TOPEKA, KANSAS, DAILY COMMONWEALTH.

[Continuation of items sent by Dr. Sam Dicks, historian at Emporia State University, which will assist Cowley County citizens in learning about our early history inasmuch as very few of the early-day Cowley County newspapers were microfilmed. I went ahead as before and typed any and all articles that I could find. Not all of these pertain to events in Cowley County, but I think it is important to reflect the era covered.

On December 2, 1874, the Commonwealth covered the haunting story of the “Mountain Meadow Massacre,” which occurred in Utah. MAW]

DENIES THE SHEEPSKIN.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, July 25, 1874.

ARKANSAS CITY, KANSAS, July 31, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

Although it is hardly worthwhile, ordinarily, to answer newspaper charges, will you kindly deny that I have received the honorary degree of A. B. from the university of Indiana, as stated in your issue of the 19, and thus oblige.

Yours, very respectfully,

H. B. NORTON.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

Advices from the frontier say that two hundred and fifty lodges of Kiowas, including many influential chiefs, have returned and camped near the agency. Lone Wolf still hangs back and is camped with a few braves near Antelope hills. The messengers sent to the Comanches having returned, state that half of the Comanches have signified their intention to come in.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

The locust in the tree tops now assist to enliven the twilight dullness, and also relieve the monotony of the dusky mixture of notes from seven-octave pianos, the click of croquet balls, screeches from miniature misses in stiffly-starched line, the ring of the auctioneer’s bell, and the sounds of the horn on the ten cent ’bus.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

A prominent citizen of the state who went east a short time since, writes back to Major Anderson: “We left Topeka via Midland, and will say it is the best 27 miles of track west of Pittsburg.”

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

Capt. J. Lee Knight, of the Riverside gallery, exhibited a large collection of his pictures at Chicago recently, during the session of the national photographic association. The pictures were very highly complimented, as we learn from the reports of the convention, and since his return home Capt. Knight has received a note from E. & H. T. Anthony, of New York, asking him to advise them as to his formula or mode of working, as demonstrated in the Chicago display, for use in the columns of the Photographers’ Bulletin. Capt. Knight has always manifested a pride in taking good pictures, and we are glad to see his enterprise so highly and so deservedly complimented.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

In contemplating the Plymouth church festival, it is refreshing to notice how the “God of Battles” is worrying poor Theodore. He never writes a letter, never promulgates a sworn statement, never unbosoms himself to a prying reporter, without making allusion to the “God of Battles.” We submit that a man who will stand idly by and see his wife kissed by her pastor without introducing said pastor to a pair of his heaviest boots, is not exactly the sort of a being to indulge in such melodramatic whining about the “God of Battles.” We have been inclined to think with Ben Butler that “Tilton has a case,” but we hope he’ll invoke some other assistance and give the “God of Battles” a holiday.

STATE PERSONALS.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

The Ottawa Journal says congressman Cobb passed through that city the other day “on his way to congress.”

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

Aidede Searle, city engineer of Lawrence, is busily engaged on the Kansas Midland extension from De Soto to Kansas City.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

Col. C. G. Hawley, one of the oldest and most widely known citizens of the county, has been recommended as postmaster for Girard by Hon. D. P. Lowe.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

Dr. D. Y. K. Deering, a young physician, has been very generally recommended for the medical studentship within Congressman Cobb’s nomination.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

John Big Arm, a well known Wyandotte Indian, returned home to Wyandotte on Friday, after an absence of twenty-five years in California.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

Miss Mary Reeder, daughter of Doctor Reeder, of Burlingame, Kansas, and one of the pupils of the Kansas state normal academy of music, died in Leavenworth on Friday morning after a brief illness.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, July 26, 1874.

Farmer Bronson has been requested to repeat his five hours speech delivered in Lynn County on the Fourth. If his speech has been stretched out to five hours in length, it must be extravagantly emaciated as to thickness.

INDIAN MATTERS.

THE CHEYENNES STILL THREATENING.

The Commonwealth, July 31, 1874.

In the COMMONWEALTH correspondence from the Indian Territory during the late Indian excitement, mention was made of the cattle train of nineteen wagons lying at Sewell’s Ranch, on the Fort Sill cattle trail; waiting for an escort to conduct it to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian agency. It will be remembered that Major Upham ordered Captain Carter’s company of the fifth infantry to conceal themselves in the wagons and thus proceed with the train to its destination. From a private letter received yesterday from the headquarters of the battalion, near Caldwell, we learn that the train had been heard from within ten miles of the agency, where it no doubt arrived safely. They report that they were watched by and saw Indians from the time they crossed Salt Fork till they reached Kingfisher’s. The Indians sent up signals with smokes constantly and were plainly waiting for a favorable opportunity to attack. They doubtless discovered the presence of the escort and scented the ambuscade. Major Upham left Caldwell on Wednesday, 29^th, with his company of cavalry, to scout down through the Territory to the Cheyenne and Arapaho agency, and may encounter the Indians seen by Capt. Carter. His orders are to consider every Indian hostile found wandering off his reservation. Agent Miles left Caldwell on Tuesday last with an escort of twenty infantry under Lieutenant Hargus, and a large train containing Indian supplies. He had reports from the Indians of the agency at that time to the effect that a large party of Cheyennes have left for Colorado, from which locality our correspondent thinks we will next hear from them. An Indian outbreak is yet possible though there is no apprehension of danger any longer on the Kansas border, it being too effectually guarded. Word was received a few days ago in the governor’s office, that a number of Osages were in Comanche County hunting buffalo. Gov. Osborn ordered Major Bolus to take his company of militia organized at Sun City, in Barbour County, and scout down through Comanche County, and, if he found any Indians, to arrest them and hold them as hostages until something definite can be learned of the murders and scalpings by the Osage mourning party in Barbour County. The expedition has not yet been heard from, but is composed of men who will obey orders literally. There may be a locking of diplomatic horns betwixt the state of Kansas and that godly, shad-bellied fraud, Agent Gibson, ere long.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, July 31, 1874.

The command under Gen. Custer is still pushing its way towards the celebrated Mecca of the Indians—the Black Hills. No fight had occurred at last accounts, though the movements of bodies of natives indicated preparations for an offensive consolidation of lodges. The general in command reports that the country thus far passed through is beautiful, fertile, and well supplied with timber and water. On some portions of the route remarkable caves and picturesque scenery have been discovered, which indicate that really interesting places for the resort of the tourist and curiosity seeker exist in that land of inexhaustible wonders and probable riches. The health of the expedition has been remarkable, none being sick, and the stock has increased in fatness from the nutritious pasturage along the route of march.

The Commonwealth, July 31, 1874.

The more we learn regarding the flood-calamity in the vicinity of Pittsburgh, Pa., on Sunday, the more appalling it becomes. It is now believed that the total loss of human life is over 200, and that the loss of property will exceed $5,000,000. Destructive freshets are also reported in central Kentucky and on the Ohio and Licking rivers, causing considerable loss to railway, coal-shipping, and farm property.

The Commonwealth, July 31, 1874.

In the articles of separation between Mr. Tilton and Mrs. Tilton which have been drawn up, he makes over the house in which they have lived to Mrs. Tilton, with the furniture, ornaments, musical instruments, and library, “for the purpose,” as expressed in the instrument of separation, “of retaining around the children, who remain with the mother, the familiar articles to which they have been accustomed.”

POMEROY’S LITTLE GAME.

The Commonwealth, July 31, 1874.

Just before Pomeroy, by the employment of flat and disgraceful perjury, effected the removal of his case from Judge Morton’s jurisdiction to Osage County, he tendered a request which it would be base disparagement to call cheeky, that his bail be reduced from $20,000 to $10,000. For a man of Mr. Pomeroy’s reputed sagacity, this was an inexpressibly maladroit move, for it exposed his hand completely.

The plan, of a score or more which he has probably considered, chosen by the ex-senator for the conduct of his case, is to weary out justice by finding pretexts for fatiguing delays to the end, he hopes, of having the case fall from the docket some day like a blighted plum. Of course, this is a tedious and costly process to Pomeroy personally, to say nothing of the burden it imposes on this county, which pays the expense of the trial wherever it goes and however long it lasts. In this connection we might add that this change of venue will be as costly to this county as two continuances.

FROM THE FRONT.

The Quaker Policy.—Manifest Destiny.

Solving the Indian Question.

Concealments and Misrepresentations by the Quakers.

The Commonwealth, August 2, 1874.

SARGENT, KANSAS, July 30, 1874.

From a Regular Correspondent.

It is a gratifying sign of the times to observe that the lately published manifesto of the little knot of secluded Quakers, who have their hiding place at Lawrence, Kansas, has found no favor with the authorities at Washington. The fulminations of this bevy of peace-lovers, par excellence, would be unworthy of notice were it not that they are the embodiment and accredited exponents of a system of false notions regarding the Indian problem which prevails largely in the east. It is not to be remotely expected that the killings, scalpings, and spoliations committed by the Indians, or the constantly accumulating evidences of the unsoundness of Quaker rule, will bring about any change in the sentiments of the inhabitants of these far off states. Nothing short of actual contact with their brethren of the forest will remove the scales from their eyes and permit the light of truth to penetrate their benighted souls; and as it is not among the probabilities that these people will go to the trouble and expense of coming west to enlighten themselves on the subject, would it not be a pious idea to get the scattered tribes together and drive them to New England, where their friends would have special supervision of them and prevent the savage whites from encroaching upon their rights? That country is not lacking in barren tracts that would answer for reservations, and there is hardly a man in Kansas or Colorado that would not volunteer his services to facilitate their speedy transit.

Besides placing the red man beyond the reach of the persecutions and barbarities of the pale-faced outlaws who inhabit the frontier, it would open up to settlement a country unequaled in fertility of soil and natural advantages, and give farms and homes to thousands of families now struggling for existence in the over-crowded communities of the east. Such an arrangement would add materially to the wealth and income of the nation, and give complete satisfaction to the people of the west. And who knows but that this consummation might not prove the happy solution of a question which has hitherto baffled the skill of the profoundest statesmen?

But my design was to call attention to the misrepresentations of this junta of inspired peace-makers. Their manifesto was evidently written to bolster up a waning and false theory, and evinces throughout a studied effort to suppress the truth. They tell us that the Indians, by way of retaliation for outrages committed upon them, have attacked one train, a few ranches, and some buffalo hunters who sell whiskey and steal horses; leaving the impression that nobody, except a few horse thieves, has been hurt, and that peace, order, and tranquility reign undisturbed among the tribes. It cannot be possible that these worthy plenipotentiaries had not read of the murder and scalping of the four men whom Agent Miles assisted to bury; that they knew nothing of the killing of Kime, near Medicine Lodge; that they had not heard of the butchery of Warren, near Dodge City; that they had seen no account of the massacre of two men near this place, on the 4^th of July; or that they had had no intimation of the authenticated catalogue of other murders and atrocities the Indians have been guilty of since the beginning of the outbreak.

These murders, which have invariably been characterized by the usual barbarities of scalping and other mutilations, had all transpired and were well known when the Quaker Sanhedrins indicted their little pronunciamento against a man who would not surrender his honor and integrity to sustain a lie. If the Quaker Indian policy cannot be upheld without resort to such flimsy, wicked expedients, it would be better that the Quaker Indian policy be consigned to oblivion.

If we escape total destruction at the hands of the noble representatives of the backwoods, we are likely to be devoured by the pestiferous grasshoppers, a vast army of which made their appearance here today. They came from the west and seemed to be moving in an easterly direction. The air is deluged with them, and they seem to be getting ticker all the time. As we have nothing but native grass to offer them in the way of food, they will probably continue their journey eastward till the find better accommodations.

There is a dearth of Indian news just now, but when Phil. Sheridan reaches the “field of batteriel,” which he will in the course of a few days, he will stir up a little breeze among their Lone Wolfs, Big Bears, and the rest, who have thus far had things pretty much their own way. His orders are to pursue and punish the rascals wherever found, regardless of reservation lines, sugar plums, or Quaker protestations, and the probability is that the campaign will be “short, sharp, and decisive.” T.

CARD FROM PROF. NORTON.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 6, 1874.

ARKANSAS CITY, KANSAS, August 2, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

I find myself once more forced into print, on account of a misunderstanding. In your issue of the 24^th, I published a card stating that I had not received the degree A. B. pro merito from the University of Indiana. I did this because I was suffering severely from the honor of some of my fellow teachers, who considered it an excellent joke; one which every college man will appreciate.

The fact is, my dear and honored friend, President Hoss, now a professor in the University of Indiana, sent to the Emporia Ledger an announcement that I had received the master’s degree from the university. This your typo misunderstood, and printed as above. I did not care to enter into the matter any further than to correct the mistake, which I did without stating the real fact. In doing so I referred to the matter as a newspaper slander; an attempt at humor so feeble as to be misunderstood, and angrily commented upon the Ledger. Hence this communication.

Trusting that this will be the end of a small annoyance, I remain,

Yours, H. B. NORTON.

THE LAW FOR THE SALE OF LANDS IN KANSAS.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, August 7, 1874.

From the New York Tribune.

Just prior to adjournment, congress passed a law for the sale of the lands of the Kansas tribe of Indians in Kansas, which will enable persons of limited means to establish themselves in that state. The law gives to every bona fide settler, heretofore reported as such, on any of the trust lands of these Indians, the privilege of making payment of the appraised value of their lands at the local land office at Topeka, in six annual installments, the first payable Jan. 1, 1875, and the remaining installments to be paid annually with 6 per cent interest.

Provision is made in the second section of the act, that the remainder of the trust lands and the undisposed portion of the diminished reserve shall be subject to entry at Topeka in tracts not exceeding 160 acres, by actual settlers, one-fourth of the appraised value thereof to be paid at the time of entry, and the remainder in three annual installments with six per cent interest. All the lands not taken within twelve months are to be sold at their appraised value. Rules and regulations for the disposition of these lands, amounting to 215,774 acres, will soon be issued by the commissioner of the general land office.

GRASSHOPPERS IN MITCHELL COUNTY.

THE LAW FOR THE SALE OF LANDS IN KANSAS.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, August 7, 1874.

For four days this week clouds of grasshoppers have been passing over this county in a southeast direction, and enough have come to the ground here to totally destroy the corn crop, but still our farmers are in good spirits. Our population is about 7,000. We have enough small grain to do our people and supply four counties of the same size. There is in the county about 200,000 bushels in wheat, rye, barley, and oats. In our next issue we will give correct figures of the amount of grain in the county. Beloit Gazette.

GRASSHOPPERS.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, August 8, 1874.

In Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin the omnivorous grasshopper has, during the last ninety days, been demonstrating his capacity for the destruction of crops.

Instances have come credibly to the notice of the Times where, in a single hour, fields of forty acres of corn have been entirely denuded of verdure and killed outright.

In the neighborhood of St. Joseph, Missouri, these pests have been exceedingly disastrous to all sorts of fruit; in many instances, they have eaten the meat all off the peach pits, and left only them for human consumption.

Near Marysville and Waterville, in Kansas, the ravages of grasshoppers have been general and sweeping as to corn and all manner of vegetables.

North, and in the immediate neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa, the winged scourge has been doing incalculable damages.

In Nebraska, about the Blue river, and the Platte, at Fort Kearney, the devastation of corn-fields has been complete and irreparable. But the wheat crop in that State has been unusually large, both as to average and yield, and this will ameliorate the condition of that newly and sparsely settled section of Nebraska which lies west of the Loup Fork and Blue rivers. The bountiful supply of small grains will, in part, make up for the severe losses in corn and vegetables. Chicago Times.

FROM THE FRONT.

The Indian Expedition.

A Full Account of the Army Now Outfitting at Fort Dodge.

Its Line of Operations.—Gen. Miles to be in Command.

The Heroic Defense at Adobe Walls.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, August 8, 1874.

DODGE CITY, KANSAS, August 5, 1874.

From our Regular Correspondent.

An expedition is now being fitted out at Fort Dodge to assume offensive operations against the Indians who have been waging war on the frontier settlements. It will start from the post about the 15^th of the present month. The expedition will be composed of eight companies of the Sixth cavalry and five of the Fifth infantry, numbering in all about one thousand effective fighting men. Four of the cavalry companies are now here, and three more are on the way from Fort Lyon, C. T. The other company that is to complete the complement of cavalry is at Camp Supply, and will join the command at that place. Four companies of the infantry are here and the other companies will arrive in a day or two. About one hundred wagons accompany the expedition from here. Ten white scouts and about the same number of Indians will go along. These will be under the charge of Lieut. Baldwin. The troops will not be encumbered with any useless luggage, as they go under light marching orders. Col. Compton will command the cavalry, Capt. Bristol the infantry, and General Miles will command the expedition. All of these officers have seen service. Gen. Miles belonged to the celebrated second army corps, which made itself notorious at the battle of the wilderness, by gobbling up Johnson’s division of rebs. Col. Compton served with honor during the war in an Iowa regiment. Capt. Bristol also stands high as an officer, distinguished alike for bravery and good judgment. There will scarcely be a commissioned officer connected with the expedition who has not seen active service, while a good proportion of the enlisted men are veterans of the war. Jake Callahan, an old frontiersman, and who has been in as close quarters as anybody, accompanies the outfit as wagon master. There will be about one hundred and fifty citizen employees.

Altogether, the composition of the entire expedition is such as to leave no room to doubt that, if the opportunity offers, they will give a good account of themselves, and it is fully to suppose the Indians will surrender without a stubborn resistance. They are well armed, mounted on ponies that will keep fat on grass, unencumbered with supply trains or anything else that would retard their quick motion in a warfare against the troops. A good many of their wild brothers have turned up missing since they commenced the war, and they will be anxious to avenge their deaths. Their vindictiveness and animosity towards the whites know no bounds. The man who falls into their hands suffers a two-fold death and is literally chopped to pieces.

The expedition will go from here to Camp Supply, in the Indian Territory, and from there west to the Antelope mountains, where it will be joined by the Tenth cavalry, colored, from Texas, and from there to wherever the enemy is. The Fourth and Eighth cavalry, which have been operating on the borders of Texas and New Mexico, I am informed, will move in conjunction with the force leaving here, and will close in on the Indians from all sides. It is estimated that the force which will soon be on the move will number between twenty-five hundred and three thousand men, independent of citizen employees. It is not accurately known how many Indians are participating in the present war, but is judged that the number will not fall short of three thousand. They are now said to be uniting in the region of the Staked Plains, the more effectually to resist the troops going out against them. They will fight on ground of their own selection and may inflict serious loss on our forces, but the ultimate result cannot be doubted—they must yield. They are not supposed to be overloaded with ammunition, and when this is gone, there is nothing left for them to do but to surrender.

Companies C and D of the Fifth U. S. infantry, which have been doing guard duty along the A. T. & S. F. road, have been relieved by the Nineteenth, lately arrived from the state of Louisiana. These two companies left a very favorable impression where they became known for their general quiet and civil deportment.

A train loaded with buffalo hides arrived here yesterday evening from the Canadian, the scene of the late siege and heroic defense of a handful of men against two hundred redskins. As the facts become better known, the heroism of these men is without parallel. There were thirty men inside the stockades, and only twelve guns. With these they succeeded in keeping at bay, and finally driving off, over two hundred Indians. So bold were the savages, and so confident of their prey, that they came right up to the entrances to the stockades, and endeavored to break down the doors. One fellow was entertaining the boys inside with a war-dance on a buffalo hide. That was his last war-dance. A piece of lead from a needle gun struck him and brought his performance to an abrupt termination. He gave a yell and a bound, and then went to the earth. Others, to the number of forty, paid the same penalty for their reckless daring. Twelve Indian heads, minus hair, feathers, and other thum mim, [? Hard to read last words] now adorn the gate-posts of the corral. The collection is diversified by the caput of a negro, who was killed among the Indians with a can of yeast powders in his hand. He didn’t “raise” worth a cent after that.

The Indians carried off all their wounded and most of their dead, whom they buried on the adjacent hills. About thirty freshly-made graves were counted. In this remarkable encounter with the savage hosts, only three whites were killed, one inside and two outside of the stockades, namely, William Tyler and Isaac Schiedler and his brother. There were others killed, but not at this place or time. The hunters still hold their ground, and no Indians have been seen since in the vicinity. It was evidently not a healthy place for them to jerk buffalo meat or to dry plums.

Some of the trophies captured from the Indians are now on exhibition at this place, among them the scalp of a woman with long black hair. A number of others were noticed in the belts of the warriors. Some of these ought to be forwarded to the peace commissioners; the sight of them would no doubt confirm their belief in the utter innocence and harmlessness of the Indians.

The merchants and businessmen of Dodge City have survived the anathemas of General Pope, who seems to think they are fit subjects for total extermination. If the general would take the trouble to visit the frontier, and become acquainted with the real facts, he would find that the businessmen of Dodge, or any other town, are in no manner responsible for the present outbreak. They are shrewd, go-ahead businessmen, and the imputations of the general are unwarranted, to say the least.

Mr. J. F. Hardesty, of Sargent, received a letter from his brother, a short time ago, who is on his way from Texas with two thousand head of cattle. He, with others, are now laying over at Red river station, afraid to move on account of the Indians, who are reported to be moving on the trail. These men are entitled to protection. As Kansas is largely interested in the Texas cattle trade, it would be only fair that the state furnish an escort for the herds now blockaded at Red river.

The grasshoppers have made a clean sweep of everything in the shape of vegetation hereabouts. The prospects for a good crop were very encouraging until these pests made their appearance.

There has been considerable rain of late, which will give the grass, that had become dry and parched, a new start.

The Messenger still sends out its weekly messages of news and literary collations. The citizens of Dodge not only patronize their home paper liberally, but a large number of dailies, conspicuous among which I notice the COMMONWEALTH. This shows that they are an intelligent and discerning people.

I may have occasion to particularize the different branches of business carried on at Dodge at another time. T.

JOHN DAVIS’ ILIAD OF WOES.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, August 8, 1874.

That uncompromising agriculturist and aggressive reformer, John Davis, is humanly speaking, a mighty ill-used man. John came to Kansas about two years ago, and as soon as his foot touched our historic soil, he was afflicted, as many newcomers are, with an ardent desire to reform something, the better to do which he hankered for a seat in the halls of congress. After surveying the field “where,” as an eminent Kansan used to remark, “every prospect pleases and only man is vile,” John concluded that, like the cooper who erected a barrel to fit the bung, the only way to get to congress was to get up a party to send him there. Accordingly, the John Davis party was born and christened. The foundation was laid, and John returned to his battle with the cut worm and his wrestle with the borer to dream on the architecture of the edifice. But disaster came, with its hair parted in the middle, in the guise of Melius, who infringed on John’s patent, and ravished his budding hopes. John divided his political homestead claim with Melius for harmony’s sake, and went on writing essays on the curculio and prescriptions for cattle mashes for the agricultural department of country newspapers and dreaming pleasant dreams. Sudden and sharp was the awakening. With the air of Caesar at the Lupercal, he thrice put away the nomination for lieutenant governor, convinced that so much self-abnegation could not fail of its reward. Contrary to John’s desire, the managers—among whom was the gentle Melius, who hates John as a jealous lover his rival—called the first district convention at once, though it was none of Melius’ funeral, as he publishes a paper in another district. It had been suggested that something ought to be done for Leavenworth, and that the least that could be done was to nominate Mark Parrott for congress. John’s services to reform, his proud position as the originator of the party, stood for nothing. A lazy interloper who never had done a hand’s turn towards helping the dromedary movement, stepped in at the last moment and walked off with the prize which had stimulated Davis’ efforts and achievements in the cause of reform.

What adds poignancy to Davis’ disappointment is the fact that Melius proudly boasts of it as his work. Since Davis is done for, crows Melius, the subsequent proceedings are, to him, devoid of interest. There is but one man more that Melius hankers to be even with, and that unfortunate person is McComas. If the ferocious Melius does not get in an intestine winder beneath McComas’ belt before this cruel war is over, it will be because the gentleman from Bourbon County gives him a wide berth. But John Davis is the tragic figure in this company. He is what Mr. Micawber would poetically term a fallen tower, and has not been heard to say anything about the office seeking the man since the adjournment of the what-is-it convention.

FROM BUTLER COUNTY.

The Drouth and the Crops.

The Indian Scare.—Militia Company Organized, Etc.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, August 9, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

We are having very hot weather here in Butler County; in some portions no rain has fallen since May 20^th sufficient to lay the dust. There will be much suffering this year in Kansas if all portions are as dry as this part. The drouth seems to be in spots, as it were, for several localities in this county have had all the rain desired. Our corn looks poor on an average, but we had a good whet crop, and small products such as potatoes and garden vegetables of all kinds have done well.

Stock, such as cattle and hogs, are doing fine, better than common, and several lots have been shipped east. Sheep are thriving finely, though they are not handled very much at present.

State politicians are working up some in this section, several aspirants want something, they know not what. They would like to go to congress, especially one person in our little town, who says the farmers all over Kansas write him to run for congress. It beats all how a man can talk about his friends insisting (!) that he shall run for office, and that he don’t want it himself.

The Indian scare is over, but think it may revive any day, as the Indians are still on the warpath and committing depredations farther west. A company of Kansas cavalry has been raised here at Eldorado, and was organized last week; officers as follows: Marshall D. Ellis, captain; Hiram Childers, first lieutenant; H. Betz, second lieutenant. They will receive their arms probably this week, and will be ready for Indian service immediately. Many of the company are old soldiers and used to war alarms. We predict a good report of them if ordered out.

Grasshoppers are more numerous than a week ago; they seem to be coming from the west, but are not in numbers sufficient to harm anything as yet. We are waiting to hear of the next excitement. It is about time to hear of one. Yours, etc., BUTLER.

Eldorado, Kan., Aug. 5, 1874.

THE INDIAN SITUATION.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, August 9, 1874.

Yesterday we published a full description of the expedition now outfitting at Fort Dodge, to be sent against the Indians, acting in conjunction with similar expeditions from New Mexico and Texas. The blast from the bugle-horn of the fighting Quaker, Miles, has proven to be worth a thousand men of his peaceful persuasion in putting the Indian question in the way of settlement. The military household have better means of knowing the movement of the Indians than the department of the interior, and this very extensive warlike demonstration would not be made causelessly. In very truth, we believe that we are on the eve of an Indian outbreak in the southwest as grave and extensive as that which Custer settled by the decisive battle of the Washita, when Black Kettle was killed, a thousand ponies slain, and a large number of squaws taken prisoners. That memorable occasion extracted the fight from the Cheyennes and Arapahos, and they have been measurably quiet ever since. A sufficient time has elapsed, however, for them to recuperate, and their discomfiture then has sufficiently faded from their memory to allow entrance to the idea that they are strong enough to engage the whole United States army.

Our correspondent says that it is believed that the Indians to the number of three thousand are now uniting on the Staked plain. This is a vast, trackless desert covered with shifting sand, which can only be traversed by the aid of stakes set in the ground, hence its name. Its topography is thoroughly familiar to the Indians, who have the advantage of superior knowledge in choosing it as their refuge. The voice of the council which met in the Red hills, which has already been discussed at length in the COMMONWEALTH, was undoubtedly for war, and the following tribes will probably be found to be uniting together: Comanches, Cheyennes, Kiowas, Arapahos, a goodly sprinkle of young Osages, a handful of Kaws, and a few Apaches. The first four mentioned tribes will probably send out a large proportion of their available strength, and those who are left behind will relieve the tedium of reservation life by short sorties to scalp and rob along the cattle trail. The Indians mean war, in our judgment, but may be deterred from overt demonstrations by a show of strength and readiness on the part of the soldiery.

