1890, said
that in regard to the Indians IN the
Tongue river country, that talk as
people would about the safety. OF tne
tlforoughly convinced that it was more
than dangerous for a single white to
ride through the hills, for as surely
as he was seen by two or more In
dams, and the surroundings were faV-
Orable for the hiding OF his BODY, tnat
such horseman would bite the dust. AT
the same time it was reported that the
Powder River people viii have
chance now to get acquainted with the
army folks. Eight companies have gone
to PoWderville to scout the country
south and east of that place"
The element of hunger on the part
of the Cheyenne Indians enters into
the severe criticisms voiced against
Secretary Noble Of the presidents cab
met There can be no satisfactory set
tlement of the Indian troubles until an
honest committee investigates the mat
ter, was one statement Gen. Nelson a.
Miles was quoted as saying that the
Indians are starved and nagged into
hostilities.
"As the interior department does not
seem to be willing to surrender its
guardianship over the Indians, the pro
cess of gorging and starving viii be
continued with a surfeit always of Win
chester rifles in the hands Of the In
dians, and powder and ball furnished
by a government most thoughtful Of
the needs Of the Indian wards" critic
ally commented the Journal on Jan.
II, 1891.
With the troubles arising not being
confined particularly to the region Of
the Cheyenne Indian agency, army Of
ficers, following the Wounded Knee
fight conducted an investigation in the
spring. They did not seem to be able