The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-06-11

dent of the eStab-
lishment of the a .c.., T.,. I.,. c-,n
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
mutual protective society, energetic and
well manned, the losses will continue"
That was in August, 1890.
The Messiah Craze was beginning
to have its effect among h Chey-
enne Indians. Maj. W. A. Cooper, spe.
cial agent in charge in the summer Of
1890, was anxious to have Captain
agent. while it was not intended a a
reflection upon Major Cooper's admin
istration, yet it was observed that "the
Cheyenne agency is in a deplorable
state Of mastery inactivity. A gentle:
man called there the other day and
could find out by rapping at doors
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
4IlU1d11S 11dO bCCA4 01ACo0C0 VA SAASA Va
Major Cooper, special agent.
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 to
Lose his nerve T; ana let an Tne af!esseo
People living in the Rosebud river
valley were reported unhappy with
the present status of the Indian ques-
ton" Troops from Fort Keogh were
dispatched to the Tongue river re-
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 ndlan Ms me
dams are as well intentioned as they
should be, but they fear, they say, that
the Cheyennes, encouraged by the no
ton that the whites have no troops;
to protect them, may yet make a break."
W; W. Alders9n' WIG operated > ptriSt,dor q
Of Lame Deer creek. before his 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 the
whites from Indian attack, he was
thoroughly 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 raw
orable for the hiding of his body, that
such horseman would bite the dust. AT
the same time it was reported that the
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 ,,s,c eates sso ins9
Secretary Noble of the presidents cab
met. There can be no satisfactory. set
Element of the Indian troubles until an
honest committee investigates the mat
ter, was m statement. Gen. Nelson A.
Miles was quoted as saying that h
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 will be
continued with a surfeit always Of VIM
dams, and powder and ball furnished
by a government most thoughtful OF
the needs of the Indian wards" critic
ally commented the Journal on Jan.
with the troubles arising not being
confined particularly to the region OF
ficers, following the Wounded Knee
fight conducted an investigation in the
spring. They did not seem to be Die
to give the most reasSuring reports.
They declared that the question of a
possible wal depended entirely. upon
the government In the matter of feed
i~r Tho TnHionc pooro UO111H f011Ow
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 a lot of roaming
Indians made a raid on the house OF
20 SSSn miles down down the In MISS Missouri niu river: MI.
Allard was absent from home, said the
account, at the time, and the Indians
succeeded ! n frightening the family
away together with a young man who
was at the ranch. After taking what
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
a tas g1ci on 1s Of the nes Cheyenne y me Indian Indian
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 Stockgrowers' Journal, the
year previous (1891) stated chat as a
measure of Justice to the horsemen.
the Montana StockgroWerS' as-sociation
should place an inspector at the agency
Is E measore Of protection and pre-
"At the urgent request of, LEADING
horse-growers. the stockgrowers' Jour