We have been contemplating for some time saying a few words on the general aspects of this Indian business, especially as it effects Kansas, and the aforementioned expedition furnishes our cue. We may premise what we have to say by the proposition, which we do not think will be controverted by anyone informed as to the facts, that the Quaker policy has been a lamentable failure. The state of Kansas is largely and materially interested in the successful management of the Indians by the general government, and therefore, we second the policy proposed by Senator Ingalls, of abolishing the board of Indian commissioners and removing the control of these national wards from the interior to the war department. The late Indian excitement on our southern border has cost this state a prospective population of at least ten thousand people, besides which it demoralized the settlers in the border counties. The government of the United States is indirectly, and the Quaker Indian superintendent and the agents under him are directly, responsible for the murder of about twenty of our citizens. These murders were, for the most part, committed by Osages, a tribe ostensibly peaceful, and of whom their agent, Gibson, would be willing to swear, if a Quaker were allowed by his religion to make oath, that they were all exemplary Sunday school scholars, and hadn’t been off their reservation for a year. We have been to some pains to ascertain the outrages traceable to this tribe which have occurred during the past year or two, every one of which could be verified as the work of Osages if necessary. The following is the list.

Moseley, shot on Medicine Lodge creek by Big Hill Joe’s band of Osages, July 6^th, 1872.

Floyd and Percy, living on Beaver creek, Cowley County, shot and scalped by the same band, January, 1872, near Timber Mountain.

Fred Pracht, shot and pierced with a spear at Caldwell, June, 1871.

Four men from Independence, Missouri, killed near the mouth of the Medicine Lodge in November, 1872.

A wolf hunter killed near Mule creek, November, 1872, by the Little Osages.

A lone Texan, on the Shawnee cattle trail, killed at the order of Big Hill Joe on the Osage Reserve in July, 1873.

Chambers, killed by the Black Dog Osages, near Sewell’s ranche, June, 1873.

Griffin, killed by Black Dog Osages, July, 1872, near the Cimarron.

A carpenter, killed while journeying alone down the Arkansas river in a skiff in June, 1874, not more than two months ago.

W. H. Wheeler, of Arkansas City, disappeared on the Osage Range, January, 1872, and has never since been heard from.

It is believed by people living in Kansas, adjacent to the Osage reservation, that the recent murders in Barbour County, in this state, were committed by a mourning party of Osages, nineteen in number, that left the Osage agency, going north, but a few days before the scalping occurred. Agent Gibson knew of the going out of this mourning party, and he also knew that its object was to take scalps, yet he neither informed the military or the interior department. The yearly meeting of Quakers would have passed a resolution asking his resignation had he done so, and, indeed, Agent Gibson would have had another and more potent inducement to conceal the actual state of affairs. He would, by exposing the treacherous cut-throats, have been abetting the killing of the goose that laid the golden egg. He and Superintendent Hoag, who could not but have had information of the facts, are therefore to be deemed justly accessories of the murders of these settlers for not speaking up like Miles and asking for military aid. From thoroughly reliable and honorable gentlemen residing in the southwest, we are informed that this man Gibson is an unscrupulous and avaricious old trickster, who holds his humane office solely for its illicit gains. His brother-in-law, Hyatt, is the Indian trader for the tribe, and they stand in together on the profits. There are worse scandals connected with his name in reference to certain school mistresses on the reservation, which, owing to public satiety of this sort of discussion, we refrain from characterizing in detail.

The following is the list of murders supposedly committed by this Osage mourning party inside the borders of the state of Kansas.

On the 19^th day of June (thought to be Cheyennes, but now known to be Osages), murdered John Martin. On the same day and by the same band, the following were killed: Keneda, two and a half miles southwest of Medicine Lodge, and Kime, three and a half miles west of Medicine Lodge. On the 20^th of June a boy named Coon was killed on Mule creek, one mile east of Smallwood City, in Comanche County, believed to be by the same band. On July 3^rd, Thomas Calloway [Calliwell], George Faun [Fawn], Patrick Hennessey [Hennessy], and Ed Cook, having in charge a supply train of three wagons, were killed on Turkey creek, eight miles south of Mosier’s ranch on the Fort Sill cattle trail. Hennessey was captured and tied to the wheel of one of the wagons and the sheaf oats carried for forage was piled around him and he was burned alive. While his body was still burning, Mosier, the proprietor of the ranch above mentioned, and a man by the name of Marion, rode out to recover the bodies. They hitched the horses they were riding to one of the empty wagons, and were about dragging in one of the dead bodies when the Indians returned upon them, circling about the wagon, and firing upon them. Mosier and Marion made a run for it, and escaped, but not until they had satisfied themselves that the greater number of the attacking party was Osages. Yet Agent Gibson has not communicated a word to the department as to these outrages committed by the tribes under his charge, or, if he has, it has never reached the war department or the public. The Osage reservation lies along the northern boundary of the Territory contiguous to Kansas. It is no more than right to ask the government that our citizens shall be protected from such dangerous neighbors, and that measures be taken which will keep this most cowardly and treacherous of all the plains Indians in check. We are inclined to believe it is a good sound drubbing they need worst of all, with the incidental extermination of the Kiowas, a tribe which does not number more than three hundred warriors, but is at the bottom of all the deviltry on the plains. Gen. Sherman has some such notion, and is putting his views into active execution. We think the outcome of all this hurly-burly is that the national policy of nurturing serpents in the governmental bosom will give place to the more rational and practical, and to all concerned, the most humane plan of turning the Indians over to the control of the military and placing them under military surveillance.

BY TELEGRAPH.

FROM THE FRONT.

Indian Fight on Medicine Lodge.

Five Indians Killed and Thirty Ponies Captured.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, August 11, 1874.

HUTCHINSON, August 10, 1874.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

On Friday last the Kansas militia company under command of Captain Ricker, thirty strong, when scouting down the Medicine Lodge in Barbour County, encountered about thirty Osage Indians. They engaged them at once and had a severe tussle. Five Indians wee killed and thirty ponies taken. The fight occurred ten miles north of the Territory line in the state of Kansas. No white men were killed or wounded.

The Commonwealth.

G. W. VEALE, Proprietor.

HENRY KING, Editor.

INDIAN TERRITORY.

President Grant’s Views of the Land and Government Problems.

[From Col. Boudinot’s Statement in the St. Louis Republican.]

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 13, 1874.

The president received me very graciously, and introduced the question at once on seeing me. He went on to state to me that he had always felt, ever since he was a young officer in the army, a great interest for the Indians; that in early life he had been stationed among them in the west and had seen how they were swindled by traders, agents, and everybody else who had any business with them. He said that since he had been president, he had endeavored to put a stop to these impositions upon them. He thought he had succeeded in a measure in doing so, but that he could not expect to be president always. He said his successor may not be as good a friend to the Indians as he is. He said he was anxious to do as much good for them as possible while he had the power.

The president continued addressing me: “As for your civilized Indians in the Indian Territory, I think it would be best for you to have a territorial government organized over you by congress, which would provide for the surveying and sectionizing of the country, and the allotting of your lands in severalty with United States courts and a representation in congress. Each man, woman, and child should have at least 160 acres of land set apart for them in fee simple, which land should be inalienable for twenty years, to guard against the ignorant and improvident being swindled out of their proportion of land by designing men. As for the balance of the land remaining after the division in severalty is made, it might be sold to Indians outside the Territory and to any persons wishing to purchase, giving the first chance to Indians outside.” “There was,” said the president, “no doubt a great many shiftless and worthless Indians, as among all other people, who would not be much benefitted by the wisest provisions for their interest. Here, even in this enlightened community (alluding to Washington City), there are many to whom if you should give 160 acres of land today, to do it as they choose, they would not have an acre in a week. By adopting the plan I suggest, the best of your people will have an opportunity to acquire a home and a title to their lands which no power can deprive them of, and the worst portion of your population, the worthless and improvident, will be protected at least twenty years in spite of themselves.”

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 13, 1874.

We have word from Prof. H. B. Norton that his nomination by the piebald convention for the state superintendency of public instruction was utterly without his knowledge or consent, and a practical joke that he thinks far too serious for a laughing matter. He authorized no one to use his name before the convention, nor gave anyone to understand that he would accept a nomination if tendered him. He will formally decline in a letter to share oblivion even in such agreeable company as Cusey and Harrington. This makes the second hiatus in the what-is-it ticket, Mr. C. F. Koester, the nominee for treasurer having declined without thanks. This removes the last blemish of capability that marred the beautiful symmetry of the dromedary ticket.

ANOTHER “BUFFALO BILL.”

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, August 14, 1874.

A writer in the Chicago Times says: “Now they are endeavoring, and with some show of success, to show that the Hon. William Cody is not the true Buffalo Bill, but that William Matthewson, a modest man of muscle, is entitled to the distinction of which the man of the melodrama has robbed him. Matthewson was born in New York, and at the age of ten ran away to the pineries of his native state. Seven years later he had established a trading post in Southwestern Kansas, away out on the frontier. He was in the buffalo range, and always kept a season’s supply of the meat hung up in his ranche, to which the freighters were always welcome. In 1860 the famine raged in Kansas, and that he might secure meat for his suffering fellow-men, Matthewson did not hesitate to push right into the midst of hostile Indians in search of buffalo. Wagons were laden with his charity offerings, and all the early settlers and immigrants, recognizing his good and timely work, called him “Buffalo Killer,” changing the sobriquet substantially to Buffalo Bill. He rode unaccompanied among savage Cheyennes, Arapahos, and Kiowas, inviting them to meet in council and accept reservations. The Indians respect him highly, though they call him “Sin-pah-zil-bah,” the dangerous long beard. He has always been a friend of humanity, making no distinction between white and red men. All had a share of his bounty.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, August 15, 1874.

DODGE CITY, August 11, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

A part of Gen. Miles’ expedition, consisting of four companies of the Sixth cavalry, and one of the Fifth infantry, accompanied by scouts and a train of twenty wagons, left here this afternoon to take the field against the hostile Indians. They will reconnoitre the country between here and Camp Supply. Two companies of infantry had previously gone to escort Mexican trains, loaded with forage and commissary stores for Supply. The balance of the command will leave day after tomorrow for the same point, where the expeditionary forces will re-unite and move on the enemy’s works. If existing orders are not countermanded from Washington, this timely movement against the Indians cannot but be productive of good results. When the forces now in motion are consolidated, they will present a very formidable array to the murdering red-skins. It is not believed they will succumb without a determined resistance. The various war parties are reported to be united in anticipation of a movement by the United States troops. They are said to be assembling at the Wichita mountains, and with the defenses afforded by these, it will be no easy matter to dislodge them. Lieutenant Frank D. Baldwin, chief of the scouts, leaves in the morning, with fifty picked men, for Adobe walls. Lieutenant Baldwin has been selected for this responsible position on account of his soldierly qualities and good judgment. He served with credit during the war in the Sixth Michigan volunteers.

I suppose everybody in Kansas, as well as a great many outside of it, has heard something of Dodge City. It is not a very large or pretentious place, yet large enough and pretentious enough to have enemies, who have lost no opportunity to denounce it as a rendezvous for buffalo-hunters, horse thieves, and criminals of every grade. If half that has been said against it were true, Sodom would be a moral town compared with it.

I am not prepared to pass judgment on the moral status of the inhabitants, yet I am prepared to say that there are as good men, in point of moral integrity and upright business principles, here as can be found anywhere outside of Plymouth church; of course, they cannot hold a candle to the saints who sit under the droppings of chief of “nest-hiders.” Like all frontier toilers, it has been the resort of bad characters and the scene of some bloodshed in its early history, but these men have been weeded out and compelled to find other and more congenial climes, and now a more quiet, orderly town is not found on the frontier. Life and property is as safe in Dodge City today as in New York. The county offices are in the hands of some of the best and most substantial businessmen of the place: Chas. Rath, A. J. Pencock, and A. J. Anthony are the county commissioners; John McDonald, of the firm of Hoover & McDonald, is district clerk; W. F. Sweeney, county clerk; L. D. Henderson, county attorney; Chas. Bassett, sheriff; deputies, E. Hoag and Jerome Sackett; A. B. Webster, treasurer. These gentlemen all enjoy the respect and confidence of the people of the county for their efficiency in the discharge of the duties of the various offices.

Some of the business firms of the place would do credit to larger towns. Their stocks are complete and their trade legitimate. The buffalo trade has been a prominent feature of the place and furnished employment to large numbers of men.

The Dodge house, kept by Cox & Boyd, is the only hotel in the place, and is run on first class principles. The table is always supplied with the best the market affords, the rooms are neat and clean, and an air of comfort and good cheer pervades the whole house. As the matter of good grub and good accommodations is always uppermost in the traveler’s thoughts, this allusion to the Dodge house will not fail to be appreciated by the traveling public.

I am under special obligations to Messrs. Hoover & McDonald, wholesale and retail dealers in liquors, wines, cigars, etc. These gentlemen keep nothing but first class goods in their line, and as a consequence have a good run of custom. They are among the pioneers of the place, and have become permanent fixtures.

There are other firms that space will not allow me to mention at this time, but which will be noticed in due course of time.

Robert O. Armstrong leaves here tomorrow with a force of fifty or sixty men for a surveying expedition. He will commence at the one hundredth meridian and run to the west boundary line of the state, and sub-divide from the sixth standard parallel south to the south line. T.

BY TELEGRAPH.

FROM FORT DODGE.

Further Depredations by Indians.

Four Men Murdered Near Aubrey.

Two of Them Scalped and Horribly Mutilated.

Names of the Victims.—Their Bodies Taken to Granada.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, August 18, 1874.

DODGE CITY, August 17.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

The report of Indian depredations is correct. Four men were picked up from one to three miles east of Aubrey station by Conductor Hamption [?] on Saturday afternoon. Two of them were scalped and horribly mutilated, and had been burned. The other two were not scalped. The bodies were taken to Granada and interred Sunday morning. The names of the men as near as could be ascertained were: John Doyle, John McDonald, William Graham, and an old man by the name of Snyder. All of the men were returning from the mines of Colorado. Three of them were on foot and the old man was mounted.

[Note: This appears in Volume II, The Indians, on page 262. I got the news from the Winfield Courier, August 28, 1874. The only difference was that they showed “Hampton” as the name of the conductor. Their article was printed ten days later.]

INDIAN MATTERS.

Arrival of a Post Trader.

Latest Intelligence from the Indian Reservations.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, August 18, 1874.

From the St. Louis Republican, Aug. 16.

Mr. L. Spencer, the Indian trader at the Wichita agency in the Indian Territory, thirty-five miles north of Fort Sill, arrived in the city yesterday. He left the agency on Friday last, and came round by old Cherokee town to Caddo, on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad, where he took the cars. He brings the latest intelligence from the Indian reservation.

There has been no white man killed in the Territory within a month. The United States mail is sent round by Caddo and Ft. Sill since the Indians committed their raids on the Wichita, Kansas, route.

The Wichitas and afflicted bands are all at home near the agency. Old Whitehead, a Kiowa, visited the Wichita agency a short time since, and was quite sulky and insolent. He is the same one who came there two years ago, and armed with a knife, jumped over the counter of the trader’s store and helped himself to all the goods he wanted. A strong guard was placed on his movements this time, and he did not commit any depredations, although Mr. Spooner had some sharp words with him. He wanted “heap goods,” but rather assumed the role of a beggar, and said he never was an advocate for war on that agency. He has since gone out to join the discontented Indians, several days’ journey to the westward. It seems that a portion of the Kiowas and Comanches, and most of the Cheyennes, are congregated out on the headwaters of the Red River. They went out to make medicine and have not been in since. It is not known whether they mean peace or war—good or bad medicine. Big Tree and Big Bow are out there.

It is the general talk among the military that troops are about moving on these Indians from four different points—from Fort Dodge on the Arkansas, from Fort Sill in the Indian Territory; from Fort Richardson in Texas; and from some point in New Mexico. A few of the Kiowas, Comanches, and Cheyennes have remained on the reservation all the time, and the Arapahos are determined to remain there quiet. Satanta is sick at Fort Sill. He has given up all ideas of fighting, and instead of being looked upon, as formerly, among one of the worst Indians on the plains, he has calmed down spirit-broken into a serene old sage.

Mr. Spooner goes to Detroit to spend a month.

HOAG AND GIBSON TO THE RESCUE.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, August 18, 1874.

The smooth shaven and pacific Quaker is queer every way you take him. It is not to his apparel we allude, which is the outward and visible sign of an inward and prevalent sanctity, but that from the crown of his broad-brimmed tile to the sole of his high-low shoes, he is permeated with the faith that in the Kiowa lurks no guile and the Comanche is a born philanthropist; and that the Cheyenne, like Gouzago in the play, when plying his crimson avocation on the warpath “doth but jest—murder in jest.” That a people whose gospel is peace, whose creed the ultimate fraternity of all men; should look on unconcerned while certain red-skinned, red-handed savages murder and rob defenseless white men, but raise their hands and exhibit the whites of their eyes in holy horror when settlers kill sone of their would be murders in defense, is one of the anomalies of the times, more inscrutable even than the social complications of Plymouth church. That it is a fact, however, a number of well remembered and exasperating instances of Quaker interference bear testimony. The latest, and we deem it the most flagrant, case in point is accented by a letter from Friend Isaac Gibson, endorsed by Friend Enoch Hoag, in the matter of the recent encounter in Barbour County between Capt. Ricker and his company of militia and a certain body of Osage Indians, in which five the latter were killed and forty-five of their ponies taken in reprisal. This unique specimen of correspondence, which we find published in the Lawrence Journal, would be highly amusing—horribly amusing we may say, like De Quincey’s murder as a fine art, or Sala’s defense of the Thuga from a gospel standpoint—were it not that the lives of men, women, and children, citizens of our own state, are involved in this Quaker blindness or Quaker duplicity, whichever the reader pleases.

The blood is not dry on the ground where nineteen of the Osages—the very same band (Black Dog’s) indeed—murdered and scalped three defenseless white men in Barbour County. It was at first laid to the Cheyennes, but is now known to be the work of the most treacherous tribe on the plains, because not openly inimical—the Osages. We recently published a long list of murders and scalpings, definitely and authentically fixed on this tribe, not one of which we apprehend ever was reported to the authorities at Washington. Indeed, there is not a Quaker on the Osage reservation who would not be willing to swear an alibi for every member of the tribe if murder was charged against any portion of them. But to return to the letters. Here is the story of the recent encounter as told by Friend Isaac Gibson, in Isaac’s most unctuous vein.

“That this party of twenty men and nine women proceeded towards the Red mounds, meeting some white men, who told them that a herd of buffalo was in a certain direction, where they went and killed several and remained in camp two days, drying the meat, when they saw in the distance what appeared to be and proved to be about forty white men. Two Osages rode out to see them and were surrounded and disarmed of their bows and arrows. Four more Osages then rode out to see them and were treated in like manner. Two more following were warned by them not to come closer, as they apprehended danger. The two then fled, and about the same time the six prisoners attempted to escape. Four of them were shot dead; the rest escaped, but returned next day, and found two of the Osages were scalped. This appears to have occurred about three days ago. I cannot find whether they were United States soldiers, or militia. Wa-ti-an-ka says the government must pay for them four men or they will have four white men for them.”

We have seen three accounts of this skirmish, one of which we have published, all written by eyewitnesses, and in every one of which the facts are substantially related the same, that give the lie to this account of Friend Isaac’s, and we regret to say that in a case where the Osage Indians are concerned, we would rather take the word of any one of these settlers than Friend Isaac’s solemn affirmation, made as it is upon the authority of his red children. The truth is, the Indians were drawn up in line of battle, and when an attempt was made to parley, they fired, wounding one of Capt. Ricker’s company. The fire was returned and a hot skirmish ensued, in which five Indians were killed instead of four, as related by the Indians.

But the most curious and amusing part of this letter remains. We may state it as a general proposition that whenever an Indian is off his reservation, he is hunting buffalo—according to Quaker agents. The mourning party of nineteen Osages that went up into Barbour County a month or so ago were in search of the bounding bison and to jerk the succulent hump and smoke the delicate tongue. The little business they did in the way of scalps was only incidental and recreative. They wanted them to make merry over and give to their children for playthings. Their little transactions in settlers’ horses were also byplay merely. Buffalo hunting was their business. But listen to the horror stricken Isaac a spell: “I have resorted to unusual methods to ascertain the conduct of the Osages while on this hunt.” The unusual methods, judging from the fact Friend Isaac’s ignorance as to whether militia or United States soldiery were at the taking off of his pets, consisted in questioning the Osages: excellent testimony, in faith!

“Their conduct excites my admiration.” It would be difficult for the Osages to awaken any other emotion in Isaac’s drab-invested bosom. “I do not believe that even one of their men had anything to do with these depredations.” Halliday’s confidence in Beecher could no further go. But the pathetic prattle of the dove-like agent in conclusion surpasses anything in its line we ever remember having read.

“Today I was remarking the resignation the Osages showed to being obliged now, in their opinion, to give up the buffalo forever and make their living at home on farms, their present hunt proving a failure, and the plains thronging with troops. Hyatt joined me in this, that they never appeared more manly and good-natured, willing to accept the situation. But this will be a severe trial of their temper again. I intend to stick close to them and have it smoothed over. I will keep thee apprized of passing events. Excuse haste.”

“The plains thronging with troops!” That’s what’s troubling Friend Isaac and all his confreres just now. The Great Father at Washington is somewhat weary of the olive branch and blanket-and-bacon policy, and proposes to try the efficacy of a few troops. It is the forerunner of the recall of Friend Isaac, and the stoppage presently of certain profitable perquisites that makes philanthropy a pleasant avocation. Had not Isaac noticed several weeks ago to call in all his buffalo hunting Indians, and did he not receive a very strong intimation that any Indians found off their reservation would be considered hostile and treated accordingly? Why did he suffer another hunting party not only to leave the reservation but to invade the state of Kansas? And by the way, when Isaac is informed that the Osages propose to kill the first four defenseless white men they meet in revenge for the act of Capt. Ricker’s company, why does he not address a note to Gen. Pope like Agent Miles did? In a word, why are the Indians who do the killing always justifiable, and white men who do no more than defend their own, ever in the wrong? Is not Isaac a special attorney, and a mighty well paid attorney at that? But a trice to conundrums which Isaac cannot truthfully answer without confessing himself a fraud of eighteen carat purity. Friend Enoch Hoag endorses Friend Gibson’s letter and adds this:

“These Indians were peaceable, going out to hunt meat on their old reserve, which is not yet paid for, and they understand they have a right to go there peaceably to hunt, as the treaties provide to other Indians south of the Arkansas. It may be asked to whom is this militia accountable, and who is to be responsible for the murder of disarmed captives?”

Dost not know, Friend Enoch, that these same Osages the day before this engagement attacked two defenseless teamsters within a short distance of Kiowa, who managed to escape, leaving their team, which the Indians captured? And dost not know that a large number of horses have been stolen by these same precious Osages in Bourbon County within the last three months? In answer to your last query, we would say that the militia is accountable to the governor of the state of Kansas, and we would say, furthermore, that they have his orders to capture or kill every scoundrelly Osage they find buffalo or scalp hunting inside the boundaries of the state of Kansas, and that they will obey those orders to the very letter.

STATE POLITICAL POINTS.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, August 18, 1874.

The Oswego Independent favors Gen. J. G. Woods for congress from the 2^nd district. It says of him:

“General J. J. Woods is familiar with public life. Having been educated at West Point, is sufficient proof of his fitness in point of scholarship. He has had over five years of experience in the regular service and held the position of colonel and brigadier general during the slaveholder’s rebellion. He is well and favorably known at Washington City, standing well upon the records, and is a strong personal friend to Gen. Grant, having succeeded him at West Point, his appointment being secured him by Gen. Grant’s father.”

The Beloit Gazette suggests the name of Horace Cooper for state senator from that district.

The Troy Republican has a very persistent way of sticking to the point. It thus disposes of a goodly portion of the so-called “reformers.”

“‘He has been identified with the reform movement ever since it started.’ So says a new party paper of Nelson Abbott, candidate for secretary of state on the new party ticket. The fact of the matter is simply this: Abbott is a democrat, and as such would identify himself with anything to bet the republican party. And that’s just what’s the matter with nearly every man who has had much to do in getting up a new party. They are about all old democrats, and as that party has no show in Kansas, they will go into anything that is not the republican party, and have nothing to lose wherever they may go if defeated, but everything to gain, if successful.”

This from the Morris County Republican has had wide-spread confirmation in the election of delegates to the state convention on Saturday last.

“Governor Osborn appears to be the favorite nag among the people for governor this fall. The delegate elections are decidedly favorable to his excellency. Osborn has made a good governor and the people might go farther and fare worse.”

The Independence Democrat does not find the “what-is-it” fraud sufficiently sugared for its swallowing. It says:

“The true policy of the democrats in Kansas is to call conventions and nominate straight democratic tickets, standing upon a square democratic platform.”

The piebald Pecksniffs are tendered a dose of hemlock by the Walthena Reporter in the following pungent paragraph.

“All the virtuous conglomeration papers in the state set up a howl at once on hearing that S. A. Manlove, two years ago the treasurer of Bourbon County, had not yet been able to make both ends of his account meet. This was cited as one more instance of republican corruption in Kansas. It happened to transpire quickly that Mr. Manlove was one of the virtuous opposition, and we haven’t heard an howl from that quarter since. It makes a difference whether a man is a republican or an opposition defaulter.”

DECLINES.

A CARD FROM PROF. H. B. NORTON.

Why have the “What Is Its” Suppressed his Declination?

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth:

My declination, which was written on the 9^th, was forwarded to Gov. Crawford, and is not yet printed. Will you publish this copy, and oblige. Yours, truly, H. B. NORTON

Arkansas City, Aug. 16, 1874.

ARKANSAS CITY, KANSAS, August 9, 1874.

Chairman Executive Committee Reform Convention of Kansas:

MY DEAR SIR: I have this day received an official announcement of my nomination to the office of superintendent of public instruction, by your convention at Topeka on the 6^th inst.

I am heartily in favor of far-reaching reforms in our public affairs; but I believe that I can best do the work of one citizen in this direction, by working in the ranks of the republican party.

Therefore, while I cannot but feel grateful to you for the unasked and unexpected compliment involved in your choice, and while I should be proud to be found worthy to serve the state in that capacity, I beg leave to respectfully decline the candidacy of the reform party.

I remain yours, very respectfully,

H. B. NORTON.

PROF. NORTON DECLINES.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

Some days ago we announced the fact that Prof. H. B. Norton had, shortly after recovering from his astonishment at finding himself figuring on a ticket with Cusey, Harrington, and Smith, in levity named “Gewhillekens,” mildly but firmly declined being butchered to make a piebald holiday, which absolute intention he said he would soon promulgate in a public letter. The public letter was not forthcoming at the time we were led to expect by Mr. Norton, nor was any allusion to his declination made by the what-is-it organs. The cause of this delay is at length explained by Mr. Norton in his card elsewhere published, which convicts the managers of that anonymous faction of a very petty attempt at hugger-mugger and a desire to deceive the few marvelous innocents who may still believe that Cusey is a statesman and his party a genuine engine of reform, as to the friable and ruinous condition of the ticket and the movement.

Mr. Norton’s name, as we have before intimated, alone destroyed the exquisite symmetry and incomparable vacuity of the what-is-it ticket. The brains and character of it were all in one end of the ticket, and that the wrong end. By lopping himself off, Mr. Norton has restored the equilibrium; and of the residue, Cusey is an appropriate—we might say, the only possible head. The names of Mr. Koester and Prof. Norton were the only two that evidenced any desire on the part of the what-is-it convention to make a respectable ticket, and all commentary is exhausted in saying that they had to go outside their party to find these, and will exhaust their tale of half-way capable men before they can replace them.

We believe Prof. Norton’s name was first mentioned in this paper in connection with the office of state superintendent, over a year ago. We recognized in him then, and do now, a man who was an enthusiastic school teacher without being a pedagogue, a student and a reflecting man, albeit a man of energy and practical ideas. We know him to be honest and of exemplary habits, and of sufficient administrative grasp to take hold and perform the duties of the office at once, and to perform them well and satisfactorily. We thought him to be the very ace of men for a position which has been the repository, heretofore, of cant and quackery to a most nauseating degree. The piebalds thought to capture him, we suppose, by the cheap and left-handed compliment of a nomination; or, which is more likely, the nomination would have gone begging if they had waited to find a candidate for superintendent of instruction who would drive tandem with Cusey for governor. However this may be, the adventitious respectability given to the ticket by his name, is now withdrawn, and their unwillingness to make known the fact to the world betrays their desperation and shows what a cheap huddle of demagogues the leaders really are. Mr. Norton is still a candidate for the office of state superintendent, subject to the decision of the Republican convention.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

We published an account last week of the marriage at Emporia, some six years ago, of a Mr. Stone, of Auburn, with a Mrs. McCartney, of Indiana, and their subsequent removal to Auburn. Mrs. McCartney was a widow at the time, her husband having left her some six years previous. Our romance went on to say that the lady’s former husband arrived in Auburn week before last and demanded his wife. We are not informed by Mrs. Stone that this is incorrect; that the present Mrs. Stone was legally divorced from her first husband, and that her return recently to Indiana was caused by the illness of her mother. We give Mr. Stone’s version of the affair as cheerfully as we gave the other, and are assured by him that it is strictly true.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

The San Juan mines are proving a failure.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

Hon. Schuler Colfax is to deliver the address at the Colorado fair, September 26.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

Half a million pounds of wool have been shipped from Pueblo to the east since July 1.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

The Denver brewery sold 500 kegs of beer on Tuesday—and yet the weather is cool out there.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

The territorial tax is only a mill and a half, and there are only forty-three prisoners in the penitentiary.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

Senators Logan, Bogy, Howe, and Wright and Congressman Judd are visiting the mountains.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

The people of Boulder have raised the $15,000 required by law, establishing the territorial university at that place.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

A bond election will be held at Pueblo, August 22^nd, to aid in the construction of the Pueblo & Salt Lake railroad from Granada to Pueblo.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

The grasshoppers are as disastrous in Colorado as in Kansas. Many fields of corn bear the appearance of having been struck by lightning.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 19, 1874.

Rufus Clark, of Arapahoe County, has one hundred and fifty acres of potatoes, which will probably produce 25,000 to30,000 bushels. Mr. Clark has expended over $2,000 to prevent the ravages of the potato bug this year.

BY TELEGRAPH.

AN INDIAN OUTBREAK.

The Osage Indians Declare War.

The Frontier in Imminent Danger.

They Can Muster Fifteen Hundred Men.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 20, 1874.

ARKANSAS CITY (by way of Wichita), August 17^th, 1874.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

We have just received information from the Osage agent that the whole Osage Nation has declared war, and that this frontier is in imminent danger. The news was brought up by Stubbs, late agent of the Kaws. The facts as Mr. Stubbs gives them are these. When the Osages heard of the killing of five of their men on Medicine Lodge, they immediately held a council and decided for immediate war. Agent Gibson did all he could to quiet them, but in vain. They finally promised to wait until Mr. Stubbs could get to Medicine Lodge and investigate the affair, but Stubbs fears they will not keep their promise, and says we are undoubtedly in much danger. I think he is about as much in earnest as Agent Miles was a short time ago. Stubbs thinks they can muster near 1,500 men, including boys twelve years old, and upwards, but I presume he overestimates them. The militia at present organized are not well or fully armed, although Governor Osborn has sent a number of arms and considerable ammunition to this border. I am to muster a company at Thomasville, ten miles up the Arkansas river from here, tomorrow morning, and Thursday we will organize a battalion of six mounted companies. We have communicated these facts to Governor Osborn, and promise, if he can arm our battalion, that we will take the job of cleaning out the Osages.

G. H. NORTON, Captain Militia.

THE OSAGES.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 20, 1874.

The dispatch which will be found in another column of our paper foreshadows a grave emergency. Misfortunes come not as single spies, but in battalions. The Indian panic of several weeks ago not only demoralized the settlers on our southern border, but acted to deter immigration, which was setting in with unprecedented volume. A continued drouth of six or seven weeks united with the chinch bugs is largely deteriorating our crop prospects, and the voracious grasshopper saved us the trouble of harvesting what seemed to be saved from the first two visitations by picking the meat off our misfortune and polishing the bones. And now on the heels of all comes an Indian war of first-class dimensions to oppose which will tax our crippled resources to the utmost and seriously protract the settlement and improvement of our southern border.

One streak of light illumines this dark prospect. The Osage tribe, Great and Little, have declared war against the United States, including the state of Kansas, and it fills us with unspeakable satisfaction to contemplate in our mind’s eye the thorough drubbing they are about to receive. If ever a set of sneaking cut-throats and chronic horse thieves deserved a lesson, it is this same tribe of Osages. The innate savageness of such tribes as the Cheyennes and Apaches pleads in palliation for their wrong doings, with those who reduce justice to an abstraction and hold to the view that the Indians are more sinned against than sinning. But the Osages are, despite their blankets and beads, to all intents a civilized tribe, and have a pretty accurate conception of the nature of the contract between them and the whites. They are the most cosseted and best fed of all the tribes, but behind the mask of peacefulness they wear the war-paint of treachery and deceit. They are constantly murdering defenseless white men, and now that the settlers have turned in their own protection, they propose to justify themselves in wholesale slaughter and rapine.

We are well prepared for them, or can be at twenty-four hours’ notice. As soon as Gov. Osborn received intelligence of the facts yesterday, he at once, through Adjutant General Morris, placed himself in communication with the border contiguous to the Osage reservation. There are organized along the border some 600 militia. Arms and munitions were forwarded by express yesterday, and within a day or two a battalion of four hundred and fifty effective men can be in readiness to march. Adjutant General Morris ordered all the militia captains to review their companies and to replace all poorly mounted men by other and efficient recruits. This battalion will be composed of picked men, and will be able to cope successfully with all the Osages that may be brought in the field. Let it be known that they declare war and an offensive campaign will be inaugurated at once. The militia will march upon their reservation, take possession of their squaw camps, and compel a fight. If the Osages do not then rue the day they declared war, we are sadly out in our reckoning. We are glad this tribe has at last shown its hand, and that the dangerous illusion that they were a peace loving community of savages is at last effectually dissipated by this overt and unmistakable act.

GLORY ENOUGH FOR ONE DAY.

The Settlers Victorious and Justice Vindicated.

The Homes and Hearthstones of Thirty Thousand People Saved.

JUSTICE IS NOT AN IDLE WORD.

The Osage Ceded Land Suits Decided in Favor of the Settlers.

Copies of the Decrees in Both Cases.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, August 22, 1874.

A telegram received by the United States district attorney in this city yesterday told in a half dozen words a story that will fill the hearts of thirty thousand people with joy and thanksgiving. Its message of gladness was that the Osage ceded land suits had been won by the settlers, and a decree had been ordered in their favor. No tidings ever carried to so many apprehensive souls the balm of relief and the immeasurable comfort of security. The afternoon mail brought to the clerk of the court the decrees in both cases, which are ordered to be entered up in due form next Tuesday. The news spread like wildfire, and scores of attorneys and unprofessional citizens visited the clerk’s office to reassure themselves by a sight and perusal of the veritable documents. As there will be a universal interest to see them, we subjoin copies of the decrees, as sent. These decrees are in blank, and are to be filled up with the essential formulas:

Circuit court of the United States, district of Kansas. In equity.

The United States of America vs. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas railway company.

Final decree.

This cause came on to be heard at the June term, 1874, before the Hon. Samuel F. Miller and Hon. John F. Dillon, judges of said court, upon the bill, answer, replication, exhibits, and proofs, and was argued by George R. Peck, district attorney, Wilson Shannon, and McComas & McKeighan, solicitors for the complainant, and T. C. Sears, solicitor for the defendant, and the court being now, August, 174, fully advised in the premises, doth find the equity of the cause to be with complainant, and doth now order, adjudge, and decree that the legal title to the lands described in the bill of complaint and claimed by the said defendant, and included within the limits of the said tracts of land above described in the first article of said treaty, proclaimed January 21^st, 1867, between the Osage tribe of Indians and the United States, is vested in your orator and therefore belongs to the United States, in trust, for the uses and purposes specified in said first article of said treaty.

And it is further ordered, adjudged, and decreed that the said patents to the said defendant for a portion of said lands described in the said first article of said treaty, and marked exhibits A, B, C and D respectively, be declared to be null and void and without authority of law, and that they constitute a cloud on the said legal title of the United States and that same be removed, and that the said defendant be perpetually enjoined from settling up any claim either in law or in equity in or to any of said lands, situate, lying and being within the boundaries of said Osage ceded lands, described as aforesaid in said first article of said treaty with the said Osage tribe of Indians, under and by virtue of said patents or either of them, the said patents thus decreed to be null and void and for nought held, are severally in the words and figures following:

[Here the clerk will copy the name in full.]

It is further ordered that the defendant pay the costs of this suit, taxed at dollars, and that execution issue therefor.

From this decree the defendant prayed an appeal, which was allowed, and the bond in appeal fixed at $1,000.

SAMUEL F. MILLER.

JOHN F. DILLON.

Circuit court of the United States, district of Kansas. In equity.

The United States of America vs. the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston railroad

company. Final decree.

[Words used in second item same as in first item. Skipped.]

A WAR WITH THE OSAGES.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, August 22, 1874.

From the Lawrence Journal.

The Topeka COMMONWEALTH publishes the following special dispatch from G. H. Norton, captain of the militia at Arkansas City.

We have just received information from the Osage agent that the whole Osage Nation has declared war, and that this frontier is in imminent danger. The news was brought up by Stubbs, late agent of the Kaws. The facts as Mr. Stubbs gives them are these: When the Osages heard of the killing of five of their men on Medicine Lodge, they immediately held a council and decided for immediate war. Agent Gibson did all he could to quiet them, but in vain. They finally promised to wait until Mr. Stubbs could get to Medicine Lodge to investigate the affair, but Stubbs fears that they will not keep their promise, and says we are undoubtedly in much danger.

We called upon Superintendent Hoag yesterday to learn if we could of any war-like demonstrations from the Osages. Mr. Hoag stated to us that the report, in his opinion, was not true, and was probably started by some malicious person who had not the welfare of either the settler or the Indian at heart. He seemed much annoyed at hearing of the report and handed us a letter received yesterday from Agent Gibson, a portion of which we give our readers.

OSAGE AGENCY, August 14, 1874.

ENOCH HOAG: Yesterday I was out to see Big Chief’s and Black Dog’s bands in reference to their recent bad treatment on the plains. They feel deeply wronged and hurt by these soldiers, but not so angry as I expected to find them. I comforted them the best I could and the worst of them came up today, and I believe the negotiations now pending will pacify them so that the war party they were getting up will be stopped.

I obtained description of the ponies and will send a man with Agent Stubbs to go out on the state line and try and recover the ponies as they are brought in. They may need thy assistance before they get through. Ozbun, just in from Big Hills, says they are quiet.

ISAAC T. GIBSON, Agent.

The ponies referred to are those lost during the skirmish at Red mounds, when the four Indians were killed.

A BLIND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, August 22, 1874.

Mr. Fawcett, the blind English statesman, is making his way in parliament. Mr. McCarthy says personally his privation seems to trouble him but little. He is as full of healthy animal spirits as a schoolboy, and he delights in all manly exercises. He is fond of fishing, and even of skating; the latter amusement he tries to enjoy by holding the end of a stick, while some champion of equal skill on the ice holds the other, and thus the thing can be safely done. He recently rowed a boat from London to Oxford, on the Thames, with remarkable skill.

FROM COWLEY COUNTY.

Proceedings of County Convention.

Election of Delegates.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, August 23, 1874.

WINFIELD, August 20, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

The republican county convention today elected C. M. Scott, of the Traveler, and James Kelley [Kelly], of the Courier, as delegates to the state convention, without instructions.

E. B. Kager and E. C. Manning were elected delegates to the congressional convention; instructed for Hon. James McDermott for congress.

Delegates favorable to E. C. Manning were chosen to the senatorial convention.

FRONTIER.

A CANARD.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, August 23, 1874.

A rumor was very generally circulated around our streets yesterday to the effect that Col. Thos. Moonlight and several of his corps of surveyors have been killed by Indians in southwestern Kansas. We immediately telegraphed to our correspondents at Fort Dodge and Sargent, but nothing was there known of such an occurrence. The rumor had its origin, as far as we can learn, in Leavenworth, and is discredited by the papers there. We have made unusual efforts to discover any foundation for such a story, and believe it to be untrue. It proceeded doubtless from a combination of circumstances. It seems that eight of the surveying party detached from the main company and were not heard of for several days. It was believed that they had been killed by Indians. They subsequently came in, and when they reached the Arkansas river, they had suffered so much from thirst that their tongues were swollen so that they could not close their mouths. About that time four persons returning from the San Juan mines were found near Aubrey station, murdered by Indians, two of them being scalped. The deed, it is supposed, was committed by a party of Sioux passing north from the Territory. These two circumstances, taken together, formed the material on which the sensation was based.

FROM BARBOUR COUNTY.

An Indian Sortie.—Horses Stampeded and Stolen.

A Slight Skirmish With the Red Devils.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 26, 1874.

SUN CITY, BARBOUR COUNTY, KANSAS, August 19.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

Sunday night the 16^th instant our little city was thrown into excitement by a band of Indians who made an attempt to stampede horses. They were discovered by the guard, R. M. Lee, and fired upon before they had gained the corral. His fire was promptly returned by the Indians, whereupon the alarm became general and a sharp skirmish ensued. The reds soon beat a hasty retreat without doing damage to man or beast.

Yesterday morning, the 18^th, they raided a settlement eight miles below here and succeeded in running off a lot of ponies and horses. Dr. Bond was met on the road by four painted warriors and pressed so close that after exchanging shots with them, he was obliged to abandon his pony and seek shelter in the timber. By the way, this same Dr. Bond is the man who in the early part of the Indian troubles remarked that he could kill all the Indians that would be in the Medicine valley this summer with a pegging awl. He has now ordered a Sharp’s rifle, and the next we hear from him, he will be wanting to join the militia.

Mr. A. Winney, living in the mouth of Bear creek, lost all his stock by the same band. Other losses are reported, but as yet I have not learned who the losers are. Twenty men are in pursuit of them, but in my opinion will fail to recover the property. The scalp of a white woman was picked up on their trail, and is now in the keeping of Bob Espy, where it can be seen by anyone who wishes.

The Indians were evidently Cheyennes, as they had long hair hanging over their shoulders. Quite a lot of that kind of hair is now tacked on boards in order to dry a small piece of skin that hung to it when it was pulled out. Truly yours, HIGH PRIVATE, K. M.

THE OSAGE CEDED LANDS.

A Letter from Senator Ingalls.

He Pays a Graceful and Manly Tribute to His Colleague, Judge Crozier.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, August 26, 1874.

To the Editor of the Atchison Champion.

The determination of the great controversy between the railroads and the settlers upon the Osage ceded lands, marks a new epoch in the history of corporations. It is a struggle for the possession of an empire, and though an appeal remains to the highest tribunal recognized by the constitution, the exhaustive argument of the principles involved and the admitted eminence of the judges by whom the decision has been made, leave little doubt that the supreme court of the United States will affirm the decree already rendered. It is not my intent to rehearse here the narrative of the causes, nor to dwell upon the legal questions at issue between the contestants. The law and the facts will be found elaborately stated in the briefs of the counsel upon either side, by those who are curious to know the history of one of the most interesting and important subjects in the annals of litigation.

But I observe in the associated press dispatches and in the editorial articles of the TOPEKA COMMONWEALTH, some statements in relation to the manner in which the suits were authorized by the department of justice, and the efforts that were made in behalf of the settlers at Washington that are evidently based upon an imperfect knowledge of the facts, and as I was cognizant of the affair from its commencement, and the proportions of the conflict are such as to render it of national consequence, I beg to trouble your readers with a brief statement of the action in the senate and before the attorney-general at Washington, by which the whole subject was suddenly and unexpectedly transferred from the domain of politics and legislation to that of law.

It is perhaps not irrelevant here to say that the question had its political aspect, and had been no inconspicuous factor in the problems of the hour. Upon this fertile quadrangle, larger in area than Rhode Island, were several thousand intelligent people who were very sincere and very much in earnest about their homes, no matter what might be their sentiments upon civil rights, the currency, or the credit Mobilier. The title to their lands was the paramount question with them, and he who could best aid them was their truest friend, be he republican, democrat, or granger. Designing, crafty, and unscrupulous men of all faiths and of no faith, were not slow to avail themselves of the opportunity thus afforded, and while some were sincere in their professions of friendship for those whose homes were in peril, it is not improbable that others saw in continued agitation and protracted uncertainty a source of gain, and an opportunity for preferment which they were reluctant to abandon. Justice was too blind, and her scales too evenly balanced to suit the wishes of those adventurers who made merchandise of the most sacred hopes and fears of all the dwellers upon the ceded lands.

Believing that the questions were legal and not political, that the rights of the settlers and the railroads could be safely entrusted to the courts and definitely ascertained alone by them, and that the best interests of the entire state imperatively demanded an early and final determination of the controversy, I consulted during the autumn with the attorneys and with the influential citizens upon the lands, for the purpose of devising some method by which jurisdiction of the subject matter could be conferred upon the courts of the United States.

As the result of these deliberations, Gov. Shannon prepared a joint resolution authorizing proceedings to be instituted in the circuit court of the United States for the district of Kansas, to determine the title to the Osage ceded lands, which was forwarded to me at Washington early in December. My colleague, Senator Crozier, and myself, had several interviews on the subject, and concluded that some changes in the resolution were necessary to render it effective, and secure the early and favorable action of the senate, and having modified it, I introduced it on Monday, December 8, 1873, and moved that it lie on the table and be printed, giving notice that on an early day it would be called up either by Senator Crozier or myself and its reference moved to the committee on the judiciary.

This course was pursued to enable Mr. Crozier, who felt a special interest in the subject, to address the senate upon the questions of law which were involved, and to invoke a speedy report from the committee.

Meanwhile Judge Crozier concluded that the resolution which I had introduced did not meet the requirements of the case as fully as might be, and on Thursday, December 11, he obtained unanimous consent to bring in a bill for the relief of the settlers on the Osage ceded lands, which was read twice and ordered to be printed.

On December 17^th, Senator Crozier moved to take up his bill, which was agreed to, and proceeded to address the senate at length upon the merits of the case, and at the conclusion of his remarks, moved to refer his bill to the judiciary committee. At my request he included in his motion the joint resolution which Gov. Shannon had prepared and I had introduced, and the reference was ordered.

While Senator Crozier was delivering his speech, a page handed me a telegram from one of the attorneys of the settlers, protesting against the passage of his bill as fatal to the interests of the people, and stating that full reasons had been forwarded by mail.

On Friday evening, December 19, congress adjourned over the holidays, and assembled again on Monday, January 5, 1874.

The Kansas legislature was about to meet and a senatorial election was pending. There was an evident design to utilize the distress and uneasiness of the settlers for sinister purposes. Accusations were freely made that the joint resolution of Gov. Shannon had been changed at the instigation of the railroad companies, though neither Crozier nor myself had seen an agent nor an attorney of either, directly or indirectly, and had acted with promptness and vigor in the direction indicated by the settlers’ friends.

There was danger that in the urgency of business, no bill could be passed through both houses till late in the session. An intention was apparent in some quarters to frustrate our action, or to misconstrue it, and to impute improper motives, under which it did not seem desirable to rest.

Accordingly, Senator Crozier conceived the idea of procuring an order direct from the attorney-general for the institution of the suits by the district attorney, associated with the counsel of the settlers. His previous experience, in which similar action had been taken in connection with the title to the Delaware reservation, was of great value to him at this critical juncture of affairs. The idea was solely and exclusively his own, and to him the settlers are indebted for its conception, and for the speedy decision which has been reached, that otherwise, if dependent upon the slow progress of legislation, might have been indefinitely procrastinated.

While I had no doubt of the power of the attorney-general to make the order, I was not sure that he would see the propriety for its exercise. Such was the opinion of several of the most eminent members of the senate. They argued that the government having parted with its title, the question was between the settlers and the railroad companies, and not between the government and the corporations. Senator Crozier contended otherwise, and urged his views with pertinacious vigor. I cooperated with him, and had several interviews with Gen. Williams, who finally made the order in the precise terms of the joint resolution prepared by Gov. Shannon, and introduced by me on the 8^th of December.

Meanwhile a vacancy occurred in the office of district attorney for this state, and I looked around the horizon for a successor. I knew that the appointment would be charged to me, whether good or bad, and that I must take the responsibility, so I took counsel of my judgment alone.

A year and more previous at the congressional convention at Lawrence, of which I was president, I met Capt. Geo. R. Peck, of Independence. I contracted a sudden and instinctive regard for him. He was young and enthusiastic, and of tastes and sympathies similar to my own. He had courage, culture, convictions, habits, and a passion for his profession which promised excellence and distinction. I then resolved if I could ever serve, or aid him, or benefit him, I would do so.

The opportunity now unexpectedly arrived. I consulted no one, spoke with no one, and did not even advise him of my purpose by mail or telegraph. His location in the neighborhood of those who were to be affected by these important proceedings was favorable. At my request Senator Crozier signed the application for his appointment, though he did not even know him by name; and his nomination was sent to the senate. The telegraph having informed him of the fact, he dispatched me he would forward letters and recommendations, to which I replied by a request that he would do neither, and at the next executive session of the senate, he was confirmed.

Shortly afterwards he visited Washington to receive his instructions from the attorney general, and expressed to me his gratitude and surprise at the interest I had manifested in him. I told him the grounds of my confidence, and that I did not even ask from him the test of adhesion to my political fortunes; I only desired a prompt, manly, and efficient discharge of his official duties, and especially a vigorous prosecution of the cases to settle the title to the Osage ceded lands. He gave me all needed assurances of a desire to vindicate my judgment and justify my choice to the people of Kansas.

Had I not ceased to be astonished at anything, I should have been surprised when I received dispatches after Peck’s nomination had been sent to the senate, to resist his confirmation upon the ground that he was in the interest of the railroads, and that his appointment was regarded as a direct blow at the settlers.

Nor was it the least remarkable fact in this “strange eventful history” that after the order had emanated from the department of justice directing the institution of these proceedings in the exact terms of the joint resolution, dispatches were sent to the president and attorney general, requesting a suspension of the order upon the ground that some fraud was thereby about to be perpetrated upon the people!

It was at first undecided whether the suits should be commenced in the district of Columbia, so that the attorney general could have direct personal supervision, or in the federal courts in Kansas, but the latter form was finally selected as most desirable to all parties concerned.

Judge Thacher and Mr. Dennison, representing the M., K. & T. railroad, were in Washington after the order was made. They both admitted that the question was one of law, that ought for the best interests of all to be speedily and finally set at rest. They evinced no desire to evade the arbitration of their rights. They exhibited a willingness to facilitate the hearing by all means in their power, and neither they nor the agents of any other corporation, directly nor indirectly, nor any person in their behalf, at any time, showed any inclination or desire to thwart any legislation or to procure or defeat any federal appointment.

Had they felt any such wish, it could not have availed them, for the whole matter had gone irrevocably into the jurisdiction of the courts by the joint action of Senator Crozier and myself in the earliest practicable days of the session.

I have thus detailed the history of this great litigation at Washington not to magnify the unimportant part which I bore in its inception, or to assert the good faith which I manifested toward my constituents, but as an act of justice to ex-Senator Crozier, to whom, more than to any other, thanks are justly due. It is unnecessary for me to add that my exposition is wholly without his knowledge, and possibly may not receive his approval.

The people of Kansas are sensitive, but they are generous. While they are quick to punish a fault, they do not hesitate to acknowledge and repair a wrong. It is not often that the result so soon approves the deed. The appeal of truth to time is always sure, but it is sometimes slow. By the early accomplishment of all that the most sanguine settlers dared to hope, in this instance the action of their representative has received a most convincing and triumphant vindication. Faithfully yours, JNO. J. INGALLS.

August 24, 1874.

FROM THE FRONT.

The Indian Expedition Under General Miles.

The Troops Under March.

Some Account of the Personnel of the Command.

A Successful Scout Anticipated.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 27, 1874.

CAMP SUPPLY, I. T., August 19, 1874.

From Our Regular Correspondent.

You have already published in the COMMONWEALTH a detailed statement of the troops composing General Miles’ expedition against the Indians, and those that are to cooperate with him from different points.

Five companies—for of cavalry and one of infantry—left Fort Dodge on the 11^th inst., under command of Major Compton, of the Sixth cavalry, with instructions to proceed south as far as the Beaver, and scout the country from there to Camp Supply. Lieut. F. D. Baldwin, chief of scouts, accompanied Major Compton’s command to Beaver creek, and from there started to the adobe walls, on the Canadian, where he is to communicate with Major Price, from Texas. Lieut. Baldwin’s command consists of thirty scouts—ten whites and twenty Delaware Indians—reinforced from Compton’s command by eighteen soldiers, making in all nearly fifty men. Baldwin will proceed from adobe walls to the Antelope hills, scouring the country thoroughly as he goes. The men under his command are hunters and old frontiersmen, thoroughly conversant with the country, and excellent marksmen. He is an officer of dash, courage, and judgment, and with such men, utterly invincible. He has no train to retard his progress and can move anywhere.

The remaining portion of the expedition, commanded by General Miles in person, left Fort Dodge on the 13^th, three days after the departure of Major Compton, taking the military road from Dodge to Camp Supply, in the Indian Territory, distant about eighty-five miles. The two commands reached this post yesterday, having encountered no Indians on either route. The extreme hot weather and the scarcity and poor quality of the water were trying on the infantry for the first day or two, but they are in better condition now for a hard march than before.

With the exception of a little commotion at the Cimarron crossing, caused by a rumor that horse thieves were in camp, the march from Dodge to Supply was without incident worthy of note. This little episode had the effect to increase the sentinels around the camp, and if there had been horse thieves about, it would have been simply impossible for them to get away with any stock.

The country between Fort Dodge and Camp Supply is remarkable for its roughness and everything that tends to attract. I had been dreaming that as soon as we crossed the line which divides the state of Kansas and the Nation, a country flourishing with milk and honey, and rivaling in fertility the fabled gardens of Calypso, would open to our astonished gaze, but instead, we were treated to a succession of ugly-shaped, queer-looking, craggy mountains, and deep, impassable canyons. Unless a better country is seen, our exalted opinion of this paradise will undergo material modification.

An object of passing interest on the march, however, was the Red holes, at Cimarron crossing. These holes take their name from the reddish color of the soil, and are remarkable for their great depth, some of them being upwards of one hundred feet. They are fed by springs, and are filled with many varieties of fish. The water is strongly impregnated with alkali, and is hardly fit for drinking purposes.

There was a report that Indians had been seen in this vicinity on the previous day, but as travel has not been interrupted and men are traveling all over the prairie alone, no credit was attached to it. It is pretty well established now that there are no hostile Indians north of the Canadian.

The expedition is now fairly underway. The entire command has been supplied with rations and forage for thirty days, and will leave this post tomorrow for Antelope hills. It is the intention of Gen. Miles to strike the Cheyennes first, who were the starters of this outbreak, if they are found off their reservation, and if not, to pursue and punish them wherever they may be found.

[It appears that some of this article is missing.]

I believe it ends as follows...

A ten-pound Parrott, commanded by Lieut. J. W. Pope. These Gatling guns are peculiarly constructed, consisting of ten barrels, detached from the breech, and which revolve on a pivot when they are being fired. They shoot the same ball as the 50-calibre needle gun. They were patented in 1867, are light, and considered a good Indian gun.

Gen. A. A. Miles, the commander of the expedition, commanded the second division of the second corps, army of the Potomac, and was esteemed by officers and men alike, not only for his cool bravery as displayed in front of the enemy on the hotly-contested battlefields of Virginia, but for his unwavering solicitude for their comfort and welfare. Coming with such a reward, it is hardly necessary to say that he already has the confidence of his command, without which success would be extremely doubtful. He fully comprehends the situation and will use every resource at his disposal to bring our Indian troubles to a speedy and final close. He has under his command officers and men who have had experience on the plains and in Indian warfare. Among them I make no apology for mentioning the names of Major James Biddle, who was with Gen. Canby when that lamented officer was butchered by the Modocs; Lieut. W. B. Whitmore, of Gen. Pope’s staff, who was promoted for meritorious conduct on the plains. Among the citizens who accompany the expedition, and who are worthy of honorable mention, are Mr. John Kirly, of Leavenworth, an old scout and transportation master; Jack Callahan, of Granada, who is familiar with every foot of land from the Platte to the Red river. The first named is chief of the scouts under Lieut. Baldwin, and the latter is master of transportation. This campaign will doubtless develop others equally deserving of notice.

Camp Supply, where we have halted for a day to draw rations and forage, is located at the confluence of Beaver and Wolf creeks, in the Indian Territory. It is a fine company post, and commanded at present by Col. Lewis, of the 19^th infantry. It was established in 1867. The commissary and quartermaster buildings are built of frame—one story—and the company quarters are made in the stockade fashion, and resemble a military camp more than a garrison. Several tribes of Indians used to get their rations at this post. T.

PUTTING IT IN PLAIN WORDS.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 27, 1874.

John Paul’s Mill River Letter to the N. Y. Tribune.

While at Haydenville I cannot resist the temptation of telling you an anecdote connected with the flood, which I heard from a bright lady yesterday. It shows that there are few events so terrible as not to have some thread of the ridiculous interwoven with them. A brother of the late Governor Hayden was at the west on a visit when the news arrived of the swift ruin which had come upon the family village. In company with his daughter, he at once started for home. At one of the stations a newspaper was procured, containing full particulars of the disaster. Putting on his spectacles, the old gentleman proceeded to red the particulars aloud, with the most provoking deliberation, stopping to weigh and turn over every statement carefully in his mind as he went along. “Let me have the paper, father,” begged the young lady, all impatience to know the extent of the calamity. “No, daughter, have patience; I will read it to you,” said the old gentleman, and he went slowly on, almost spelling out ever word.

At last he came to a statement, which arrested him:

“The—boiler—of—the—foundry—floated—away—on—the—flood—and—was—de-posited—very—near—the—door—steps—of—Gov.—Hayden’s—house.”

This he read over very slowly twice, apparently astounded by the audacity of the thing and unable to take in its full length and breadth. “That means,” he said, finally, turning to his auditor to emphasize his analysis by a solemn forefinger, “that means that Joel’s biler is in Ann Lizzy’s front yard!”

EASTERN SCRIBES.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 27, 1874.

A correspondent of the Utica Herald writes as follows of the scribes in a Constantinople bazaar, who write letters, keep accounts, or do anything in that line for the great mass of the people: “They are usually old, gray-haired men, with long robes and a peculiarly shaped white hat, indicative of their office. Very grave men they are and deeply learned, no doubt as men should be, who are the depositories of other men’s thoughts and appointed to give advice to the young and inexperienced.

“Each scribe sits upon a low bench or table, squatting cross-legged, and smoking his long pipe with the greatest solemnity. By his side is a small flat board, which he uses as a writing desk, and hanging from his girdle is an ink-horn of some fanciful device, and in his hand or stuck behind his ear is the reed pen. In addition to their usual work, these men are authorized to prepare legal papers, such as deeds and bills of sale and contracts, and to administer oaths when necessary.”

AETNA RUMBLING AND GRUMBLING.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 27, 1874.

A letter from Catania to the Augsburger Allegemcine Zeitung of August 1, says: “Since the beginning of May the highest and largest volcano in Europe—the Aetna—appears to be in a period of activity which announces an approaching eruption. It will soon be five years since a torrent of lava, issuing from the principal crater, covered the Vole de Bove. From September, 1869, to the present day the mountain has been quiet. Professor Sylvestri, who has studied with attention the series of phenomena produced, recently passed two days and nights on the summit of the cone, and concluded from what he saw that a new eruption may be expected at no very distant date.”

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, August 27, 1874.

A San Francisco woman had read of Samson and Delilah, and, as her husband displayed unusual strength at times in mauling her, she sheared her head and face down to the closest notch one day, when he was asleep. Since the time that husband awoke, need it be said, that woman has been a bitter and incurable unbeliever in Biblical inspiration.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, August 28, 1874.

The A. T. & S. F. R. R. will run a special excursion train to the congressional republican convention at Emporia, leaving Topeka at 6 a.m. the 28^th inst., and leaving Emporia after the convention. Tickets for the round trip $4.25, for sale by C. W. Shewry, agent.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, August 28, 1874.

The state central committee of the reform party held a secret meeting in this city yesterday, and completed their state ticket by substituting John Francis for state treasurer, in place of C. F. Koester, and J. P. Bauserman, of Leavenworth, for superintendent of public instruction, in place of H. B. Norton, Mr. Norton and Mr. Koester having declined the nomination tendered them at the recent reform convention. Mr. Francis was defeated for the nomination for treasurer at the republican state convention in this city yesterday.

SETTLEMENT OF THE OSAGE CEDED LAND CASE.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, August 29, 1874.

From the Davenport (Iowa) Gazette.

The great Osage ceded land case of Kansas has just been decided by the circuit court of the United States, and is now, for the first time, made public by the Gazette. The land in controversy was claimed by certain railroad companies under grants from Congress. The amount in dispute was about 1,000,000 acres, and the disputed tract is fifty by thirty miles in extent, embracing the counties of Neosho and Labette, and part of the counties of Bourbon, Crawford, Allen, Wilson, and Montgomery, in Kansas, and upon which, adverse to the railroad companies, are over 30,000 people. The court decided against the railroad companies, holding that they have no title, and setting aside their patents issued by the interior department. The opinion of the court was prepared by Mr. Justice Miller, of the United States supreme court, and concurred in by Circuit Judge Dillon, and the decrees have been forwarded by the latter from his residence in this city to the clerk, to be entered at the adjourned term of the court, which meets at an early date.

The court decides that when a patent for lands has been issued contrary to law, the United States may file a bill in equity to cancel it. It also decides that the lands in question, having been reserved in a treaty with the Osage Indians for their use, and being occupied by them at the date of the railroad grant of public lands, were not public lands of the United States within the meaning of the granting clause of the act; and also, that if such lands were within the granting clause, they were excepted out of this grant by the words, “this grant should not extend to the lands previously reserved by the United States for any use or purpose.” This decision will create some stir in Kansas—and not only in Kansas, but among a great number of capitalists and land agents in various portions of the United States and Europe, who have based loans upon them—not to mention the thousands of settlers who occupy the lands, and who have been nervous with anxiety over the claims of railroad companies for the lands they occupy. The settlers need feel nervous no longer, for the court decides in their favor.

BY TELEGRAPH.

FROM FORT DODGE.

The Red Devils Still at their Work.

They Murder and Scalp Six Surveyors, All Citizens of Lawrence.

And Yet Enoch Hoag and Isaac Gibson Insist That They are Peaceable.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, September 2, 1874.

FORT DODGE, September 1, 1874.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

On Monday, the 24^th day of August, Mr. O. F. Short, surveyor, with his working party, consisting of the following named persons—H. C. Jones, James Shaw, Allen Shaw, T. D. Short, and J. H. Keuchler—left our camp at the Lone Tree on Crooked creek, situated in section 1 of township 33 south, range 28 east, with the intention of being absent during the week, returning on Saturday night. Mr. Short, with his party, was running the exterior lines, and was consequently most of the time some miles distant from the other two parties in the field. When Mr. Short left our camp, he gave orders for one of the men to meet him on Wednesday at a given point, to receive certain instructions as to locating another general camp. On Wednesday, accordingly, some of the men belonging to Captain Thrasher’s party discovered the wagon which Mr. Short took with him and the dead bodies of the entire party lying on the ground in a secluded gulch near the wagon, and about three miles from our Lone Tree camp. That the men were killed by Indians, the arrows and trinkets lying thickly around, and the fact that three of them were scalped, fully attested. The wagon was riddled with bullet-holes and literally covered with blood. The wounds received by the victims were all bullet wounds. Mr. Short, his son, D. T. Short, and H. C. Jones were scalped. Mr. Shaw was shot through the right breast and a spear thrust through his hand. Judging from the shells strewn thickly around the wagon, the men had made a gallant fight, running as they fought from the point where they were first attacked. They were buried together in a low trench near Lone Tree camp, and a stone properly marked, placed at the head of each. The entire party are citizens of Lawrence. A dog belonging to Capt. Cutler, which was with the party, was also killed. H. E. M.

[Note: Short was one of the early surveyors in Cowley County.]

BY TELEGRAPH.

MISCELLANEOUS.

General Miles After the Indians.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, September 3, 1874.

AFTER THE INDIANS.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, September 2—1 P.M.

To Lieut. Gen. Sheridan:

The following dispatch from Col. Miles just received:

Camp on the right bank of the dry fork of Antelope Hills, Aug. 26.—Arrived here yesterday, all well. Lieut. Baldwin and party have rejoined the command. On the 23d inst. he scouted west of the adobe walls and down the Canadian to the Antelope hills, and had two affrays with Indians; killed one and wounded one, and captured ponies, etc. The trails and lines of retreat all indicate that the Indians have gone south of the north fork of Red river and affluents. We are marching south and southwest; have 21 days’ supplies. No communication from Major Price. The Indians are burning the grass in our front.

IN THE FIELD.

Interesting Notes from Gen. Miles’ Indian Expedition.

Some Famous Scouts and their Record.

Indians See and a Fight Anticipated.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, September 3, 1874.

CAMP NEAR ANTELOPE HILLS, August 23, 1873.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Gen. Miles’ command reached this point today in good health and spirits. The troops have stood the heat extremely well. There has been no sickness among the men and the stock is in excellent condition. Lieutenant Baldwin and his scouts reached here last evening, having visited the adobe walls and marched thence down the Canadian. His instructions were to join the command at Antelope hills. The scouts report having seen Indians in the neighborhood of the walls. A hunter, named George Hoffman, was killed on the 19^th within a few hundred yards of the walls. An Indian, supposed to be a Comanche, was killed near the same place. The hunter was terribly mutilated and scalped. The hair of the red man was also lifted. Scalp for scalp is now the motto, until these rascals learn to behave themselves and cease their murderous work. The ranch at the adobe walls has been abandoned, and the hunters who have been holding it are now with this command and will probably be retained as scouts. No more valuable men could be secured. They are anxious to avenge the death of their comrades.

The command, with thirty days’s rations and forage, left Camp Supply on the 21^st and marched up Wolf creek about thirty miles, and there took a southerly course towards Antelope hills. The description given of the country between Dodge and Supply will answer for that passed over in the last few days, with the exception that timber is more plentiful on the creeks and the water purer. The prairies were also covered with buffalo, and some deer were seen along the streams. The whole region passed over, which mainly lies in the Indian Territory, is rough, broken, and must remain forever useless for agricultural purposes. The principal inhabitants are lizards, horned toads, wolves, and with the exception of an occasional foray like the present, will doubtless never be disturbed in the enjoyment of their hereditary rights.

Antelope hills, to which point the troops operating in conjunction with Gen. Miles have been converging, are situated about one mile and a half south of the Canadian and on what is called the Howe trail, which starts at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and ends at Fort Union, New Mexico, running via Forts Arbuckle, Cobb, and Bascom. The hills consist of four semi-mountains, rising to an altitude of three or four hundred feet above the surrounding bluffs. They can be readily distinguished for many miles.

There is no surface water in the Canadian at this point. It is always very low at this season of the year. It is about as wide as the Arkansas from Wichita to Pueblo, and the bed is of the same sandy nature. The bottoms are from a half to a mile in width, and covered with a heavy growth of grass, which retains its nutritious quality throughout the year. It is almost destitute of timber. The only use it seems possible the country could be devoted to is stock-raising, but this would be hazardous as long as it is overrun by Indians. The grazing is good and the hills which everywhere abound would afford excellent shelter for stock.

An important acquisition was made to the expedition at Camp Supply, in the persons of two noted guides and scouts, namely, Ben Clarke and Amos Chapman. When it is remembered how indispensable the services of guides and scouts have become, and with what momentous responsibilities they are entrusted, a brief sketch of these two additions will be appreciated.

Ben Clarke is well known all over the plains. He has been in the service of the government for six years as a guide and scout. In the Indian campaign of 1868, he was Gen. Sheridan’s principal guide, and that officer frequently took occasion to compliment him for his valuable services. He is a man of excellent judgment and superior intelligence, and his thorough knowledge of the country makes his services doubly valuable. He is about thirty-five years of age, medium height, has long, light hair, falling below his shoulders. He has none of the bravado common to many frontier characters, but in address is plain, unassuming, and treats everybody with the utmost courtesy. He is perfectly at home in any crowd, always calm, never excited, and is well informed on the current topics of the day. He has a keen sense of honor, and when his rights are infringed, no man will resent the wrong quicker than Ben Clarke.

Amos Chapman is some eight or ten years the junior of Ben. He has gone through the same crucible. Equally intelligent and familiar with the country, his services to the expedition cannot be overestimated. He was also with the Custer expedition in 1868, and has been employed by government as guide and scout ever since. When entrusted with any important duty, he discharges it faithfully and fearlessly.

The expedition is so well supplied with good men, as officers, soldiers, and citizens, that it seems like partiality to mention particular ones, but I will not be trespassing upon your patience by alluding to one other, A. J. Martin. Jack is perhaps the oldest scout with the expedition, having served during the war with Capt. Tough’s command. There are few places on the great American desert that he is not acquainted with.

CAMP ON THE WASHITA.

TEXAS, August 25, 1874.

The march from the Canadian was continued today. There has been no collision with the Indians yet, though they have been watching the movements of General Miles’ command since it crossed Commission creek on the 23^rd. Small parties have been seen on the flanks almost every day. They are burning the prairie in our advance. This is thought to be a signal to their red brethren south.

General Miles has not yet had any communication with the forces acting in conjunction with him. The Indians are supposed to be falling back on the tributaries of Red river.

This country has been the home of the buffalo for ages. They are so tame that a horseman can ride within a few yards of them without frightening them. The hunters, who have made such havoc in their ranks the past few years, have not penetrated this region. As a consequence, the buffalo have been disturbed only by the Indians, who kill them for robes.

The general characteristics of the Washita are the same as nearly all the streams south of the Arkansas—sandy bed, dry in places, and in others clear, running water. It differs from the Canadian and other streams further north in that it is heavily timbered, the varieties being cottonwood, walnut, hackberry, and elm. The debris of old Indian camps and villages are seen all along its banks, but there have been no villages on it this year.

The country is of the same rough, broken nature that has characterized it from the start. I have failed to discover anything in it worthy of commendation.

A train of wagons will return from here to Camp Supply, by which I send this letter. Will send others concerning the movements of this expedition as opportunity offers. We are a long way from railroad communication, and our mail facilities are necessarily very limited.

T.

THE “CHICAGO TIMES” ON LIBEL SUITS.

“It is Mainly Rascals who Bring Them.”

Only Two Cases Out of Thirty Reach Judgment.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, September 3, 1874.

The Chicago Times of Tuesday, September 1^st, contains a lengthy editorial article on libel suits, which, coming from a journal with so much experience of these unpleasant little family affairs, is worthy of attention. We therefore make a few extracts of general bearing on the subject.

“Having filed demurrers to some thirty suits during the past dozen years, perhaps the Times is in as good position to review the claims made for disarranged character on newspapers as any American journal. Of the number indicated, only two cases reached trial. One of these followed its slow way through the court for several years, and at last arrived at the supreme bench of the state. Here, the small spite of Judge Lawrence finally disposed of it; and a comparatively light verdict against the Times was sustained. The case was unusual in all its features. The alleged libelous matter was printed accidentally, as the result of a stupid mistake on the part of a public official! The complainant was a woman. Everything was favorable to the prosecuting side. Yet it took years, and a prejudiced judge, to obtain a finally favorable verdict against a paper. It is worthy of note that Judge Lawrence was invited by the people of his district to come down from the bench at the very next election. He is now an obscure lawyer, of small practice, in Chicago.”

“In some few instances, journals have been held to answer at law for the unfortunate mistakes of writers, or blunders of typography. In the vast labor of preparing each day a compendium of mankind’s doings, it is not strange that, at extreme intervals, unintentional injustice is done to somebody. It is a proof of the sincerity and watchfulness of journalists that so few of these accidents occur. But there is a deal of fairness in human nature. The immediate retraction of the offending statement usually suffices. An honorable paper can no more neglect courteous reparation for an unmeant wrong than can an honorable man. Horace Greeley said that in all his long and exalted journalistic experience, he found but two cases in which people were contemptible and depraved enough to sue for libel after an accidental injury had been fully retracted. When such suits are taken to law, the sense of justice in the jury checks all hopes on the part of the despicable prosecutors to make money out of a newspaper’s mistakes.”

“It is mainly rascals who begin them. They are the rascals who are not afraid to commit sin, but have a deadly horror at being caught at it. ‘Men the most infamous are fond of fame, and those who fear not guilt, yet start at shame,’ are the gentlemen who break liveliest for the circuit court clerk at seeing their knavery exposed in the Times.”

“The character of those who begin libel suits, and their prudence in not allowing their cases to go much beyond a swaggering commencement, has been chiefly noted. The absurdity and unfairness of the ancient laws, as they exist in most states, have not been touched upon. The Times, on this occasion, will only observe that they are vexatious, oppressive, inoperative, and unjust. They are relics of the days when it was treason to say that a king’s officer squinted. There is renown in store for the legislator who conceives, and carries into the statute books, a libel law which shall deal justly to the editor and the people alike.”

THE CHEYENNES.

Further Particulars of the Recent Massacre.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, September 3, 1874.

From the Lawrence papers we glean the following additional particulars of the massacre last week of a party of surveyors from Lawrence, news of which was given in our special dispatches yesterday. The entire surveying party numbered sixteen persons. Ten of them, including Capt. Cutler, were in camp. Capt. Short, with his son, Daniel, Harry Jones, John Keuchler, and Mr. Shaw and son, were out running township lines, about sixty miles south of Dodge City. Between 4 and 5 o’clock, Monday, August 24^th, Capt. Short’s party were attacked by about 20 to 25 Indians, said to be Cheyennes, and all of the party killed. Short, his son, and Harry Jones were scalped. The bodies were found on Wednesday, the 26^th, and buried at what is known as Lone Tree camp. When the men were found, they were all near their wagon and were lying on their faces. All of them except Mr. Shaw had the back of their heads smashed, as if by an ax or some other heavy instrument. A company of white men, who had passed through a Cheyenne camp the day before the bodies were discovered, found some of Capt. Short’s papers and parts of the surveyors’ chain. The Indians also got Short’s watch and two other watches belonging to the party, but did not strip the murdered men.

A party of hunters had been chased by a body of twenty-five Indians a day or two previous to the attack on Short’s party, but succeeded in getting away from them. The direction taken by the Indians leaves no doubt but they are the ones that committed these murders, as they were pushing in the direction where the bodies were afterwards found.

Fleming Duncan, son of Mr. C. S. Duncan, who was with the surveying party, is among those who returned to Lawrence on Tuesday. He says people at this distance can form no idea of the horrors of life on the frontier at present. Surveying parties especially are subjected to intense hardships and suffering for want of water, and the Indians keep the people of the border in constant fear of their lives.

Capt. Short was about 40, and his son 15 years old. The captain has been a surveyor for many years. He was the founder of the White Cloud Chief, and a man of unusual education. This was to be his last survey. He expected after his return to pay the last installment on his farm and live thereon forever after. He leaves a wife and four children.

Mr. Shaw was 51 years of age. He was the father of Mrs. J. S. White. The son was scarcely 17 years old. Mr. Shaw came to Lawrence eight years ago, and up to within a year he has resided on a farm near the city. Since that time he has resided with his daughter. His life was insured for $2,000 in the Northwestern insurance company. His wife is living with Mrs. White, and he has a son at Colorado Springs.

Young Keuchler was a nephew of Capt. Short, and his parents live in Springfield, Illinois. He was about eighteen years of age.

Harry Jones was twenty-two, and was a nephew of Capt. Cutler, with whom he had lived for several years. His folks live in Rochester, New York.

THE QUAKER POLICY.

The Truth as to the Osages.

Rascality, Mendacity, and Secrecy.

A Band of Murderers and Horse Thieves Threatening Our Southern Border.

How Enoch Hoag and His Quaker Subordinates Conspire to Conceal the Truth.

A Solemn Protest by the Friends of Murdered Citizens Against the Quaker Policy.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, September 5, 1874.

We approach a subject now that we are unable to handle without a burning sense of indignation that in some degree may prevent a just consideration of it; it is as the reader surmises from the head of this article the very present and grave question, of how to protect white settlers from butchery, and keep in proper subjection several thousand of treacherous and implacable savages. It is the policy inaugurated by the government in some hour of sentimental and highly poetized philanthropy, when the practical Yankee wit and judgment of our governors were abroad and replaced by a false, unreal, and illogical sense of justice to a wild, untutored people, who respect only power strenuously applied; and humanity to wretches who look upon a humane man as a milk-sop and a coward. Though, as we have said, our views on this subject may have the appearance of being over-wrought and tinged with prejudice, we are sure that our indignation will in some degree be shared by those whose patience will permit them to read through the array of facts subjoined and relating to a matter which has of late been in controversy between the governor of Kansas and certain members of the society of Friends, having charge of Indian affairs in this superintendency, to-wit: whether or not our southern border is threatened by an invasion of Osages.

Before entering into a consideration of this specific subject, we desire to say something in a general way on what is known as the Quaker policy, which are sure will merit and receive the endorsement of all fair minded men who are familiar with the facts. Whatever of genuine humanity and supposable justice and reason were present at the inauguration of the present Indian policy, it is now clearly devoid of. Experience has proven it not only impracticable, but calamitous, and the time has now come for a solemn and strenuous demand for its abolition and the substitution of a strong and practical policy that will not only confine the Indians to their reservations, but furnish absolute security to white settlements on the border.

We pointedly and emphatically charge:

1^st. That it is not love of the well-being or hope for the civilization of the savages that actuate the Quakers in their persistent foisting themselves upon the government as the curators of the Indians, but mainly a sordid love of gain.

2^nd. That a ring has been formed among the Indian agents, the cementing bond of which is mutual self-interest and the continuance of which in the control and fiduciary management of the affairs of the Indians mainly depends upon the maintenance of silence and secrecy as to all outrages against the whites committed by them.

3^rd. That Mr. Mahlon Stubbs has in pursuance of this common policy wilfully prevaricated, or in plain Saxon lied, as to the warlike intentions of the Osages and that Mr. Enoch Hoag, the superintendent of Indian affairs of this department has, wittingly or unwittingly abetted him; thus by misrepresentations, and for the sake of preventing any detriment to the present Indian policy misleading the government, so that the lives and property of thousands of citizens of this state are endangered, and if the stories of these agents were to be believed, no military protection might be extended them.

4^th. That when one of their number sent a dispatch to the commanding officer of this department, asking protection for his agency from hostile Cheyennes and Arapahos, Mr. Enoch Hoag secured the passage of a resolution through the yearly Quaker meeting at Lawrence, condemning his (John D. Miles) action and asking him to resign.

A dispatch from Capt. G. H. Norton, of Arkansas City, appeared in the COMMONWEALTH a number of days ago, stating that Mahlon Stubbs had told citizens of Arkansas City that owing to the killing of five Osages in Barbour County by Captain Ricker’s company, the entire Osage tribe had held a council and declared war, and were only restrained from going on the warpath by promises of Mr. Stubbs to secure pay for the dead Osages and the return of certain ponies captured from the Osages by Capt. Ricker’s men.

As soon as Mr. Stubbs arrived in Lawrence and had a consultation with his chief, he found that he had transgressed the role of silence imposed on all his class, and straightway came out with a denial that there was any truth in Capt. Norton’s dispatch as to the attitude of Osages, or that he ever said or intimated such to be the fact. This denial of Mr. Stubbs was sedulously circulated, and procured, published in the associated press dispatches. A few days afterwards, Mr. Hoag and Mr. Stubbs visited Gov. Osborn to treat for the return of the Indian ponies. The result of their visit was not encouraging. Gov. Osborn, in the course of a random talk, told them that if the murders of white men and American citizens that had been committed by this tribe had occurred in Hong Kong, they would stir the civilized world.

He offered to return the ponies on the condition that the Osages would prove that in their absence from the reservation and their presence within the borders of this state they had no knowledge of existing orders against Indians leaving their reservations, and that they had not fired upon the militia first, as claimed by Capt. Ricker. Hoag and Stubbs retired in good order, but crest-fallen, and as they went out, Stubbs intimated that he had to get home by a certain time, as his Indians had given him only that time to return. This in the face of a point-blank denial the day before that any fears were to be apprehended from the Osages.

But our evidence on this head is now conclusive, convicting Mr. Stubbs of willful lying, and Mr. Hoag of aiding him in circulating the lie and concealing the truth.

I see by the papers that Friend Stubbs through Mr. Hoag denies the statement made by me to Gov. Osborn some days ago in regard to the Osages.

Mr. Stubbs did make the statements as I gave them to the governor. I did not see him myself, but he told A. D. Keith, second lieutenant of my company, and postmaster at that place. I enclosed Mr. Keith’s affidavit. Mr. Stubbs the same day left a message for Agent Williams of the Kickapoos, warning him to abandon his agency and move to the state as he and his family were in danger. Agent Williams accordingly moved to this place and has been here ever since.

The condition of affairs on this frontier at present is most deplorable. The people are almost frightened out of their wits, but I hope we shall soon be able to quiet them.

LIEUTENANT KEITH’S AFFIDAVIT.

State of Kansas, )

Cowley County, ) ss.

I, Aylmer D. Keith, being first duly sworn, say that on the 17^th day of August, 1874, in conversation with Mahlon Stubbs, late agent of the Kaws, said Stubbs used the following language in regard to the anticipated trouble with the Osage Indians, to-wit: “The Indians have held a council and declared for war. They are on the fight the biggest kind. In my opinion you are in ten times as much danger as you ever have been.” AYLMER D. KEITH.

Cowley County, )

State of Kansas ) ss.

Subscribed and sworn to before me on this 1^st day of September, 1874.

JAMES L. HUEY, Notary Public.

In further corroboration of the evil designs of the Osages, we publish the following letter from Indian agent Williams, of the Kickapoo tribe, which tells its own story.

LETTER FROM AGENT WILLIAMS.

ARKANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

SIR: I have the honor to report that this A. M., as I was proceeding from this place to my special agency on Shawkaska creek, I met two of my Kickapoo Indians, who informed me that a party of Little Osages came to the agency last night and inquired for me, and behaved in such a manner that most of the Kickapoos became alarmed and took to the woods. The Osages, however, said they would not injure any of the red people, but will kill any and all whites they may find in the territory.

The Kickapoos are alarmed and ask protection from the whites, or to be removed up to the state line. In order to supply my Indians with provisions, and to make some arrangements for their protection or removal, and for the temporary protection of government property, I would request an escort from your company of Kansas state militia.

A. C. WILLIAMS, Special Agent.

To Capt. G. H. NORTON, commanding company A, Cowley County Militia.

Agent Williams’ letter was forwarded to Gov. Osborn, who in order to comply with the request contained in it referred the matter to Gen. Pope, offering to furnish the escort requested if so desired. Gen. Pope replied to the effect that he had military in the vicinity which could furnish the escort when applied for by the agent, which had not yet been done.

In the same letter, Capt. Norton reports a slight brush with the Osages by some scouts sent out by him. Sergeant Berkey and Privates Patterson and Hoyt, of his company, left the picket line, and had gone as far as Deer creek, five miles from the state line, and finding no signs of Indians, concluded to return. They had gone but a short distance, when they were fired upon by a party of Indians, who immediately charged upon them with demoniac yells. They seemed to have been concealed in a ravine, and were not seen until they opened fire. The scouts spurred their horses into a run, and the Indians followed to within a mile and a half of the state line. Thirty six shots were fired on the run by the scouts, but owing to the approaching darkness and the speed at which they were going, none of them probably took effect. The next day Capt. Norton, with some eighteen men, proceeded to the vicinity of the encounter and found the Indian trail. They followed it to within three or four miles of the Big Hill Osage ford on the Arkansas. It pointed southeast towards the Osage reserve.

Subjoined are other documents pertinent to the general subject.

THE MURDERED LAWRENCE CITIZENS.

THE PRESENT INDIAN POLICY SOLEMNLY PROTESTED AGAINST.

From the Lawrence Journal.

In response to the notice published in our daily papers, a considerable number of citizens repaired to the courthouse last evening for the purpose, as was stated in the call, of expressing sympathy for the bereaved families and friends of our citizens who were killed by the Indians on the 24^th ult. The meeting was called to order by Col. Sam Walker. Col. J. K. Rankin was made chairman, and Mr. Skiff secretary.

Upon request of the chair Judge James Christian explained the object of the meeting and closed by asking Capt. Abram Cutler, who was present, to give the meeting an account of the finding of the bodies and other circumstances within his knowledge of the dreadful occurrence.

Capt. Cutler responded to the request and gave a minute description of the discovery of the bodies, their appearance, the walk over the bloody trail, conjectures of the brave battle for four miles, and the final disposition of the slain. His story was listened to with deep attention.

Resolved, That we deeply sympathize with the families and friends of the deceased in their extreme affliction and sore bereavement, and we offer these our heedful sympathy and condolence to them in their irreparable loss.

Resolved, That we hereby enter our solemn protest against the longer continuance of the present Indian policy as now administered, subjecting as it does (and has done in the present case) our citizens to butchery and all the horrors of savage warfare, that spares neither age nor sex.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions, signed by the chairman and secretary, be transmitted to each of the families of the deceased, and that a copy be furnished to each of our city papers for publication.

The meeting then adjourned.

FURTHER FROM AGENT MILES.

HE REPORTS THAT THE MURDERS OF KANSAS CITIZENS

WERE COMMITTED BY KIOWAS—WHICH IS NOT LIKELY.

From the New York Tribune.

Washington, Aug. 30. Agent John D. Miles writes from the Cheyenne and Arapaho agency at Darlington, Indian Territory, Aug. 19, that Little Robe, White Shield, and Pawnee, Cheyenne chiefs, arrived at the agency on the 15^th, having left the main Cheyenne camp eight days previous. They brought with them 30 warriors, 51 women, and 54 children. After a thorough examination as to their loyalty by the agent and military authorities, they were enrolled. Little Robe made a statement, which was corroborated by the others, to the effect that they had come in to be at peace at the request of the agent sent through White Shield, for all that had been peaceable to come in. They would have come in sooner, but were prevented by the severe threats of the hostile portion of the tribe. There were others entitled to protection who would come in if they could. On account of the scarcity of rain, the main camp of 260 lodges had moved north-eastward, and were now camped near the Canadian river. There were no war parties out when these Indians left. Big Bow, a Kiowa chief, had brought in sixty head of horses and mules from Texas, about the time they left the camp. The party which raided in Colorado was composed of Kiowas, Cheyennes, and Comanches. Little Robe did not know how many persons they had killed or how much stock had been stolen. The party that had the fight at Adobe Walls consisted of Cheyennes, Kiowas, and Comanches, between 300 and 400 warriors. Six Cheyennes and six Comanches were killed and a number wounded. Bird Medicine, a Kiowa brave, with a party of Kiowas, killed five men in the border settlements of Kansas, three of them near Medicine Lodge. A party of Dog Soldier Cheyennes killed Pat Hennessy’s party near Buffalo Springs, on the “Harker Road.” The party of Osages who were camped in that vicinity burned the wagons and carried off the stores. White Horse and Bear Tongue, with their bands, are very desirous to come to the agency, and are anxious for peace. Agent Miles anticipates great advantage from the system of enrollment recently adopted, as giving a more perfect control over individual members of tribes, but he adds that all law is powerless without a force to back it up, and in this country, in the absence of civil power; the ability to enforce law and order rests entirely in the military.

ARMS FOR KANSAS.

A Pointed Letter from Gov. Osborn to President Grant.

Kansas Demands a Right to be Enabled to Protect Herself.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, September 6, 1874.

STATE OF KANSAS, EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,

TOPEKA, September 5, 1871.

To the President.

SIR: To enable me to protect the frontier settlements of this state contiguous to the Indian territory from Indian depredations, I made application to the general government, through you, for arms and ammunition, under the act of April 23, 1908, providing for arming and equipping the militia. The secretary of war, to whom the application was referred, refused to issue the arms, assigning as a reason, that the state was already indebted to the general government for arms heretofore issued.

While it is true that Kansas stands charged with arms in excess of the quota, under the act referred to, there is a serious question of the liability of the state for a large amount charged against her on this account.

In 1864, when Price’s army was marching triumphantly through the state of Missouri, Major General S. R. Curtis, commanding the department of Kansas, called upon the governor of this state to put into the field the entire militia force of the state. The militia was accordingly marched to Missouri, and there, under the orders of the United States officers, assisted in the total defeat of the rebel forces which followed. A great portion of the arms now charged against us was issued to the militia which engaged in this service. I submit that the state should not be held for arms thus issued and used in the national service. The arms so issued were of an inferior character, hastily obtained to meet the emergency pressing upon the country, and it seems incredible that the government should take advantage of its necessities and force the state to an unwilling purchase of worthless arms that it will neither take back or exchange for others of a serviceable pattern. I hopefully request that this palpable error in the ordnance account with Kansas be corrected and again urge that my application made to you on the 21^st ult. be granted. The frequent incursions into the state of hostile bands of Indians, who murder and plunder our citizens, notwithstanding the earnest and energetic efforts of Major General Pope, commanding this department to afford all possible protection, demonstrate the inability of the government under the present depleted condition of the army to afford protection to our citizens living near the line of the Indian Territory.

These frequent outrages are depopulating the country contiguous to the Indian Territory and I have deemed it necessary to call into the service a few companies of the state militia for the service of that locality. The 500 carbines furnished the state by the government in June last are the only arms we now have fit to be used in an encounter with hostile Indians. By some means they have been amply provided with the best guns manufactured in the United States, and it would be more than cruel to send into the field to meet such an enemy a body of troops armed with the old muskets with which the state stands charged on the books of the war department.

You will readily see that 500 buns is but a meagre number with which to protect our extended frontier. Sixteen citizens of Kansas are known to have been murdered by Indians within the state, since the 16^th of June last, and not one of the murderers has been punished or even arrested by the government, whose wards they are. But a few days since, and even since the receipt of your letter assuring me that the United States army would protect our state from invasion, six citizens of Lawrence, engaged in surveying the public lands in Kansas, under a contract with the interior department of the general government, were brutally murdered by Indians.

While the United States government may be unable to afford to the citizen that full measure of protection which is so essential to his personal safety, can she, in honor do less than afford him the means of protecting himself?

This state has already expended since her admission into the union more than $350,000 in protecting her citizens against hostile Indians, whose good conduct was guaranteed by the government, and whatever may be the decision on this application for arms, we will endeavor to protect the lives and property of our citizens at whatever cost.

Very respectfully your obedient servant,

THOMAS A. OSBORN.

FROM COWLEY COUNTY.

The Indian Business.—The Militia Organization.—Politics.

The Farmers of Cowley County Will Support the Republican Ticket.

Base Ball, Etc.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 8, 1874.

WINFIELD, Cowley County, August 31.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

Knowing the interest you feel in matters pertaining to the southwest, I conclude to furnish a few items for the benefit of your readers who do not read the Courier, Traveler, or Telegram, the circulating literature of this county.

Our locality, like all others throughout the state, has suffered from the ravages of the grasshopper and the long continued dry weather. But now comes the Indian trouble, with its anticipated horrors, which to a less resolute and determined class of citizens would have been the metaphoric “feather” that caused the fracture of the camel’s spine. However, since the Melius-Cusick ticket came out, our people have made up their minds to be surprised at nothing, and I think they will prove to Supt. Hoag that with a little assistance from Gov. Osborn, they can manage the marauding red devils without much expense to the general government or reference to his “Quaker Indian policy.”

The companies of Kansas state militia have been organized in this and Sumner County, and now await the order of the Governor to protect their own border from invasion by these “government pets.”

E. B. Kager is captain of the company from here, and G. H. Norton of the one at Arkansas City. The latter expect marching orders at any moment, as the Little Osages are making things lively along the line every day.

The political cauldron is beginning to boil. A part of the farmers’ county central committee met today and changed their name to “independent party,” as one explained “they could support the republican state ticket, but have a county ticket of their own.”

The ticket put in nomination last Wednesday by the republican convention at Topeka meets with hearty approval here, as will be shown by the votes at the November election.

It is recognized by all parties in this section as the strongest team that has ever been put in the field, and if my old friend, Tom Cavanaugh, don’t get a lift from Cowley this fall, then the story about straws indicating the direction of the wind is a lie and the man that composed it a fraud.

Several prisoners are now confined in the county jail on the charge of horse stealing. They will be tried at the October session of the district court.

The base ball fever has not entirely died out, as the Frontiers of this place are to play the Douglas Avenue nine of Wichita, at the Douglas fair on the 16^th prox.

Geewhilikens P. Smith, of the reform party, passed through here last night on his “grand round” through the border counties. He was surprised to learn that the “farmers,” “reformers,” “independents,” etc., did not recognize in him a Moses, so he did not attempt to speak in Winfield, but passed on to his next appointment, probably repeating to himself Moore’s:

’Twas ever thus from childhood’s hours,

I’ve seen my fondest hopes decay.

At any rate I’ve not heard from him since and only give this as a supposition. Until I hear from him or some other subject that will interest you, I am MAGNET.

GEN. MILES’ EXPEDITION.

He Has a Fight with the Cheyennes and Gives Them a Sound Drubbing.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, September 10, 1874.

The following dispatch has been received from Gen. Miles at the department headquarters at Fort Leavenworth.

HEADQUARTERS INDIAN EXPEDITION,

CAMP ON RED RIVER, TEXAS, August 31, 1874.

To Gen. Pope, Commanding Department of the Missouri:

The command has followed the confederated and hostile Indians for seven days, from Sweetwater to the headwaters of the south branch of the Red river, making rapid marches and gaining steadily on them until yesterday, when they turned, made an attack, and were repulsed. They retreated to a strong position, displaying a force of 500 warriors. The troops had made extraordinary efforts, and endured every privation in their energetic and rapid pursuit. They marched 65 miles; they came up to the attack in splendid spirits, and without a halt, went into the fight. The cavalry, artillery, and infantry were all in, and the Indians, who appeared very brave at first, broke and ran in every direction. Whenever they made a stand, they were charged and routed.

For one hundred and ten miles, from Sweetwater to Staked Plains, their line of retreat is strewn with abandoned property and broken down animals. They have burned their villages during the fight. We have trailed small parties out on the “Llanos Estacado” and may follow them across. The command is in excellent spirits and in good condition. This is a terrible country for campaigning; a series of arid plains, ragged bluffs, and deep canyons, and almost destitute of water.

NELSON A. MILES, Brevet Maj.-Gen. U. S. A., commanding.

FROM THE FRONT.

Indians Harassing the Rear of General Miles’ Command.

A Teamster Killed by Cheyennes.

Scouts Fight Their Way Through Hostile Indians.

Capture of a White Man Who Has Been Fifteen Years With the Comanches.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 15, 1874.

CAMP SUPPLY, I. T., September 10, 1874.

From Our Own Correspondent.

The Indians have appeared in large numbers on General Miles’ trail between here and Red river. A party of about one hundred showed themselves at the crossing of Commission creek, some fifty miles from here, on the evening of the 7^th, and killed a teamster belonging to Jack Callahan’s train, which was on the way from General Miles’ command to meet a supply train from this post. The name of the teamster killed is Arthur Moore. He is from Wichita, where his parents reside. He was out from camp a few hundred yards when the Indians came upon him. He was scalped and literally riddled with bullets. His brother was within a few hundred yards of him when he was shot, but could render him no assistance.

It is expected that Callahan’s train will experience considerable difficulty in reaching the command, as the Indians are now all along the route. These are thought to be the Indians who lately burned the buildings at the Wichita agency.

Lieut. Baldwin and three of his scouts have just arrived from General Miles’ headquarters. They fought their way through, killing four Indians and capturing one white man. He has been with the Indians for fifteen years and speaks very poor English. He belongs to the Comanches. The Indians are burning the prairie in every direction. It is thought they have got their families out of the way, and have now come back to harass General Miles’ rear. T.

BY TELEGRAPH.

FROM DODGE CITY.

The Indian Business Getting Warm.—One Man Shot.

They are Too Strong for the Military Force Sent Out Against Them.

Reinforcements Ordered and More Quakers Asked For.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, September 17, 1874.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

Dodge City, Kas., Sept. 16.—The Indian business is getting thick out here. Henro Setler was shot today within eight miles of this place. He is not fatally wounded. He reports twenty-five Indians in the party.

Lieutenant King, who left here yesterday, has just sent in for reinforcements. He found the Indians too strong for his command. Hanrahan and Walters are with him. Col. Oakes has sent every available man to reinforce King. Send us more Quakers. FOSTER.

FROM THE FIELD.

Gen. Miles’ Indian Expedition.

The Utter and Disastrous Route of the Indians.

The Fight on Red River.

Desolate Condition of the Country.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, September 17, 1874.

CAMP ON RED RIVER, TEXAS, September 4, 1874.

My last letter was dated on the Washita. At that time only a few scattering Indians had been seen, and they were evidently watching the movements of the expedition. From the Washita the march southward was continued. Lieutenant Baldwin, with his scouts and a detachment of the Sixth cavalry, made a detour to the right, going up the Washita twenty or twenty-five miles and then across to Sweetwater, and down that to the command. Here the trail of the Indians was struck, and from the number of camps along its banks, there must have been a very large force of them. Everything indicated a hasty flight, and on the following morning, the 27^th of August, the pursuit was commenced in earnest. The trail led southwest from Sweetwater. The Indians had deserted their camps about two days before Gen. Miles’ arrival, and had considerable of a start. The supply train, with a sufficient guard, was left behind and the cavalry, artillery, and two companies of infantry took up the pursuit. No resistance was met with until the command reached a point about six miles north of Red river, when it was attacked by from five to seven hundred Indians, who had formed a line and suddenly jumped upon Lieutenant Baldwin’s scouts, who were in the advance. The Indians came over the hill, whooping, yelling, and firing. The scouts, numbering about thirty, Delawares and whites, were at once dismounted and commenced pouring lead into the charging redskins, and in a few minutes they were charging back with greater rapidity than they advanced. The scouts drove them about two miles, where the main body was posted. In the meantime Gen. Miles came up with the command, and the Indians were driven from their chosen positions, which seemed almost impregnable, six or eight miles across Red river. A running fight was kept up all the time. Twenty-five dead Indians were found on the field after the fight, and they were seen to carry off as many more. The casualties on our side were few, only three men being wounded, none killed: Michael Bartley, Co. F, 6^th cavalry, shot in left leg; Young Martin, Delaware, struck with spear in head; Geo. Everett, Delaware, bullet wound in face. When it is remembered what advantages the Indians had, being concealed behind rocks and bluffs, and our men being in plain view of them all the time, the small list of casualties is remarkable. The Indians were armed with spears, Spencer’s, and needle guns, and did poor execution. They were supposed to be principally Cheyennes, with a few Kiowas and Comanches. Our Delawares behaved in a manner to elicit the commendation of everybody. Insinuations had been thrown out that they would not fight, but would run at the first sight of a wild Indian, but they disproved the charge at the first opportunity, and were always foremost in the advance, eager for the fray. They were commanded by one of their number, Captain Fall-leaf. Everybody is proud of the Delawares now. They took a number of scalps. There were numerous instances of personal bravery all round. Major Compton’s battalion swept the heights on the right, while Major Biddle, with Lieut. Baldwin’s scouts, cleared those on the left. Captain Chaffee, with Co. I, of the 6^th, leading everything in charging a hill covered with redskins. How they escaped annihilation—as the Indians were shooting at them until they were near the crest—is a wonder. Lieut. Pope’s battery did good work and deserves a notice. The Gatling guns worked to perfection, and when they commenced to vomit lead into the ranks of the “Ikinnewahs,” they retreated in the greatest confusion. The ten-pound Parrott also comes in for its share of praise. It blowed several Indians into the cool, and behaved itself well through the fight.

The Indians retreated north of Red river, and on to the “staked plains.” The route from where the trail was first discovered to Red river bore evidence of a hasty and confused exit. Lodge poles, beds, cooking utensils, camp equipage, etc., were seen all along the route. They also abandoned a great many ponies. Their main camps or villages were on the Sweetwater and Black rivers, south of the Canadian. From these points they made their forays toward the Arkansas. They were evidently fixed to fight on that line all summer, provided they were not molested. Here were their council houses and medicine lodges, adorned with scalps taken from citizens of Kansas and other states. Their houses, or lodges, are about as large as an ordinary side show. In these the Indians hold their councils, make medicine, have war dances, and gloat over the number of white men they have murdered.

Gen. Miles’ command is now camped on Red river, Texas, about three hundred miles south of Fort Dodge, awaiting the arrival of supplies. Everything has to be hauled by wagon from Dodge, through sand hills and across mountains almost impassable. The entire distance is a succession of hills, ravines, and canyons, and at Red river it took eight mules to pull the empty wagons, returning from the command, up some of the hills. This remarkable march, through this mountainous, sandy region, has been accomplished with the loss of scarcely an animal and not a single man. The water of Red river and its tributaries is horrible and unfit for use. It is bitter and salty, and its enervating effects are beginning to show on the men. If you will take some salt and quinine and mix it with warm water, you will have a fair sample of the kind we are forced to use.

As we advanced southward I had hoped to note some improvement in the country, but our expectations have not been realized. Instead of improvement it grows worse, until the staked plains are reached. It is nothing but sand, rocks, ravines, hills, canyons, with scarcely enough vegetation, outside of the creek bottoms, to subsist a good-sized Kansas grasshopper.

Nothing has been heard of Major Price, who left Fort Union, New Mexico, in August, with four companies of the eighth cavalry, to join Gen. Miles. He was expected to meet him at Antelope Hills on the 19^th ult. Gen. Miles has had scouts out, all the time, but they can find no trace of Price.

The Indians have appeared in General Miles’ rear, and will no doubt harass the trains going to and from the command. They attacked two scouts at the crossing of Sweetwater on the evening of the 3^rd. The scouts showed a bold front, and by making a little circuit, succeeded in passing, and reached Camp Supply without further molestation.

Three of Gen. Miles’ scouts, sent out on the 26^th of August to communicate with Major Price, have returned, minus horses, and no news concerning that officer’s command. They traveled over three hundred miles, mostly by night, when their horses gave out, and they had to take it afoot. They were followed by Indians for three days, but finally eluded them and came in.

A supply camp is to be established at Antelope Hills, on the Canadian, for the use of the expedition. Several large trains laden with forage and commissary stores, are now on the way from Fort Dodge. Others will succeed them. Antelope Hills are about seventy-five miles south of Supply, on the line of Texas and the Indian Territory. It is very likely that a permanent post will be established here to facilitate operations against the hostile Indians. An excellent stream of clear running water, with good grass, is found near the hills. As this is about the only good water to be had on the route, it has been christened Oasis creek. The utility of good water is never appreciated until you have drank salt and alkali for a month or so. T.

BY TELEGRAPH.

FROM DODGE CITY.

Gen. Miles Has a Hard Battle With the Indians.

Twenty-seven Wounded Received at Camp Supply.

Miles Falls Back for Supplies.

King Pushing the Red Skins Splendidly.

The Leavenworth “Commercial’s” Canard.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, September 18, 1874.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

Dodge City, Kan., Sept. 17.—No Indian troubles today to the west of us. R. M. Bright has just arrived from Camp Supply and reports a hard fight between Gen. Miles command and the Indians. Twenty-seven wounded had already been received at Supply. The number of killed is unknown. Gen. Miles has been compelled to fall back one hundred miles to meet supplies.

Hon. James Hanrahan has just arrived from King’s command. King is pushing the redskins splendidly.

The account of the Pierceville burning, in the Leavenworth Commercial, is too absurd to be credited anywhere. FOSTER.

FROM BARBOUR COUNTY.

Further Indian Depredations.

A Party of Hunters Attacked.—Five Indians Killed.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, September 18, 1874.

SUN CITY, KANSAS, September 15, 1874.

Correspondence of the Commonwealth.

News has just been brought into this place by Mr. Joel Patterson, a buffalo hunter, who is counted a reliable man in this place, that he was encamped with three others on Cavalry creek close to its mouth, where it empties into Bluff creek in Comanche County. They saw a large herd of buffalo in the morning about three miles south of camp. They started after them, but had gone but a short distance when they heard a number of shots fired on the other side of the divide. They went to the top of it and saw what they supposed were, and what afterwards proved to be, Indians firing at something hidden from their sight in the ravine. After watching them some fifteen or twenty minutes, during which time a great number of shots were fired, they saw the party retreat, pursued by another party, which they soon found were white men. They saw three Indians fall over in their saddles, but suppose they were carried off by the other Indians, as they were not seen afterwards. Mr. Patterson, with his men, started for the scene of action and found that the victors were Capt. Collins and thirty men who had started out on a scout and to hunt for the bodies of Mr. Griffin and son, Mr. Dasher, Mr. Bowles, and Mr. Young, who were killed near the Cimarron about ten days ago while hunting buffalo. Capt. Collins’ party were attacked just as they were getting ready to leave camp. The Indians fired on them just as they were about to mount. Capt. Collins’ mule was shot from under him just as he was fairly seated in the saddle. He mounted another, rallied his men, and charged on them, firing as they went. The Indians ran a short distance, then made another stand, but Collins’ needle guns were too much for them. They broke again and ran. Capt. Collins’ losses were slight, as but two men were wounded, and those but slightly. After stopping a few moments to detail a guard for his supplies, Collins, with the rest of his men, started in pursuit of the “Lo’s.” Five Indians were knocked off their ponies near the camp, shot dead. Two of them were Osages, two Kiowas, and one Cheyenne. The Cheyenne had a white woman’s scalp hanging to his belt. The last that Mr. Patterson saw of Collins, he was giving the Indians a hot chase, and probably we shall hear from that quarter again in a day or two. Mr. Patterson thinks there were about forty Indians from different tribes.

Capt. Bowles has just sent out a party of his men, after a party of eight Indians that were seen two miles east of town by one of our citizens, who was out hunting for his cow in the woods. The man and Indians must have seen each other about the same time, as they did not fire at him until he started his horse on the run for town. He says they fired three shots at him. He did not stop to ask what tribe they belonged do, but thinks they were some of Gibson’s “Sunday school scholars.” We are expecting warm times down here this fall with the Indians. J. M. H.

BY TELEGRAPH.

FROM DODGE CITY.

Gen. Miles Reported Surrounded.—His Supplies Insufficient.

The U. S. Surveying Parties Safe, etc.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, September 19, 1874.

DODGE CITY, KANSAS, September 18.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

From advices received here tonight, it seems that Gen. Miles is practically corralled: insufficient transportation is the cause. A large party of northern Indians crossed the A., T. & S. F. railroad west of here today, going south. They were in hostile attitude.

Capt. Armstrong’s surveying party has just arrived. They report Col. Moonlight all safe. Kansas must take care of herself if the Quakers don’t. FOSTER.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Warm Work on the Frontier.

A Five Days’ Fight with Indians.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, September 19, 1874.

WARM WORK ON THE BORDER.

New York, Sept. 18.—A correspondent in the camp on the Washita river telegraphs that a supply train for Gen. Miles’ expedition, in charge of Maj. Lyman of the 5^th infantry, with one company of infantry and twenty men of the 5^th cavalry, commanded by Lieut. West, was corralled on the Washita river on the 9^th inst., by from 400 to 500 Comanches and Kiowas. After a fight of five days, the Indians were repulsed with a loss of from twenty-five to thirty killed. Lieut. Lewis of the 5^th infantry was badly wounded in the left leg. Two men were killed and five wounded.

Major Price, of the 8^th cavalry, defeated a large party of Comanches on the 15^th inst., five miles south, killing several. Lt. Baldwin and three Sioux, with dispatches for supplies, got through after a desperate fight, killing five Indians and capturing a white man and renegade.

On the 12^th, six couriers for supplies were surprised by 125 Comanches, on the Washita, and after a gallant defense and the loss of one of their number killed and all but two wounded, repulsed them with a loss of twelve killed.

BY TELEGRAPH.

FROM DODGE CITY.

Gen. Miles Beleaguered By Indians and His Supply Trains Cut Off.

A Train of Supplies in a State of Siege.

No Troops at Dodge to Send to His Relief.

It is Understood that Gen. Pope Cannot Send Him Reinforcements.

A Chance For the Kansas Militia.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, September 20, 1874.

DODGE CITY, KANSAS, September 19, 1874.

Special Correspondence of the Commonwealth:

Scouts who have just arrived report the condition of Gen. Miles’ command as deplorable, that his supplies are cut off, and all supply trains either captured or corralled. If the reports which the scouts bring in are true, his command is in a critical situation. Callahan’s train, which left Camp Supply on Sunday with supplies, is stopped, and is in a state of siege. There are no troops here to send to his relief. It is understood that Gen. Pope can furnish no further aid by way of either troops or transportation. Is it not time that Kansas was in this fight herself? What says the legislative fathers?

Judge W. R. Brown opened the political campaign last night. He takes the position that the revolution in Louisiana is a new development of the reform movement. He goes for Cusey.

FROM WICHITA.

Letter from Agent John D. Miles.

Two Cattle Herders Killed by Indians.

One of the Bodies Found.—One of Them a Citizen of Kansas.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, September 20, 1874.

WICHITA, September 19, 1874.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

John D. Miles, United States Indian agent, writes from Darlington, I. T., under date Sept. 15^th, as follows: “C. M. Monahan and Edward O’Leary, herders, left this agency on the 9^th inst., in search of lost cattle. Failing to return, search was instituted and has been kept up until today. The body of Monahan was found fifteen miles west of George Washington’s, on the Canadian river. A part of the personal effects of O’Leary were with Monahan; we expect to find the remains in the same vicinity. They were killed by Indians. Indians were seen in that vicinity yesterday. O’Leary’s folks reside at Aubrey, Johnson County, Kansas, and Monahan’s at Independence, Missouri.

BY TELEGRAPH.

WASHINGTON.

Louisiana Calm and Serene.

A Briton Obtains His Pay.

Trial Set for the Safe Robbers.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

(The following telegram has been received at the war department from Gen. Emory.)

HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF.

NEW ORLEANS, September 20, 1874.

To the Adjutant General of the Unites States Army:

Yesterday the state authorities replaced the temporary police force by the regular police force of the city. It was feared that this change might cause some disturbance, and troops were posted at various points in the vicinity, but the night passed quietly. I think this may be taken as evidence that the surrender was complete and in good faith, for by the peculiarity of the law of Louisiana, the police force of this city is organized under state law and is under the direct control of the governor.

Signed, W. H. EMORY, Col. and Brevet Maj. Gen. Commanding.

PAYING DEBTS.

Washington, Sept. 21. Today Mr. Wilson, British charge de affaires, and Mr. Howard, the agent appointed by the British government, called at the state department and were paid $1,929,819 gold, less two and a half per cent, allowed for expenses, being the award to the bridge claimants by the mixed commission under the Washington treaty of 1873.

THE SAFE ROBBERS.

Washington, Sept. 21. The criminal court today fixed the trial of persons indicted for being concerned in the safe robbery and conspiracy for October 20^th, and refused to grant a motion to try them separately. Beatty, who was under indictment, did not appear to give bail as he promised, nor has he yet given bail elsewhere. Benton, who recently forfeited his bail, cannot be found.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Gen. Miles’ Command All Right.

Late Exaggerated Reports Corrected.

The Reason Why Longstreet Surrendered.

Progress of the Brooklyn Scandal Suits.

The Irish Team on a Pleasure Tour.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

EXPLOSION OF A CANARD.

Chicago, Sept. 21. The special dispatches sent out from Quincy last night, concerning Indian depredations near Camp Supply, Indian Territory, saying that Col. Miles had been compelled to fall back to meet his supplies; that he had telegraphed Gen. Pope for reinforcements; that one large supply train of thirty-six wagons had been captured, the assistant wagon master killed and the men compelled to abandon the train after a desperate resistance, bringing 27 wounded into camp; that 300 stand of arms, together with large ammunition and commissary stores had fallen into the hands of the savages, and that the eighth cavalry had come in from Arizona entirely destitute, having lost all their supply and baggage trains, and joined Col. Miles’ command, are proven, on inquiry at headquarters here, not to be true, or with so little foundation as to be virtually a canard.

From official dispatches, received by Lt. Gen. Sheridan this morning, the real facts are obtained and will be found in the associated press. Colonel Miles, in a dispatch dated the 5^th inst., seventy-five miles south of Red river, advised Gen. Pope that he should fall back for supplies. His dispatch received by Gen. Sheridan today is dated from camp on Washita river, September 14, and came via Fort Dodge, leaving there on the 17^th inst. He says:

“I find that after leaving the Canadian river, Maj. Lyman, commanding the escort to the supply train, was attacked by from 300 to 400 Indians, on the morning of the 9^th inst. The Indians charged the train several times and made every effort to capture it, fighting so determinedly as to detain it for three days. The fight was very close and the train completely surrounded. On the third day the Indians abandoned the attack, retreating southwest.

“From all the information I can get here since my arrival, I believe they formed no part of the body we drove off the Staked Plains. They were believed to have been led by Satanta and Big Tree. During the fight Lieutenant Lewis, of the Fifty infantry, was severely wounded in the knee. Sergeant Deadmond, company I, Fifth infantry, was killed. Sergeant Single, Sixth cavalry, private Buck, Fifth infantry, and wagon master Sanford, were wounded, the latter mortally. Officers estimated the number of Indians killed at fifteen, the wounded at many more. Private Pettijohn, of the Sixth cavalry, was killed near camp, on McClellan creek, on the 11^th.

“Lieutenant Baldwin will have informed you of his successful encounter with the Indians while coming in as bearer of dispatches. Part of the force that attacked Major Lyman, attacked a party of the Sixth cavalry bearing dispatches, who entrenched themselves in the sand, and after a desperate fight lasting all day, in which one courier was killed and four wounded, they compelled the Indians to retire, having killed twelve. Whenever we have fought them, they have been severely punished with comparatively slight loss on our side. The rivers to the south are now so swollen as to be impassable for wagons. I am building a bridge across the Wichita. The cavalry were obliged to swim their horses on returning. The march back was even more difficult than the advance, even with Indians in our front, owing to the terrible continuous rains which flooded the streams and made the roads almost impassable, from which facts as well as because but half the forage was furnished and the Indians having destroyed much of the grass, the animals have come in exhausted and somewhat worn down.

“The command now occupies the valleys of McClellan creek, Sweetwater, and Washita rivers. Maj. Price’s command is camped near acting independently.”

Gen. Pope, in a communication enclosing Col. Miles’ report, says Miles has force enough to beat any Indians that can be met.

THE REASON WHY.

New Orleans, Sept. 21. Gen. James Longstreet, commander in chief of Kellogg’s army, says the reason that the statehouse and arsenals were surrendered for want of ammunition to defend them, and places the responsibility on Attorney General Field, who enjoined the militia appropriation of $20,000 made by the last legislature.

DIBBLE GETS IN A SHOT.

Gen. Dibble, in a letter to the Picayune, says he fired two shots from a window in the custom house at those who deliberately fired at him while standing there looking on, but taking no part in the fight last Monday.

THE SCANDAL SUITS.

New York, Sept. 21. Moulton appeared in the United States marshal’s office, Brooklyn, today, and accepted the service of a capias in the Proctor suit. The case comes before Judge Benedict tomorrow when nominal bail will be accepted.

No notice of trial is yet filed in the clerk’s office of the circuit court, Brooklyn, in the libel suit of Tilton vs. Beecher.

THE IRISH VISITORS.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin said the Irish Team will be given an excursion by the city authorities Thursday and a public reception at the city hall. Representative men of Brooklyn have tendered them a dinner.

FOREIGN.

Dockery Cruelly Treated in Spain.

A Threatened Riot in Aspinwall.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

THREATENED RIOT.

Aspinwall, Sept. 20. A serious riot, attended with bloodshed, took place here this afternoon between Italians in the employ of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and troops on duty here. It appears that one of the soldiers, unarmed, was on the wharf and was chased off by some of the Italians, who threw stones at him. On arriving at his quarters, he reported the case, when an officer and six men went at once to the wharf to arrest those who had made the assault. On arriving at the gates, one of the Italians fired two pistol shots at the troops without result, when a volley was fired in return, which mortally wounded one of the Italians and seriously wounded a Jamaica negro.

Excitement is intense and additional troops have been sent for to keep the peace. California passengers who arrived just after the occurrence were placed safely on board the steamer Acapulco. That no more were hurt is wonderful as a volley was fired just outside the gate and directly up the wharf. Mr. Corwine, general agent, Commodore Gray, and Superintendent Thompson were just outside the line of the fire and the wharf was filled with laborers. Matters are now quiet, but troops will be welcome.

DOCKERY CRUELLY TREATED.

London, Sept. 21. Fred Dockery, the American arrested in Cuba by the Spanish authorities, has reached Santander, where he is said to have been imprisoned and cruelly treated.

CRIMES.—CASUALTIES.

Pittsburgh Visited by a Fire.

The Hot Springs Robbers Corralled.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

ROBBERS CORRALLED.

Hot Springs, Ark., Sept. 21. One of the party in pursuit of the stage robbers returned for reinforcements last night, reporting that the pursuit became so hot that the robbers took to the mountains, forty miles from this place, where they now are. He saw them just before they left the road, and says their horses were completely used up and could not go further. The citizens of the whole country around have joined in the pursuit; and when the courier left, the robbers were entirely surrounded. A party of recruits left at midnight for the scene of action, and it is probable that the party have all been killed or captured by this time.

A BLAZE IN PITTSBURGH.

Pittsburgh, Sept. 21. A cigar store, grocery, saloon, dwelling, boarding house, and the ferry house situated at the end of the Panhandle railroad bridge and three span of that bridge burned at two o’clock this morning. Loss not yet ascertained.

POSTMASTER ARRESTED.

Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 21. Rev. Westry, the pretty man of a northern church, postmaster at Marietta, Georgia, was arrested and brought here today for embezzlement and other penal violations of the postoffice laws. Bail was fixed at $2,000.

FROM CAMP SUPPLY.

The Corralling of Callahan’s Train.

The Country Alive with Indians.

Killing and Wounding of White Men.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

CAMP SUPPLY, I. T., September 12, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

One of Gen. Miles’ scouts has just come in and reports that Callahan’s train, loaded with supplies for the command, has been corralled about two miles north of Washita. Col. Lewis, commanding this post, has ordered company K, of the Sixth cavalry, and a detachment of infantry to their rescue. Gen. Miles’ command was on Red river, some one hundred and twenty-five miles further south, but as his rations were nearly out, it is very likely that he is moving to meet the supply train. One soldier with Callahan’s train was killed, one officer wounded, and two citizens wounded. Jas. Sandford, Callahan’s assistant, was shot through the abdomen. Several mules had been killed, and a number wounded. The train is entirely cut off from water.

A night-herder of Messrs. Lee & Reynolds was shot by Indians at their hay camp, fifteen miles west of this point, last evening.

The whole country is alive with Indians, and more troops will be needed to squelch them.

T.

FROM THE FIELD.

Brave Defense of a Beleaguered Supply Train.

ACTS OF SPLENDID HEROISM.

Gen. Miles Returns to the Washita to Meet Supplies.

Colonel Price Arrives With His Battalion.

The Plains Swarming With Indians.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

CAMP ON THE WASHITA, TEXAS, September 16.

From Our Own Correspondent.

The company of cavalry sent from Camp Supply to the relief of Callahan’s train reached here at 3 o’clock yesterday morning. The company halted six miles from where the train was corralled and seven citizen scouts ran the blockade, under cover of night, and informed the beleaguered party that had been held here for five days and nights, and three days without a drop of water for man or beast. The Indians kept up a constant fire day and night. One man was killed just as the train was being corralled. The Indians had been watching this train from the time it left the command at Red river, and killed one man belonging to it at Commission creek. It was attacked the second day on the return immediately after crossing the Canadian river. The escort, consisting of forty infantry and twenty cavalry, under command of Capt. Lyman, fought them for ten miles, when the Indians were reinforced and they were forced to corral under a terrific fire from all sides. So confident were the Indians of capturing the entire outfit that they dug rifle pits within fifty yards of the wagons. Over one hundred of these were counted. The whole number is estimated between four and five hundred. Nine head of beef cattle intended for the command were stampeded, and sixteen head of mules were wounded and had to be killed.

In this attack one man was killed and three wounded. The conduct of our men against such fearful odds deserves the highest praise. The Indians kept up a continuous fire for three days and nights, during which time no water or feed could be had, notwithstanding they were within a few hundred yards.

The mules were reduced to skeletons from want of water and grass.

Yesterday morning the train moved out, the Indians having left in the night; but they had only gone a mile or two before Gen. Miles’ command was seen approaching from the south. The men were out of rations and the sight of the supply train had the effect to revive their drooping spirits wonderfully.

The expedition is now encamped on the Washita, about fifteen miles south of the Canadian. The Indians that have been engaging the attention of the troops along General Miles’ trail are thought to be Kiowas and Comanches, reinforced by those lately in his front. They cannot be drawn into an open engagement with the troops, but will pick up isolated parties, make dashes on supply trains, and carry on a general guerrilla warfare, for which the country is admirably adapted.

Major Price, with four companies of the eighth cavalry, joined Gen. Miles’ command on the 7^th. They had been traveling for thirty-five days, having started from Fort Union, New Mexico. They were out of supplies and glad to meet us. They encountered no Indians on their march until they struck Miles’ trail leading to Red river, when they had several lively brushes with them.

The command will probably remain here for awhile to recuperate, as the stock are pretty well played out and need rest. They have been on the go since the 11^th of August. A good many horses have been killed or abandoned on the march.

The progress of this campaign has unfolded qualities of heroism and endurance seldom equaled. As an instance, I will mention the following: On the 9^th inst., Amos Chapman and William Dickson, two of Lieut. Baldwin’s scouts, left the command in company with four soldiers, with dispatches for Camp Supply. They got along all right until the morning of the second day, when they suddenly found themselves surrounded by about one hundred and fifty Indians, and all chances of escape cut off. The only alternative left for the boys was to prepare for the worst, and to sell their lives as dearly as possible. So dismounting they succeeded in keeping the Indians at bay until they dug rifle pits, in which to shelter themselves. The Indians were now closing in upon them and their fate seemed decided. One of the number had been killed and three wounded. The other two had their clothing perforated with bullets. Some of the redskins dismounted and crawled up to within twenty-five yards of the men, and the ground around them was plowed with bullets. In this terrible condition, with one dead comrade whom they could not bury, and three others wounded, our little band remained for two days and nights without food, the horrors of their situation being augmented by a drenching rain. Three companies of the 8^th cavalry happened to run on them in search of their supply train, and gave them relief. Had it not been for this God-send, the fate of the entire party would only have been a question of a little time.

The survivors were brought in yesterday and their wounds properly dressed. They are doing well and will be all right in a short time. Chapman’s leg will probably have to be amputated. The other wounds were not of so serious a nature.

The following is a list of the killed and wounded in the various engagements.

Killed: Sergeant William DeArman, Co. I, 5^th infantry; G. W. Smith, J. H. Pettijohn, Co. M, 6^th cavalry; S. W. Moore, teamster.

Wounded: Lieut. Granville Lewis, 5^th infantry, knee; D. R. Buck, Co. I,5th infantry, head; Sergeant Frank Singleton, Co. A, 6^th cavalry, knee; John Harrington, Co. H, 6^th cavalry, thigh; Amos Chapman, scout, leg; James L. Stanford, assistant wagon master, abdomen. Several soldiers are missing and it is feared that they have been killed.

The Indians that were here have moved southwest, in the direction of the Staked Plains. Gen. Miles sent out scouting parties on to the Plains, but they found no Indians. The trails all led in the direction of the Guadalupe mountains.

What direction the expedition will take from here, I am not prepared to say. The pursuit to Red river was certainly not satisfactory, although the Indians were driven from every point. The stock must have rest, and a new supply obtained. T.

THE LATE JUDGE CURTIS.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

Judge Benjamin R. Curtis, recently deceased, was born at Watertown, Massachusetts, Nov. 4^th, 1809, and graduated in 1829 at Harvard. On the death of Justice Woodbury, in September 1851, he was appointed by President Fillmore to the supreme bench of the United States. He is the author of a large number of original legal treatises and important and useful compilations and digests. Finding his salary insufficient, Judge Curtis retired from the supreme bench in 1857, and resumed the practice of his profession in Boston. He was one of the counsel of President Johnson, in the impeachment trial, and won national and world-wide fame for his profound and masterly argument on that occasion. Save as a member for one or two terms of the Massachusetts house of representatives, he never held a political office, and resisted the most flattering inducements to enter politics. A Boston dispatch gives the following additional details of the great jurist’s career.

“Judge Curtis was one of the highest scholars in the famous class of 1829, whose achievements have so often been told in verse by Holmes, and in his college days, was remarkable for maturity of character and clearness of intellect. Even in those days his statement of a case was of singular force and perspicuity. It was hardly necessary to argue a question in a college debating society after he had started it. He graduated with high honors at commencement and entered the law school, where his high talents were at once recognized. He was a member of the corporation of Harvard college from 1846 to 1851, when he was appointed to the supreme bench. Mr. Curtis resigned his position on the supreme bench because he felt it necessary to provide for his family. His law practice has been one of the most lucrative in New England, though he has studiously kept aloof from politics. He was the democratic candidate in the protracted senatorial contest of last year, and no candidate found a more unwavering support. He was also a member of the commission on the new charter. His name was frequently mentioned in connection with the chief-Justiceship before the appointment of Judge Waite. He was thrice married and leaves children by each wife.”

DESTITUTION IN NEBRASKA.

Proclamation of the Governor Appointing a Relief Committee.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

Gov. Furnass of Nebraska has issued a proclamation appointing twenty citizens a state committee to receive donations and care for the needs of the suffering. In his proclamation he thus speaks of the crop prospects in the state.

“As governor of the state, no power is in me vested to provide for the relief of those among our citizens who have lost their crops this season. The money in the treasury cannot be applied to the purpose, however urgent the need. But I have taken a deep interest in the matter, and have endeavored to learn all of the facts. It is a subject for gratitude that, notwithstanding the unfavorable agricultural year, the state as a whole has reaped a fair harvest. Though our corn crop has been greatly damaged by grasshoppers, and also by the drouth, which as affected the whole country, we have saved our wheat, and generally other drops, and there is nothing in the event of the year to retard the progress of the state. But the poorer immigrants push west. They settle on the frontier; and, by the necessity of the case, several years must elapse before they can cease their dependence upon corn as the staple crop. This year’s visitation, therefore, falls on the frontier counties with particular force. Numbers of our citizens there resident, in losing the bulk of their corn, lose their year’s labor; and they have not the means to maintain themselves and their families during the coming winter without outside help. They must be aided or they must quit the country.”

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

Senator Ingalls cordially approves the action of President Grant in the Louisiana troubles, and thinks the country is fortunate in having a chief executive who possesses the courage and decision to act with promptness and determination. He inclines to the belief that a vacillating or timid policy on the part of the president would have plunged other southern states into revolution and anarchy. Leavenworth Commercial.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

Treasurer Spinner has just received from a Kentucky correspondent a $10 United States bank note, signed by Nicholas Biddle. It is sixty years old.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

A medallion of John Wesley is to be placed in Westminster Abbey, and under it a representation in bas relief of Wesley preaching on his father’s grave.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

Prof. Sewall, of Bowdoin college, has raised $75,000 of the sum needed for that institution, and says that the prospect is bright for securing the remainder.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, September 22, 1874.

The Mennonites have just built a new church in Philadelphia. Besides this, there are two other congregations in that city.

THREATENING INDIAN NEWS.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 2, 1874.

It is only a question of time when the Osage Indians will attempt to revenge the severe punishment they received at the hands of the citizen soldiery of Bourbon County, several weeks ago. Recent reports have been received, indicating that they were contemplating a foray. Captain Norton, of the mounted militia of Arkansas City, telegraphs that a party of about sixty-five young Big Hill Osage braves crossed the Arkansas river north of Salt Fork, Friday, the 18^th, and crossed the Fort Sill trail on Sunday, the 27^th, near Skeleton creek, going west, probably bound for the country between Mule creek and the Camp Supply road, to operate on the Medicine Lodge settlement.

Attorney General Morris ordered couriers along the line to apprize the Sun City and Medicine Lodge militia companies, under Captains Ricker and Collins, of the suspected invasion. It is believed that the young Osages are meditating an alliance with the small bands of Cheyennes and Comanches known to be in Clarke County and the region roundabout. These latter savages are the perpetrators of the recent outrages in the extreme southwest, the killing of Capt. Thrasher’s surveyors, and the five buffalo hunters from Reno County. Capt. Collins writes that he has just found the bodies of these hunters in the southwestern part of Clarke County. They were found scalped and mutilated, their horses shot, and their wagons rifled. Capt. Collins brought in one of the wagons. These men were killed on the 1^st of September under the following circumstances: A party of ten hunters from Reno County went out southwest of Dodge in search of buffalo, in the vicinity of where the Lawrence surveyors were killed. They divided themselves into two hunting parties, of five each, and met with excellent success. Each party was provided with three wagons, and had them about filled. Two herds of buffalo came in sight on the 1^st of September, and both parties started, intending to complete their loads of hides by that day’s hunt. One party never came in, and on returning to camp, the other five discovered evidence of their murder by Indians. They waited for their companions for a few days, and returned sorrowfully home. Captain Collins’ scouts discovered Indians fourteen miles away, but owing to their being short of ammunition and supplies, did not continue the pursuit. These Indians are still in the southwestern part of the state, and as the regular soldiers have all been taken away from the border to furnish escorts for supply trains, the militia must be relied on to protect our frontier settlements.

The obtaining of arms from the federal government by Gov. Osborn is, therefore, very opportune just now. As to the particular band of Osages above referred to, Gen. Pope sends word to Gov. Osborn that he has heard that they number but forty-three, and that efforts are being made to induce them to return to their reservation. The other band (of Cheyennes and Comanches) recently received a very severe lesson from Captain Collins, in an engagement which was graphically reported in the COMMONWEALTH at the time, which occurred shortly after the murder of the Reno County hunters, and in which five Indians bit the dust. If, however, the Osages succeed in joining their forces with the wild tribes now on the warpath, the Kansas militia may have some serious work to do.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 2, 1874.

Mr. Dawes is soon to receive a letter from influential republicans of his district asking him to reconsider his determination not to be a candidate for congress again.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 2, 1874.

Fernando Wood knows how to tackle a blackmailer. The man who worked up a scheme on him last June has been sent to the penitentiary this fall.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 2, 1874.

The Sultan intends to appoint his eldest son to the chief command of the army, and this is a step preliminary to declaring him heir to the throne, contrary to an immemorial precedent for the order of succession.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 2, 1874.

There will be no more state elections until October 13^th, when Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Iowa, and Nebraska will elect state officers and members of congress. These states have forty-four representatives in congress.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 2, 1874.

The empress of Austria, during her recent visit to England, expressed her admiration of the horses she saw in the hunting fields. The earl of Dudley thereupon begged her to accept as a present his favorite hunter, which, in consequence, has since gone to Vienna. It is a splendid animal, valued at 800 guineas.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 2, 1874.

An exhibition of insects was opened in the Tuileries Garden in Paris the other day. The insects are divided into two classes—those which are useful and those which are injurious. The bee and the silkworm occupy prominent places in the exhibition. In an adjoining building are insectivorous birds.

FROM BARBOUR COUNTY.

Finding the Dead Bodies of Buffalo Hunters.

Capt. Collins’ Scout.

Indians Still Lurking on the Border.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 3, 1874.

SUN CITY, BARBOUR CO., September 28, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

A courier arrived here last night from Capt. Collins’ company, which was encamped on Bluff creek when he left on their return from their hunt for the missing bodies of those five citizens of Reno County, who were killed by the Indians about four weeks ago. He states that they found the bodies of Mr. Crippen and his son, Mr. Dasher, Mr. Boles, and Mr. Kemp in the southwestern portion of Clark County south of Cimarron river. They were horribly mutilated, Mr. Boles being shot through the heart with a bullet, and two arrows through the body. The old man Crippen was found with two arrows through his body, one passing through his heart, and two bullets through his head. James Crippen had two bullets through his body, and one through his head, and one arm broken. Mr. Kemp had one arrow through his body and a bullet in his head. Mr. Dasher, from all appearances, had sold his life dear to them, as he was found with one arm and one leg broken, and his head completely mashed. They had all been scalped and tomahawked. While they were burying the bodies, Indians were seen in the distance, and the men had to keep a sharp look out for an attack. They would have followed, but as it was raining hard and they had been out for a number of days, and being short of provisions and only thirty rounds of ammunition to the man, Capt. Collins thought best to return to town, and get more supplies. He will wait for the weather to clear up. W. H. PAGE.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 3, 1874.

Captain Norton, of Arkansas City, was recently bitten by a rattlesnake and had a narrow escape from death. He has entirely recovered.

The following item was written by Professor H. B. Norton from Emporia...

PRESBYTERIAN.

Report of the Proceedings at the Synod at Emporia.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 6, 1874.

Correspondence of the Commonwealth.

EMPORIA, KANSAS, October 3^rd, 1874.

The Annual Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Kansas convened upon Thursday evening, October 1^st. Forty members and ten elders were present. President Anderson, of Topeka, preached in his usual effective style. D. M. Moore, of Hutchinson, was elected Moderator, J. P. Harsen, of Wichita, permanent Clerk, and W. B. Carey, of Solomon, temporary Clerk.

Friday morning, the report of C. S. Martindale, agent of the Bible Union, was received. It was favorable. All destitute families of the State are to be supplied.

Atchison was chosen as the place of the next meeting, which will be upon the Wednesday preceding the first Thursday in October, 1875. Upon Friday afternoon, the Synod visited the State Normal School in a body, and seemed greatly pleased with the exercises of the students.

In the evening Rev. Dr. Cooper made a report upon the condition of the Freedmen, and urged that increased attention be paid to missionary work among them.

On Saturday T. Hill, the Synod Missionary, made a report, showing a large increase in the number of churches and members during the past year.

Some discussion concerning the Home Mission work followed. It is the understanding that Presbyterian and Congregational missionaries shall respect precedent occupation of territory.

Rev. Stratton and J. Ross Ramsey reported upon the Creek and Cherokee missions favorably. The synod resolved to give increased attention to this work.

The committee appointed to consider a report on temperance from the U. P. church urged increased action on the part of all Christians in behalf of this reform.

The following resolution was adopted.

Resolved, That the board of trustees of Highland university be instructed to institute measures as speedily as possible by which permanency of location and efficiency of building and endowment may be secured.

This resolution has reference to the existing dissatisfaction with the location of the school.

The matter of home missions received much attention. The following resolution was adopted.

Resolved, That in view of the magnitude of the work committed to the board of home missions, and the importance of evangelizing our own land, as a means of converting the world, the synod record its judgment that the contributions of the church at large for home work should be at least equal to the amount appropriated to foreign missions.

The committee on narrative, Rev. W. N. Page, chairman, reported, announcing that the state had suffered great calamities, but that the Christian cause seemed never more hopeful.

The synod, though the attendance was light, consisted of men of splendid personnel and of a high grade of culture. They are a power in Kansas. H. B. N.

COL. PHILLIPS AND THE SALARY GRAB.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 6, 1874.

Col. Houston, of the Leavenworth Commercial, has one thing on the brain and is evidently as crazy over it as a Hindoo running amuck. In spite of a published card of Ex-Gov. Green protesting that he was not a candidate for congress, and a further announcement from him that he would support the whole ticket, Houston persists in presenting Green’s name for the position in an evident frantic desire to secure someone to divide the republican vote and elect Parrott. His efforts in this direction are so ludicrous as to be unworthy of any other attention than mere mention.

But he is likewise filling his columns daily with lies and misrepresentations of Col. Phillips’ congressional record, asserting at least four or five times in every issue that Phillips worked and voted against the repeal of the salary grab. A lie well stuck to is, sad to say, ofttimes as good as the truth, or at least it may serve a temporary end, in working an honest man’s undoing. The persistence of Col. Houston in a self-evident fabrication and the torturing of the records to its purpose, at last determined Col. Phillips to meet and forever quiet the story. This he has done in a letter printed elsewhere, which is his complete and satisfactory vindication from the charge upon which, above all others, the opposition to him have relied. This rejoinder, calm, good tempered and so palpably truthful and easily to be verified from the records, not only puts down this thrifty falsehood but it consigns a score more of similar invention and parentage to the same limbo. Col. Houston need no longer scatter his straw and rend his nether garments. Col. Phillips’ election is one of the absolute certainties vouchsafed by the future to the present.

THE SAME OLD LIE.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 6, 1874.

From the Leavenworth Times.

The Commercial, in its issue of yesterday morning, publishes again the exploded lie about Col. Phillips voting against the repeal of the salary grab, and to sustain itself in the falsehood stoops to the dirtiest of all the dirty acts that it has committed in this campaign. It publishes the record of a vote taken in Congress upon another measure and calls it the vote on the repeal of the salary grab. To show the diabolical meanness of this thing, and the bare faced fraud of it, we have only to call the reader’s attention to the fact that in the record of the vote given by the Commercial, the name of Mr. Kasson, of Iowa, the especial champion of the repeal measure, is recorded in the negative, along with the names of all the members from Kansas.

While the bill to repeal was under consideration, numerous attempts were made by the opponents of the measure to kill it with substitutes and amendments—and Mr. Phillips voted steadily against all of these, along with Mr. Kasson, the leader of the repeal party in the house; and it is the record of one of these votes that the Commercial now resorts to fraud of the vilest character in order to prove away falsehoods of which it has been convicted. What must he thought of a public journal that resorts to such despicable means in order to gratify its personal malice?

KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE.

Seventh Annual Meeting.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 6, 1874.

The seventh annual meeting of the Kansas academy of science was opened yesterday in this city by a preliminary business meeting held in Dr. Thompson’s office.

The following members of the academy were present: Professors Frank Snow and F. W. Bardwell, of the state university, Lawrence; Prof. B. F. Mudge, Manhattan; Prof. J. D. Parker, of the blind asylum, Wyandotte; Mr. James H. Carruth, Lawrence; Dr. R. S. Brown, and Prof. Wherrell, Leavenworth; and Messrs. E. A. Popineau and A. H. Thompson, Topeka.

The following persons elected to membership were present: Prof. H. B. Norton, of the state normal school, Emporia; Rev. H. C. Hovey, Kansas City, Mo.; Professor George E. Patrick, state university, Lawrence; Prof. W. K. Kedzie, agricultural college, Manhattan; Prof. Geo. O. Merrill, of Washburn college; and Mr. George Chase and Dr. P. S. Mulvane, of Topeka.

The names of many persons not in attendance upon the meeting were presented, and the persons elected to membership. After the discussion of various business matters and projects, the Academy adjourned the active session till 8½ o’clock, Tuesday morning.

An adjourned meeting was held in the evening in Representative Hall, which was opened by prayer by the Rev. H. C. Hovey, of Kansas City, Mo. The President, Prof. Snow, of Lawrence, then made a short address upon the history and objects of the Academy, and introduced Prof. H. B. Norton of Emporia, who delivered a very interesting and erudite lecture upon “The people and landscape of the glacial age.” Twenty papers upon various scientific subjects will be read during the morning and afternoon sessions today. The morning exercises will open at 8 o’clock A. M., when a lecture will be given by Rev. H. C. Hovey, entitled “The vibratory law of progress.”

The public are invited to attend all meetings of the academy, which will be held in legislative hall.

BY TELEGRAPH.

FROM WICHITA.

Old Satanta the Kiowa Chief Gives Himself Up.

He is Held as a Prisoner of War, and Will be Likely to Adorn a Cottonwood

Limb Unless a Strict Watch is Kept Over Him.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 8, 1874.

WICHITA, KANSAS, October 7, 1874.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

We have just received the following from the Cheyenne Agency, dated October 3: “The Kiowa chief Satanta, with twenty-four lodges, cam in to this agency this evening and gave themselves up. They were all disarmed and Satanta was held as a prisoner of war, while the rest have gone into camp in the vicinity of the agency. BEACON.”

FROM THE FIELD.

Further From Gen. Miles’ Indian Expedition.

The Indians Have All Gone Toward the Staked Plains.

General McKenzie Still Missing.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 8, 1874.

HEADQUARTERS INDIAN EXPEDITION.

CAMP ON THE WASHITA, TEXAS.

September 26^th, 1874.

From Our Regular Correspondent.

The Indians, having been beaten and routed at every point, have disappeared. None have been seen since the attack on Capt. Lyman’s train, although the troops have been moving in every direction in search of them. Those lately operating in Gen. Miles’ rear have gone towards the Staked Plains.

Gen. Davidson, with six companies of the Tenth cavalry and three of the Eleventh infantry, made a junction with Gen. Miles on the 20^th. He marched from Fort Sill up the Washita and North Fork of Red river. They report seeing no Indians on the route. This command is now moving towards the head of North Fork.

Three of the columns operating against the hostile Indians, namely, Gen. Miles, Gen. Davidson, and Col. Price, are within supporting distance of each other. Nothing has been heard from McKenzie, who is advancing from the south. He is supposed to be somewhere on the Staked Plains. Buell is also said to be moving on the enemy from New Mexico.

If the Indians do not scatter and flee to the mountains, some of the columns now in the field must overhaul them.

The number of Indians engaged in the late attack on Capt. Lyman’s train turns out to be much larger than was at first supposed. Experienced trailers place it at from seven to nine hundred. There is no means of ascertain their exact loss in killed and wounded, though from the number of graves since found it must have been considerable. The failure to gobble the supply train, and their signal defeat at the hands of the troops, has dampened their ardor for such undertakings and caused them to make themselves scarce ever since.

The handful of men under Capt. Lyman deserve praise for their heroic conduct under trying circumstances. All day long they fought against five times their number, the savage hosts dashing up to within twenty-five yards, and corralled only when further advance was impossible. The loss of this train would have been a serious disaster, as it contained supplies for the command, who were already out of rations. For five days and nights, the party were kept in durance, within a mile and a half of timber and water, and unable to reach it. On the evening of the third day heaven smiled upon them, and a copious rain saved much suffering and death.

Along with Capt. Lyman was a thin, scrawny, diminutive specimen of humanity, born on the other side of the ocean, but thoroughly Americanized, with no very conspicuous outward marks of either genius or courage. He is a scout, and his name is William F. Schmalsle. The situation was growing more desperate as the hours went by. Someone must go through the enemy’s lines for relief. Schmalsle was selected for the hazardous undertaking. There were ten chances to one that he would not get through. He was allowed his pick of the horses. Leaving the train at eight o’clock, after dark, he started for Camp Supply, distant about ninety miles. He had hardly gone a stone’s throw, however, before he was saluted by a shower of bullets. Putting spurs to his horse, he ran for dear life, the Indians yelling at his heels and firing at every jump. The chase continued for ten miles, when our brave hero succeeded in eluding his pursuers, having lost pistol, gun, and everything but horse and saddle, reaching the post the following morning, securing a fresh horse at a camp on Wolf creek.

As stated in a former letter, a company of the sixth cavalry was at once dispatched to Capt. Lyman’s relief. Schmalsle has been highly commended for his heroic conduct, and will be suitably rewarded.

I have had an interview with one of Gen. Davidson’s guides. He is an old frontiersman, a man of more than ordinary intelligence, and has had extended opportunities for studying Indian character and traits. He has been in the camps of the tribes—Kiowas and Comanches—who made the assault on Adobe Walls. The Adobe Walls affair is the burden of their lamentation. Their account of the fight there agrees with that of the hunters. They lost fifteen killed and twenty-five wounded. They were induced to make the attack by a Comanche medicine man, who promised them an easy victory and “heap scalp.” So thoroughly were they imbued with this superstitious idea, that they went right up to the stockades, fired their pistols through the chink holes, and danced about with demoniac glee, in confident assurance of the carnival of blood in store for them. But the promises of the medicine man were not fulfilled, and they were only too glad to get away.

This guide, who obtained his information from the Indians themselves, says the Indians are not fighting because the whites are killing buffalo. This is merely an excuse they use to hoodwink susceptible Quaker agents and unsophisticated peace commissioners. This idiotic twaddle about the Indians going to war on account of white men killing buffalo is on a par with the savages’ superstition regarding their medicine man, and the annual forays are the natural outcroppings of the savage instinct and their habits of idleness and vagabondism fostered by the government.

The Delaware Indians, who have been with the command as scouts, have been relieved at their own request. They will return to their homes at Coffeyville by the first train that goes in. Whites have proved to be more serviceable as scouts, guides, or couriers. They will be paid by Lieutenant Baldwin, and will have enough to put on a glorious drunk.

There has been considerable rain of late, which makes military movements difficult. Gen. Miles’ transportation is insufficient. His train is kept in constant motion bringing up supplies. Everything for the expedition has to be hauled by wagon from Ft. Dodge over rough, difficult roads, and a distance of over 200 miles. Expeditions like this are not pleasure excursions, as those who have been on them well know. The hardships and privations of the war are not to be compared to those endured on Indian expeditions. There are no fat hogs to kill, or smoke-houses to sack, or hen roosts to rob. It is plain hard-tack and bacon, and I have seen officers and men trying to make a meal on them, regardless of rank. Nothing so effectually annihilates lines of distinction as common want and suffering. The army is no exception.

A DEAD SHOT.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 8, 1874.

When Cusey gets to be governor, his first official act will probably be to send a squad of militia down to Winfield, in Cowley County, with orders to shoot Jim Kelly, of the Courier, on the spot. Jim has been conducting himself in a manner that no rinderpest governor can ever excuse. He attended a reform meeting at Winfield the other night, and had the audacity to jump up in the midst of the exercises and reach for the political scalp of Hon. Nelson Abbott, the leading orator of the occasion, in a way that the average Kansas reformer doth most despise. Kelly knew Abbott of yore, it seems, in the pleasant pastoral village of Macomb, Illinois; and he improved the opportunity at Winfield to indulge in a few mighty interesting reminiscences concerning the said Abbott’s conduct in those days. He stated, among other things, that Abbott published a scandalous and virulent copperhead newspaper at Macomb during the war, in which he counseled resistance to the draft and advised desertion from the army, and so encouraged and emboldened the copperheads of that section as to lead to the murder by them of one W. H. Randolph, deputy provost marshal for the county. Also, that he (Abbott) got up a lottery scheme to dispose of his property in Macomb, and then, after selling a considerable number of tickets, sold the property at private sale, and skipped out of the country with the ticket money in his pocket. Abbott vehemently denied the truth of these accusations, and then Mr. E. P. Kinne, who also knew Abbott in Illinois, promptly arose and verified Kelly’s statements; and Kelly said that any citizen of Macomb at the time alluded to will cheerfully corroborate all the charges.

At the risk of being accused of aiding and abetting in the work of confusing the counsels and exciting the passions of the reformers, we have to say that we think Kelly did a very proper and very effective thing in telling Abbott’s audience those little stories of the olden time. It was a lick straight from the shoulder—the kind Jim Kelly always strikes—and will give Abbott and his friends something to think about that is practical in its nature and full of interesting suggestions.

A VERY PERTINENT POINT.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 9, 1874.

The following editorial still further elucidating Cusey’s character and explaining the $31 matter appears in the Wabaunsee County News. The editor, Mr. Sellers, was a member of the legislature with Cusey and had special opportunities to study the points of that fodder candidate for governor.

“When house bill No. 452, making appropriations for miscellaneous expenses, in which was Mr. Cusey’s thirty-one dollars, came up in the house on its third reading, a motion was made to strike out an item of $2,000 to McDonald and Van Gundy. This was a claim for extra work said to have been done on the normal school building at Emporia some three years ago, which the board of regents refused to allow, and as it was brought before the legislature of the winter previous, we did not regard the claim as a valid one. Nevertheless it may have been all right, but that has no bearing on the point that I desire to make. The yeas and nays were called on the motion to strike out, 28 voting in the affirmative, and 50 in the negative. We voted to strike out, and so did Mr. Cusey. The majority having voted to retain it, the question then recurred on the passage of the bill. Mr. Cusey is found recorded in the affirmative, and in favor of the $2,000 he had just before declared by his vote was not a just claim, while all the others who voted to strike out the item, including ourself, are recorded against the bill. Why this change of Cusey? If the item was unjust when he voted to strike out, a majority having voted for it did not make it right. Only one explanation can be given, and that is, that Mr. Cusey did not wish to jeopardize the bill by voting against it, and thus defeat his own little “grab” of thirty-one dollars, because, while a majority of those voting can amend a bill, if a quorum is present, the constitution requires a majority of all the members to pass it, which was 54, when only 50 had voted against striking out. In the interval between the two votes, he had no opportunity of getting further information because there was no debate upon it, the bill not having been reported from the committee of the whole as subject to debate to secure his thirty-one dollars, itself unjust, he was willing to fasten upon the state another claim of $2,000, that he had declared by his own vote was an illegitimate one. Can a man who will act in such a manner be fit for the position of governor?”

Mr. Sellers’s point is well taken, and makes clear the ruling characteristic of Cusey’s nature, which is also that of the party of which he is the nominal leader: to decry corruption with stentorian lungs and to filch quietly whenever he gets a chance. It is the party that believes that hypocrisy pays and that it is profitable to assume a virtue though you have it not. It is the party that cries “stop thief” the loudest to distract attention from its rascality. Mr. Cusey, when voting on McDonald and Van Gundy’s claim, was voting to create the impression that he was solicitous for economy and the welfare of the people. When he voted for the bill with this item in it, he was looking after Cusey’s little $31, which after all was to him of vastly more importance than that his constituents should help to pay a very questionable claim of $2,000. The more closely you examine Cusey, the smaller he gets.

REPUBLICAN STATE TICKET.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 9, 1874.

FOR GOVERNOR,

THOS. A. OSBORN,

Of Leavenworth County.

FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR,

M. J. SALTER,

Of Neosho County.

FOR SECRETARY OF STATE,

T. H. CAVANAUGH,

Of Saline County.

FOR TREASURER,

S. LAPPIN,

Of Nemaha County.

FOR AUDITOR,

D. W. WILDER,

Of Bourbon County.

FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL,

A. M. F. RANDOLPH,

Of Coffey County.

FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION,

JOHN FRASER,

Of Douglas County.

FOR ASSOCIATE JUSTICE,

D. M. VALENTINE,

Of Franklin County.

FOR CONGRESS,

FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

WM. A. PHILLIPS,

Of Saline County.

FROM ELLIS COUNTY.

Three Men and a Woman Killed by Indians Near Sheridan.

Scalped and Horribly Mutilated.

Demand for the Militia to be Brought in the Field.

Senator Edwards on the Situation.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 9, 1874.

ELLIS, October 1, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

On Wednesday last a hunter arrived at Sheridan from the north fork of Smoky Hill river, and reported having found the bodies of three men and one woman, who had been killed by Indians, and their wagons burned. The news was telegraphed to Fort Wallace, and a squad of soldiers, in charge of a lieutenant, sent down to investigate the matter. They returned on Saturday to Monument station, bringing with them the bodies of the three men and the woman. They had apparently been dead ten or twelve days. An axe was found sticking in the woman’s head, and all the bodies were more or less mutilated. They had apparently been surprised and killed without resistance. From the tracks in the vicinity, there must have been at least three or four children in the party. None of their bodies having been found, however, the supposition is that they were carried off. The wagon had been burned and everything carried off. A bible was found nearby, the family record of which proves the party to have been from the town of Blue Ridge, state of Georgia, and of the name of German. These murders are becoming so frequent and so daring as to alarm the people of the whole frontier. Gen. Pope stated to the department at Washington that he had ample force to protect the frontier, and we now insist that he shall do so. There are scarcely any troops at Fort Hays and Wallace, and all along the line of the Kansas Pacific the country is open to Indian raids and incursions. All the available troops are sent south to reinforce Gen. Miles, and the Indians knowing this, immediately commence their operations in his rear. On the 14^th of last month a boy was killed within two miles of Buffalo station; last week a hunter was killed on the headwaters of the Republican, and five others south of the Arkansas; making eleven lives taken in two weeks, with how many more only remains to be told in the future. How long is this state of affairs to last? Has the government the power to protect the frontier settlers? If so, why do they not do it? If they cannot, why not authorize the governor to call out the militia, to be armed and equipped by the government, and let them see what they can do. The people who have been thus wantonly killed, were pursuing their legitimate business; they were not encroaching upon any of the so-called reservations, where the Indians are supposed by the government to be, but on lands owned by the United States and open for settlement, and upon which any citizen was entitled to enter. Under these circumstances and on account of the frequency of the murders, would it not be the duty of the governor (the government having failed to do so), to protect the citizens of the state by calling out at least two regiments of militia and distribute them at points most open to attack? I am aware that in making this suggestion that I shall be quoted as trying to make political capital for Governor Osborn, and the party, but if we only get the protection needed, I do not care from what motive, source, or direction it comes. I am tired of this inactivity on the part of the government. I am heartily sick of this Quaker policy, and want either to see the government troops or the state troops brought out in sufficient force to put an end to it. In one of General Pope’s dispatches, he said “General Miles had sufficient troops to take care of himself.” Now we want him to have troops enough to take care of us as well. JOHN H. EDWARDS.

BY TELEGRAPH.

WASHINGTON.

The Montana Capital Removal.

The Late Osage Indian Troubles.

Kansas Militia Severely Censured.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 10, 1874.

NON-COMMITTAL.

Washington, Oct. 9. The attorney general has been interviewed concerning the rumors prevalent in New Orleans that he had instructed for the commencement of legal proceedings against members of the white leagues throughout Louisiana. He says he did not consider it worthwhile either to confirm or deny the report.

A DECISION.

Washington, Oct. 9. The attorney general has decided upon the questions as to whether votes given for and against the removal of the capital in Montana territory at the recent election there, were legally canvassed or can be recanvassed, that they are questions of local concern, in which the departments of the government have no jurisdiction, and that the appropriate place for their determination is in the courts of the territory.

LO! THE POOR INDIAN.

The commission appointed to investigate the facts relative to the recent alleged murder of five Osage Indians by Kansas militia have submitted their report to the commissioner of Indian affairs. They find that the attack on the Indians was unprovoked and utterly unjustifiable, and presume that when the attention of Kansas is called to the evidence in this case, they will not hesitate to direct the return of property captured from these friendly Indians, and it is recommended that in any event the government of the United States should see that the Osages are reimbursed.

SLIGHTLY PERSONAL.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 13, 1874.

Our readers will bear us witness, we think, that we do not waste much space in repelling personal assaults made upon us by our adversaries. We prefer to act on the aggressive, and to let our work speak for itself rather than be spoken for; and experience has taught us that when a set of fellows choose to lie about us they can invent falsehoods much faster than they can be disproved and exploded. Occasionally, however, we come across such a whopper of this kind—a lie which touches us so closely and wrongs us so deeply—that we cannot allow it to pass unchallenged. Of such a nature is a letter in a recent number of the piebald organ in Miami County, wherein it is boldly asserted that the COMMONWEALTH has called the statesman Cusey, “a stallion.” We indignantly deny the charge, and confidently appeal to our files for proof of our innocence. We have never likened the colossal Cusey to a stallion, or any other kind of quadruped, and we will pay big money to any man who will point out in the columns of the COMMONWEALTH any such loose and licentious comparison. We may have said something about Cusey’s “standing,” or playfully spoken of him as a “snorter,” or even, in an inflammation of fancy, referred to his campaign as a “season;” but it was certainly farthest from our intent to name him “stallion.” We trust we have too much respect for that noble animal, the horse, to take any such liberties with him, even for political purposes. Therefore, we repeat that the accusation is as false as Cusey’s own thirty-one dollar affidavit, and as mean in spirit as his cowardly attempt to wriggle out of said affidavit when its dishonest purpose was detected.

If we had any inclination, which we have not, to compare the great and good Cusey to any four-footed creature, the stallion would be one of our last selections. The reason is obvious. Our personal acquaintance with this eminent jurist and orator is so slight that we could not safely assume him to be in the possession of any of the distinguishing qualities of that animal and the knowledge we have been able to get of him from those who do know him intimately has not impressed us with a belief that such a comparison would do the statesman any harm or the stallion any good. Except in the single fact of a common fondness for fodder, we are not able to see any similarity between the vote-seeker Cusey and the horse of propagative tendencies. A good-blooded and well-raised stallion has dignity and big heartedness, and scorns trickery and little-mindedness. His conduct is of a kind to inspire respect and confidence. He keeps himself clean, and is careful of his company, and attends strictly to business. The man Cusey, on the contrary, is a political egg-sucker, whose ideas of men and things are purely mercenary, and who carries about with him so small a soul that he has to keep himself in a state of chronic costiveness lest it slip from him in the ordinary operations of nature. To liken such a man to an equine thoroughbred would be to invite the censure and contempt of all good citizens. The license of political discussion, broad as it is, will never, we trust, be allowed to take such latitude as that.

So much for the charge of the nasty, venomous slanderer in the Miami County organ of the millennial Cusey. We should not have alluded to it save for the purpose of defending one of the noblest and best of nature’s quadrupeds from a low and malicious calumny. The COMMONWEALTH is not a grange paper in the strict sense of the term, but it proposes to stick to the horse, though the heavens fall. Let the procession move on.

DID NOT COME.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 13, 1874.

Cusey, as usual, failed to come in time at the Ottawa opposition pow-wow last Friday.

Lawrence Journal.

Like the family of the man in the Arabian story whose head was in his stomach, the reformers keep Cusey out of sight. He won’t do to exhibit on the stump as was discovered in the very short speech he made at the piebald love-feast held in this city during the special session of the legislature.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 13, 1874.

It is not absolutely requisite, perhaps, that a “reform” candidate for office should be above all suspicion of uncleanness; but he should certainly be able, it strikes us, to refute a charge of attempting to “gobble” thirty-one-dollars back pay while serving his state as a law-maker. Mr. Cusey, millennial candidate for governor over Kansas, doesn’t appear to be that man, but another man, as Toodles would say. Such a charge has been brought against him by the Kansas newspapers; and, what is worse, they seem to have proved it on him—not by a mutual friend, either, but by a little affidavit to which the autograph of Mr. Cusey is regularly and solemnly affixed. And for the pitiful sum of thirty-one dollars!

St. Louis Globe.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 13, 1874.

The attorney general continues to receive a large number of letters from the south, mostly from Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, narrating outrages perpetrated upon colored people, but no complaints are made of actual murders committed by political reasons. The ku-klux and white leagues are reported to be constantly drilling and endeavoring to intimidate negroes by threatening their lives if they attempt to go to the polls this fall.

FROM THE FIELD.

The Present Status of Gen. Miles’ Expedition.

A Prolonged Indian War is Not Expected.

Heroic Conduct of Soldiers and Scouts.—It is Commemorated in a General Order.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 15, 1874.

From Our Regular Correspondent.

HEADQUARTERS, INDIAN TERRITORY EXPEDITION,

CAMP ON THE WASHITA, TEXAS, September 29, 1874.

The troops composing this command occupy about the same position they did at the date of my last, with headquarters on the Washita. A supply camp will probably be established on the Canadian, near Antelope Hills, which will be the future base of supplies for the expedition.

The late rains have swollen the Canadian so as to make it difficult to cross with loaded teams.

The North Fork and Washita country, from which the Indians have been driven by General Miles, has long been their favorite hunting ground, and the point from which they made their incursions into Kansas. Their summary dispersion by United States troops has demonstrated to them that they cannot carry on their work of murder and pillage against peaceable citizens of the border, in the pursuit of their legitimate callings, with impunity. Nothing will bring them to terms and good behavior so speedily and effectively as an exhibition of the strength of the government and its power to crush them. A prolonged Indian war is not to be expected. When the Indians discover that the government is in earnest and determined to punish them, and that there is no possible chance of escape, they will be glad to sue for peace.

In recent letters to the COMMONWEALTH, I mentioned several instances of heroic conduct on the part of men connected with this command, which stand without a parallel in the annals of Indian warfare. Their services under circumstances the most trying, have been duly recognized by the commanding officer, as the following order will show.

GENERAL ORDER.

HEADQUARTERS, INDIAN TERRITORY EXPEDITION,

CAMP ON THE WASHITA RIVER, TEXAS, September 24, 1874.

General Order No. 18.

The commanding officer takes pleasure in presenting to the notice and emulation of this command the following instances of skillful and intrepid conduct of their comrades in engagements offensive, in which they have been decidedly the victors, and defensive, in which they entirely frustrated the designs of the enemy, at the same time inflicting severe punishment:

On the 30^th ult., during the engagement with the Indians near Red river, the charge of the First battalion of cavalry, consisting of companies D, F, G, and L, Sixth cavalry, commanded by Major C. R. Compton of that regiment, exhibited the skillful choice of time and method, together with the dash and intrepidity which illustrate the most efficient service of that arm, and go far, as did the charge in question, toward deciding the fortunes of the day.

On the same day the charge of company F, Sixth cavalry, led by Capt. Chaffee, and of Capt. T. C. Tupper at the head of his company, G, Sixth cavalry, were commendable.

First Lieut. Frank D. Baldwin, Fifth infantry, was sent from the headquarters of the command, near the river, as bearer of important dispatches to the department commander. Accompanying him were Lemuel T. Wilson, William F. Schmalsle, and Ira G. Wing. Although surrounded by Indians and outnumbered six to one, and this the morning after leaving the command, and more than 150 miles from the nearest military post, this indomitable little party of four not only avoided delay and carried through their dispatches safely, but inflicted such severe punishment on the Indians—killing three times their own number at least—that they were glad to abandon the attack.

This long, severe march of Lieut. Baldwin, made chiefly in darkness and blinding rain, the capture by a dashing charge and without firing a shot of an outpost of a party of Indians on the Washita, together with his skillful and courageous conduct in leading a small party of troops, white and Indian guides; sent from the right flank of this command for 80 miles from Beaver creek to Antelope Hills, by way of Adobe Walls, serve further to illustrate a character for dashing courage, intrepidity, and sound judgment, which had been earned in his earlier service.

The fight of Capt. W. Lyman, Fifth infantry, while conducting his train from the Canadian towards the Washita, nearly twelve miles, and the successful defense of the same for three days, against a well-armed and powerful body of Indians, is worthy of especial commendation, and the courage of scout William F. Schmalsle in dashing through the enemy’s lines to carry intelligence of the fight to Camp Supply, is praiseworthy.

HEADQUARTERS INDIAN TERRITORY EXPEDITION,

CAMP ON THE WASHITA, TEXAS, September 24, 1874.

Adjutant General U. S. Army:

GENERAL: I deem it but a duty to brave men and faithful soldiers to bring to the notice of the highest military authority an instance of indomitable courage, skill, and true heroism on the part of a detachment from this command, with the request that the actors may be rewarded and their faithfulness and bravery recognized by pensions, medals of honor, or in such way as may be deemed most fitting.

On the night of the 10^th inst. a party consisting of Sergt. L. T. Marshall, company I, private Peter Rath, company A, John Harrington, company H, and George W. Smith, company M, 6^th cavalry, scouts Amos Chapman and William Dixon, were sent as bearers of dispatches from command on McClellan creek to Camp Supply, Indian Territory. At 6 A. M. of the 12^th, when approaching the Washita river, they were met and surrounded by a band of 125 Kiowas and Comanches, who had recently left their agency. At the first attack all were struck, Private Smith mortally, and three others severely wounded. Although enclosed on all sides and by overwhelming numbers, one of them succeeded, while they were under a severe fire at short range, and while the others with their rifles were keeping the Indians at bay, in digging with his knife and hands a slight cover. After this had been secured, they placed themselves within it, the wounded walking with brave and painful efforts, and Private Smith, though he had received a mortal wound, sitting upright within the trench, to conceal the crippled condition of their party from the Indians, from early morning until dark. Outnumbered twenty-five to one, under an almost constant fire, and at such short range that they sometimes used their pistols, retaining a last charge to prevent capture and torture, this little band of five defended their lives and the person of their dying comrade, without food, and their only drink the rain water that collected in a pool, mingled with their own blood.

There is no doubt but that they killed more than double their number, besides those that were wounded. The Indians abandoned the attack on the 12^th at dark.

The exposure and distance from the command, which were necessary incidents of their duty, were such that for thirty-six hours from the first attack, their condition could not be known, and not till midnight of the 13^th could they receive medical attendance and food, exposed during this time to an incessant cold storm.

Serg’t Woodhall, Private Harrington, and Scout Chapman were seriously wounded. Private Smith died of his wounds on the morning of the 13^th. Private Rath and Scout Dixon were struck, but not disabled.

The simple recital of their deeds and the mention of the odds against which they fought, how the wounded defended the dying, and the dying aided the wounded by exposure to fresh wound after the power of action was gone, presents a scene of cool courage, heroism, and self-sacrifice which duty as well as inclination prompts me to recognize, but which we cannot fitly honor.

By command of Brevet Major General N. A. Miles.

D. W. BAIRD, 1^st Lieut. and Adj’t 5^th Inf’y, A. A. A. General.

F. D. BALDWIN, 1^st Lieut. 5^th Inf’y, Chief of Scouts.

THE STATE CANVASS.

Meeting at Chetopa.

Interest in Politics by the Ladies.—They Hope for the Ballot.

Addresses by Cobb, Randolph, Salter, and Lowe.

Demagoguery Among Grangers.

Local Politics.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 15, 1874.

CHETOPA, LABETTE CO., Oct. 12.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Drake’s hall, where the meeting was held this evening, has seating accommodation for five hundred people. Every seat was occupied at an early hour. The elite, beauty, and intelligent of the better sex were in attendance in large numbers.

THE LADIES HAVE MANIFESTED

an unusual interest in this campaign wherever we have held meetings. The success and decorum of the meetings are largely attributable to their presence. It is evident that the

LADIES ARE LOOKING HOPEFULLY

forward to the day when they can enjoy the privilege of the elective franchise. The fact that they are all republicans, and contemptuously regard hybrid political enterprises, is evidence that the country can safely entrust them with the ballot. The republican party is conceding this fact. The

MANY NOMINATIONS OF LADIES

for the office of county superintendent in our state this fall have been made by republicans. Who says the republican party is not progressive?

Mr. Cobb made the opening address. The main point of his speech was his defense against the false statements made by his enemies as to the sentiments expressed by him at a meeting of the settlers on the

OSAGE CEDED LANDS,

held at Osage Mission a year ago. They had charged that he had avowed himself at that meeting as being in favor of the railroad companies, to the detriment of the cause of the settlers. He read extracts from that speech to prove the falsity of the charge.

HE DISPELLED

many of the prejudices that had been worked up against him by his enemies and did good service for himself and the republican cause generally by proving the slanderous character of the opposition party.

A. M. F. Randolph, the republican nominee for attorney general, followed Mr. Cobb. He is a fluent speaker, has a clear, musical voice, and uses choice English.

THERE IS NOT BOMBAST,

spread eagle, or demagoguery about him. His remarks took a wide range, discussing the political questions that now agitate the public, and pointing out the defects, thinness, and inadequateness of the “reform” movement in Kansas. No man, said he, who has ever been a true republican, will desert the party when he seriously contemplates the present condition of the country. He may occasionally murmur, express dissatisfaction at the management of the party, and threaten to abandon it for some new organization, but when he opens his eyes and views the political situation calmly, thoughtfully, and without prejudice, he goes

BACK TO HIS OLD PARTY,

the party of grand and historic achievements and blessed memory. Mr. Randolph captivated his audience and won their respect for his literary acquirements and oratorical powers.

Mr. Salter next took the stand, but spoke only a few minutes, as he was

AMONG HIS PEOPLE,

who are accustomed to his speaking. He made a good, social family talk, reminding his friends that they owed their all to the republican party, and that they would be false to themselves, false to their interests, and false to their country should they do anything that would contribute to the success of the democratic party, which had proven itself to be the implacable enemy of the industrial classes.

THE BENEDICTION

was left for Judge Lowe to pronounce, who did it in a most eloquent and effective manner. A large portion of his remarks was devoted to the state officers and the nominees on the republican state ticket. He vouched for the integrity, patriotism, and honesty of all and showed what had been accomplished for the benefit of the people by the

ADMINISTRATION OF GOV. OSBORN.

The judge made the most earnest and telling speech he has delivered during the present canvass.

Chetopa is intensely republican. It is said that of her three hundred votes, the democrats or “reformers” can claim but fifty.

THERE ARE THREE TICKETS

in the field in Labette County—republican, reform, and grange. The grange ticket, however, is repudiated by a large majority of the members of that organization.

It was made in this wise: A convention of grangers was called, to meet at Labette City on Saturday last, to consider the political situation. Fifty-one delegates appeared in response to the call.

MANY LODGES REFUSED

to send delegates. When the convention assembled, it was found that Mr. J. F. Hill, a prominent member, had a pretty good sized ax to grind. He wanted to be nominated for state senator. A motion was made that the convention proceed to nominate a county ticket.

THIS OCCASIONED A ROW,

which ended in the withdrawal of twenty-seven delegates. Twenty-four remained and nominated a ticket. It is needless to say that Mr. Hill got what he went for.

THE SECEDING GRANGERS

say that Mr. Hill and his friends have prostituted the order in making it a political machine, and by that action have violated the constitution. This attempt at a coup de etat on the part of Mr. Hill has strengthened the chances of

MR. CRICHTON,

the republican nominee for state senator.

AN INDIAN CHIEF’S LETTER.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, October 16, 1874.

From the Wichita Beacon.

Our friend, Major Upham, kindly permits us to publish the following letter from the chief of the Osages. He desires it to be distinctly understood that his braves are not on it—on the war path, we mean.

OSAGE INDIAN AGENCY, October 10^th, 1874.

Major Upham, Arkansas City:

This will inform you that the Osage hunting party which went out two weeks ago to secure some meat have all returned, arriving last night, and this morning reported no trouble on the plains where they have been. Respectfully,

JOSEPH PAWNENOPASH, Governor of the Osages.

REFORMER NELSON ABBOTT.

A Dishonest Business Man and a Copperhead of the Deepest Dye.

What the People of His Old Home in Illinois Think of Him.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 17, 1874.

The Macomb (Ill.) Journal, a paper which supports the independent or farmers’ movement in that state, and which is printed at the former home of the piebald candidate for secretary of state in Kansas, has the following to say of Nelson Abbott.

“This man, who was once the editor of the Macomb Eagle, and whose reputation for both loyalty and honesty was very far below par in this community, is now a resident of Kansas, and a candidate on the reform ticket for the important office of secretary of state. Few men, if any, in this county who are acquainted with Mr. Abbott’s history while he lived among us, would, for a moment, think of selecting him for any office where honesty and integrity of purpose were at all needed in the discharge of its duties. During the war he was a copperhead of the deepest dye, and his business transactions after it was over caused his friends, even in that party, to lose all confidence in him. If the people of Kansas are really desirous of electing honest men to office, and the republican candidate has the least show in that direction, they had far better let Mr. Abbott severely alone.

AN INVITATION TO MR. ABBOTT.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 17, 1874.

The piebald candidate for secretary of state, Nelson Abbott, has sued the editor of the Oskaloosa Independent for libel, fixing his damages at $10,000. Bro. Roberts says that “the dodge is entirely too diaphanous,” and stands with rock-rooted decision to his charges, and makes proclamation as follows:

“If he means business, which we doubt, and presses the suit, we will show that his character is sufficiently bad to disgrace even the party of which he is now a member.”

If Mr. Abbott really languishes for a libel suit, we would suggest to him that our hand is in, and that he might as well try us a whirl. We have already one little affair of the kind, commenced by a fellow of the same sort who wants $20,000 shrinkage on a character which we led out into “th’ corrupting air.” And that Mr. Abbott may not be without provocation, we will reiterate that he swindled divers and sundry citizens in a lottery scheme in Macomb, Illinois; that he was a vile and unregenerate copperhead during the war, who gave aid and comfort to the enemy at home and traduced brave men who were laying down their lives for the country. If it were not for filling up valuable space, we would publish testimonials from a number of respectable citizens of Macomb, now in our possession, in corroboration of our statements, but if Mr. Abbott insists on the proof, he can have it; or if he thinks his character has been damaged to an extent that can be formulated in a pecuniary way, let him name his figure and begin his suit. We beseech him, though, not to go below $20,000. We have a very poor opinion of Mr. Abbott’s character, but we should be sorry to have it forced upon us that it was rated less in the libel market than that of Mr. Pomeroy’s maker in ordinary of affidavits.

THE CASE IN IOWA.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 17, 1874.

The piebald papers, with their usual regard for truth, are stating the republican majority in Iowa as 3,000. The opposition in Iowa concede the state to the republicans by 30,000, instead of 3,000, and the republicans claim it by 40,000. The later returns indicate that the republican majority in Iowa is nearer 50,000 than 30,000. In Iowa, the order of Patrons of Husbandry is stronger, in proportion to the population, than in any other state in the union. The democrats in Iowa joined forces with the disaffected republicans, and formed the independent or piebald party in that state, and besought the farmers to support them. It was the case of Kansas over again, with the difference that the piebald party had tested its strength at one election, and had been largely encouraged thereby. There were men in Kansas who were wild enough to hazard the belief that Iowa would be carried by this conglomerate, but we think their information is better on that head now than it was a few days ago. Iowa is straight republican by 40,000 majority, and every member of congress elected. The republican farmers in Iowa did not unite to any great extent to afford aid and comfort to the democracy, under the alias “anti-monopoly.” There is in Kansas less likelihood of their uniting, for the condition of a decently honest and respectably able ticket that was in their favor in Iowa is notably absent in the ticket headed by the $31 reformer.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 17, 1874.

A company has been formed in Savannah for manufacturing paper from rice straw.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 17, 1874.

Senator Allison, of Iowa, slipped between the train and platform as he was getting on a moving car at Clarksville, the other day, and only saved his life by hugging the platform till the train had passed.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 17, 1874.

Judge Goodin was in the Chicago convention which nominated McClellan for president. He is now engaged in convincing the people that he’s as good a republican as anybody.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 17, 1874.

Senator Brownlow has withdrawn from the congressional contest in the second Tennessee district, because his candidacy gave the democratic nominee a chance of election. One other of the republican candidates having also withdrawn, the contest is now between Thornburgh, rep., and Mabry, dem.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, October 17, 1874.

The Lawrence Journal draws the following parallel. The coincidence suggested by the Journal is indeed striking. Every man now associated with the piebald movement has severed his connection with the republican party, and will be found working with the democracy when the leaders of that party come out of the brush and propose a square fight in 1876. Says the Journal: “There was a class of men at the north during the war who claimed to be just as loyal as anybody, but some how, every time there was a rebel victory, they couldn’t conceal their pleasure. Just so with such reform leaders as pretend to be good republicans but rejoice over democratic victories.”

A BIG TIME AT SALINA.

Large and Enthusiastic Republican Meeting.

Speeches by Hons. D. R. Anthony and T. Dwight Thacher.

Cusey, Smith, and the Rev. Nehemiah Green in the Audience.

The Rev. Nehemiah Interrupts Col. Anthony, and is Shown Up in His True Colors.

Nehemiah Publicly Convicted of Being an Unmitigated Liar.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 20, 1874.

SALINA, KANSAS, October 19, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

A very large and enthusiastic republican meeting convened tonight in the Methodist Episcopal church at this place, and was addressed by Hon. D. R. Anthony, of Leavenworth, and Hon. T. Dwight Thacher, of Lawrence. Mr. Anthony vindicated Col. Phillips’ record as a man, as a republican, and as a member of congress from the foul aspersions attempted to be cast upon it by the opposition. He demonstrated from the records of congress that Col. Phillips was persistently and consistently, from first to last, in favor of the repeal of the salary grab law. He paid his respects to the reform state ticket, and said that the republican ticket, from the top to the bottom, each and every man on it, was infinitely superior to the reform ticket. He read Cusey’s record on the salary grab, on the $31 steal, and demonstrated that Cusey was a small man in every sense of the word. He spoke of Mr. Green as an independent candidate for congress, characterized his candidacy as a huge farce, inaugurated and attempted to performed solely in the interest of Marcus J. Parrott. He read from Green’s letter, addressed to John Guthrie, chairman of the republican state central committee, dated Waterville, Oct. 5, 1874, as follows: “If I should decide to enter the field, I will challenge Mr. Parrott to a joint discussion. I think I have facts in my possession which will effectually dispose of him. And only in self-defense will I give publicity to any facts, charges, affidavits, or statements in my possession reflecting on Phillips. In fact, my candidacy will only mean republicanism in earnest.”

At these last words Mr. Green sprang to his feet and asked permission of Col. Anthony to explain, which was granted to him. Mr. Green then stated that the letter from which Col. Anthony quoted was a private letter to John Guthrie and not meant for publications; that he had a few letters with him that he would read if Mr. Anthony wished it, insinuating that they contained reflections upon Col. Phillips. Mr. Anthony very promptly yielded the stand for the reverend gentleman to read his letters. The audience shouted “read, read, read,” but the Rev. Nehemiah could not be induced to read a single letter, but flatly declined. At this juncture Col. Anthony characterized his conduct during the canvass in the publication of his letters containing innuendos aimed at Col. Phillips, and his refusal to read or publish them as dishonest, cowardly in the extreme, and unworthy a republican and an avowed Christian gentleman. He denounced the candidacy of Gov. Green as being conceived and brought forth in treachery, and said that no republican could vote for Gov. Green without being false to republican principles, false to liberty, false to humanity, and false to the teachings of Almighty God. This produced a great sensation. Col. Anthony then turned on the reverend gentleman and asked him if he would answer him a question. Mr. Green answered that he would. Mr. Anthony then asked him if he (Green) made the statement to E. R. Purcell of Manhattan, and to Robert McBratney and John K. Wright of Junction City, that John A. Martin of Atchison had said to him that he (Martin) sympathized with him (Green), and that he (Martin) would be gratified at Green’s election.

The reverend gentleman rose and said that Col. Martin of Atchison stated to him that he could not for evident reasons give him his support, being the editor of a republican newspaper, but that he had his sympathy, and he would not be dissatisfied at his election, but would be gratified. Mr. Anthony then read the following telegrams.

JUNCTION CITY, KANSAS, October 16, 1874.

To Hon. John A. Martin, Atchison, Kansas:

Green states here that you sympathize with him and would be gratified at his election. Answer. J. G. MOHLER.

ATCHISON, October 17, 1874.

(Received at Junction City, 11:55 A. M.)

To Capt. J. G. Mohler:

There is not a word of truth in the report you refer to. JNO. A. MARTIN.

This denouement was not looked for and the Rev. Nehemiah Green, independent candidate for congress, hid his face in his hands in shame at thus being openly and publicly proven a liar and falsifier. The effect produced was tremendous, everybody admitting that the reverend gentleman was publicly caught in a lie. Mr. Anthony closed his speech with this pure and perfect and reliable independent candidate for congress, this advocate and champion of Pomeroy, this minister of God who could not see purity enough in any candidate, for him to support, except in the Rev. Ex. Lt., Gov. Nehemiah Green. Mr. Green was loudly called for and urged to speak and explain, and make what if any charges he had against Col. Phillips, but he slunk in his seat, and could not be induced to show himself.

Mr. Thacher then took the stand, and for one hour held the audience spell-bound by the magic of his eloquence. When he referred to the record of the republican party, and what it had done for freedom and humanity, the audience broke out in long continued applause. He thrilled his audience by his eloquence, and convinced the wavering of their duty to stand by the grand old party. His speech did immense good.

Saline County will give a large majority for the whole ticket. Green will get a few, very few, votes here. His votes will be mainly taken from Parrott. SALINE.

BY TELEGRAPH.

MISCELLANEOUS.

A Newspaper Correspondent Shot.

Swing Before the Illinois Synod.

U. S. Troops Going to New Orleans.

Wholesale Arrests of Citizens in Alabama.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 20, 1874.

A CORRESPONDENT SHOT.

New York, Oct. 19. The Times has received a dispatch from its Paris bureau stating that C. Buckland, their correspondent in Spain, has been shot by the republicans. Mr. Buckland was private secretary to Minister Jewell in St. Petersburg. He was returning to this country with that gentleman when the latter accepted the postmaster generalship, and it was on the recommendation of Mr. Jewell that placed in the corps of foreign correspondents of the Times. He was a brother of Frank Buckland, sporting editor of the Land and Water.

SWING’S TRIAL.

Chicago, Oct. 19. In the Presbyterian synod of northern Illinois this morning the case of Patton vs. Swing was taken up, Mr. Herd of Evanston for the defense of the Chicago Presbytery. A move was made to drop the complaint and the whole matter and a lengthy discussion ensued in which the members of the synod were allowed each three minutes. A large number participated in the discussion and from the sentiments expressed, it is probable that the complaint will be sustained and the matter be argued at length before the synod.

MOVEMENT OF TROOPS.

Omaha, Oct. 19. Companies C and D, 13^th infantry, arrived here from Camp Stambough yesterday, and left for New Orleans. Companies E and F will arrive tomorrow from the Red Cloud agency and leave for the same destination.

A GALE.

New York, Oct. 19. A heavy gale prevailed here yesterday and last night. There were many narrow escapes from injury by falling signs, etc.

SUMMONED TO APPEAR.

Montgomery, Ala., Oct 19. Large numbers of men are summoned to appear before the U. S. court in Huntsville, on the extreme northern border of the state, early in November. It is also reported today that warrants have been issued for the arrest of men in districts where no disorders have been reported.

CRIMES—CASUALTIES.

Chicago Saloon Keeper Murdered.

Collision and Death on the Rail.

Troops Wanted to Suppress a Riot.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 20, 1874.

A SALOON KEEPER KILLED.

Chicago, Oct. 18. A car driver named James Finucane this morning murdered a saloon keeper named Matthew Ryan, at the residence of the latter, on Archer avenue. Finucane formerly boarded with Ryan. When he left Ryan’s house lately, Ryan discovered that his revolver was missing. He suspected Finucane of the theft and openly accused him of it to some friends. This fact coming to Finucane’s ear, he went to Ryan’s saloon this morning, asked him if he had made such statement, and receiving an affirmative answer, shot him through the breast, causing instant death. He was arrested.

STABBED WITH A GIMLET.

New York, Oct. 19. Francois Auffray (colored) stabbed his wife to death with a gimlet, and killed himself with the instrument.

FIGHT OF HERDERS.

Omaha, Oct. 19. News from Kearney Junction today show no more fighting, and it is supposed the herders have fled the country. John M. Spencer, herder, who was wounded in the fight Saturday night, has since died.

A RIOT.

Indianapolis, Oct. 19. Gov. Hendricks received dispatches this morning from the sheriff of Porter County, informing him that a body of armed men were resisting his efforts to protect the employees on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, while attempting to lay a track across the Michigan Central railroad, and asking for aid to quell the riot. The governor ordered two companies of state guards and a gatling gun to proceed there immediately, and they left tonight and will arrive at the scene of the disturbance about three o’clock tomorrow morning.

COLLISION OF TRAINS.

Detroit, Oct. 19. Two construction trains collided this morning, near Deerfield, on the Detroit and Adrian branch of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railroad. Chas. Cramer, fireman, was instantly killed, and six others seriously injured.

FROM COWLEY COUNTY.

Republican County Convention.

A Splendid Ticket Nominated.

The County Good for the Whole Ticket by a Large Majority.

Judge Brown Heartily Endorsed.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, October 21, 1874.

WINFIELD, Oct. 15.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

The republican convention met today. It was the best gathering of representative men that ever assembled in the county. Sixty delegates were present, representing eighteen out of twenty-one townships. This was in marked contrast to the “independent” convention that met at Tisdale last Monday, in which only nine townships were represented by twenty-seven delegates, and of which twenty-seven, thirteen were from Winfield, which contains the head, bowels, and feet of the “independent” movement.

The republican nominations are as follows. For representative, T. R. Bryan, of Dexter; for probate judge, S. S. Moore, of Tisdale; for county attorney, L. J. Webb, of Winfield; for superintendent of public instruction, T. A. Wilkinson, of Bolton; and for clerk of district court, E. S. Bedilion, of Winfield; all excellent nominations. A very earnest interest in the election is manifested by republicans all over the county, and anything but lukewarmness and disaffection is apparent.

One of the resolutions adopted by the convention endorses the whole republican state ticket and pledges the party to its support; another especially endorses Judge Brown, the republican nominee for congress, and congratulates the people of the county upon the fact that he has everywhere during the campaign pledged himself to an earnest effort to open railway communications direct between this portion of his district and Texas.

The Telegram, the organ of the “piebalds,” having been closed by a libel suit, the opposition to the republican party is without a mouthpiece. The postoffice ring, however, are about to import the material of the late Oxford Press, and so, thereby have about two issues before the election. You may expect a good majority in the county for the whole republican ticket. XX.

FROM COWLEY COUNTY.

An Excellent County Ticket.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

WINFIELD, Oct. 15.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

To paraphrase a familiar line of Shakespeare, “Winfield is herself again.” All is quiet now.

The political hub-bub of excitement that has prevailed here for the past two weeks would compare favorably with that created at the capital during the Pomeroy-York affair of January, 1873. Judge Brown, Col. Ed. Russell & Co., have been here and made their speeches, and have gone on their way rejoicing.

Next in turn came Farmer (?) Hudson accompanied by his “Col. Richie of the bloody fifth.” Maj. Hudson made some friends but lost votes here. His speech was able and was well read. One of our time honored democrats left the room in disgust, saying that if Mr. Hudson would have to write all his speeches down before appearing in congressional halls, he thought he would not do the third district any good and he guessed “he’d go for Brown.”

As many old Topekans reside here, they regarded the body-guard of Maj. Hudson as a huge joke. The gallant colonel of Kansas’ early days is too well known to need comment.

The democrats, reformers, and sore-head republicans, styling themselves “independents,” met at Tisdale on Monday and nominated a county ticket. Some of their selections were good, as they picked up the republican candidate for district clerk. A. S. Williams, a farmer and republican, was nominated for representative, but he will not be elected.

Today the republican county convention met and nominated the winning ticket, in the persons of Thomas R. Bryan, Esq., of Dexter, for representative, a scholar, republican, and gentleman; S. S. Moore, of Tisdale, for probate judge; Leland J. Webb, of Winfield, for county attorney. Mr. Webb is a young man of fine ability, and has a reputation as a criminal lawyer second to none in the district.

Ed. S. Bedilion, the present deputy, was unanimously selected as the choice of the convention for clerk of the district court. His election is conceded, as his name is upon both tickets.

T. A. Wilkinson, the present incumbent, was nominated for the office of superintendent of public instruction, and as fifty-three teachers at the institute resolved that he should be elected, I have no doubt but he will supercede himself.

If every county in the state will place in nomination as good a republican ticket as we of Cowley have today, then the success of the republican party is certain, and truth, virtue, and justice will be again vindicated at the November election, at least such is the opinion of

MAGNET.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

It is a recognition of American letters rather than a mere compliment to America that Ralph Waldo Emerson should be a candidate for lord rector of the Glasgow university. If he should be chosen, we are sure no one would be better pleased than Mr. W. E. Forster, who is also named as a candidate, and if Mr. Forster is successful, neither Mr. Emerson nor his friends will regret it.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

We rejoice that at last George Q. Cannon, the Mormon delegate to congress, has been indicted for “lascivious cohabitation.” It was well to strike the ax at the root of the tree and arrest the leaders in this infamous polygamy business. Let the congressman and the prophets and the apostles and bishops be made examples of to deter others from this nefarious business, which is a disgrace, not only to the country, but to humanity and civilization.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

According to all accounts, business is quite as “dull, stale, and unprofitable” in Great Britain as in this country. This is especially apparent in the fact that, as shown by official returns, the receipts of public revenue in that country have largely decreased during the past few months. On the principle that misery loves company, we can, therefore, console ourselves that we are not alone or singular in our spell of “hard times.”

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

The white leaguers are still under arms all through the south, ostensibly for protection, but really to be ready for a reign of terror that they propose to originate if possible. They may be making ready for another uprising of the south. The rebel spirit is just as rampant there as ever, and only waits opportunity to defy the government. It would seem that one bloody lesson was not sufficient for the south, but they seem to crave another.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

New York has been putting in a claim for the services of Robert Collyer, the great Unitarian preacher, on the ground that the best talent is required for the metropolis. Chicago demurs, and it looks now as though the garden city of the west would hold the man that has grown with its growth, and strengthened with its strength, and not allow him to be transplanted to a new soil among strangers. Love, affection, and respect will prevail over money and popularity.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

Gen. Sherman, when the gold discovered in the Black Hills were first reported, warned the public that it would be dangerous to attempt to profit by them now. His advice and the prohibition of the government were disregarded, and the first result is that, out of a party of seven persons, who started to find gold, two were killed and two wounded by the Brule Sioux. The Indians are determined to protect their territory from these expeditions, and, though the gold may not be found by reckless invaders, the savages cannot be missed.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

“Goods speak for themselves,” but it is only after they are bought that they can do so. An object in advertising is to induce people “to buy them and test them.” If goods speak for themselves, a good advertisement may also speak for the goods.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

Some of our businessmen who are so unfortunate as to occupy rooms that are not well lighted, complain that the gas is shut off during the day time. It must be annoying such a cloudy day as yesterday was to be without light.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

Harvey County has two citizens who decline to hold any office.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

Augusta had peaches this year eight inches in circumference.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

The county seat of Wilson County has been decided in favor of Neodesha.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

The woolen mills at Enterprise manufacture yarn equal to that of New England.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

Wm. Holebrook, of Geneva, Allen County, raised 4,500 pounds of grapes this season, off one acre and a half of ground.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

The Wilson County Citizen says John Smith, of that county, is raising hard shell almonds.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

A minstrel band playing in the streets of Fort Scott broke up a reform meeting at which Goodin was speaking.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

A test has been made of the Fort Scott cement as compared with the Louisville article; and the Fort Scott proved to be much the best.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

A citizen of Ottawa received five dollars from a man who stole a hog from him seventeen years ago. The man’s conscience made him shell out.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

Libel suits have been brought against W. M. Allison, editor of the Cowley County Telegram, and his paper has been discontinued by reason of them.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

Miss Mary P. Wright, who used to write for the Kansas Magazine, has been nominated for superintendent of public instruction in Coffey County.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

An excursion party is advertised to start from Central Illinois, for Larned, on the 23^rd of this month. It will be under the management of Col. Jerry Toles.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

At Fredonia, on Saturday last, a saloon keeper was so severely stabbed by a man with whom he had an altercation about a game of billiards that he died soon afterward.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

A gentleman who has traveled over Greenwood, Howard, Butler, Cowley, and Sedgwick counties, says he never saw anything like the wheat, in area. And in promise it excels all previous years.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, October 22, 1874.

A car load of wild animals passed over the M. K. & T. road on Monday last, destined for some eastern mart. The cargo consisted of cougars, American lions, horned toads, etc., all captured in Texas.

MILES’ EXPEDITION.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, October 25, 1874.

A letter from our graphic and reliable correspondent, Mr. J. T. Marshall, with Gen. Miles’ expedition, is elsewhere published. A long letter from our correspondent bearing date on the Washita Oct. 12, is laid over for lack of room. These letters have given the earliest, the fullest, and most trustworthy reports of this expedition, which is the only important military movement against the Indians this year. The expedition has been upon the whole a very successful one, and has punished the Indians more severely than ever before. It is the opinion of Mr. Marshall that the war is now drawing to a close. All the late trails point in the direction of the agency. It is their only refuge from annihilation for if they escape Gen. Miles, they will be fallen upon by Gen. McKenzie. It is not therefore likely that a winter campaign will be necessitated.

Our correspondent in the letter yet to be published entirely vindicates Gen. Miles from certain slanderous charges made, it is said, in revenge by persons discharged and sent back from the expedition. We know Gen. Miles to be a gallant and able officer, and believe his expedition to be a brilliant and successful one as far as it lay in his power to make it so. He was not properly supported by the department in our judgment; but that does not detract from the brilliancy of the Red river fight, in which the Cheyennes received the worst threshing they have had since Black Kettle was killed and his band routed, several years ago.

FROM THE FIELD.

Latest from General Miles’ Expedition.

The Indian War About Terminated.

The Indians Coming Into Their Reservations.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, October 25, 1874.

HEADQUARTERS INDIAN EXPEDITION,

CAMP ON WOLF CREEK, October 22, 1874.

Correspondence of the Commonwealth.

Thanks to the increasing activity of our commanders in the field, the Indian troubles are drawing to a close. The Cheyennes have received a sound threshing at the hands of Col. McKenzie, and are now fleeing for very life, with that intrepid officer in hot pursuit. These are no doubt the same Indians that were whipped and driven south of Red river by Gen. Miles, and were not looking for any troops from that direction. A large proportion of the hostile tribes have already gone in and surrendered, as your readers know. Ever since it was discovered that the Indians were sneaking into the agencies, Gen. Miles’ troops have been on the alert and in constant motion to intercept them. A party of sixty lodges that passed down Sweetwater on the night of the 13^th were overhauled by Capt. Chaffee about forty miles from Camp Supply, on the Canadian, and five lodges were destroyed and one hundred ponies captured. They continued their retreat in the direction of the Cheyenne agency, with Chaffee at their heels. He will follow them to the door of the agency, if he does not overtake them before. Chaffee is one of our best officers, and will give the reds a drubbing they will not soon forget.

The other troops composing Gen. Miles’ command have not been idle. Lieut. Baldwin with sixty men made a reconnaissance to the headwaters of Red river, capturing a number of ponies and destroying forty or fifty lodges. He also discovered a number of trails, all leading in the direction of the agencies. The Indians are throwing away everything in the shape of camp equipage, cooking utensils, lodge poles, etc., and the evidences of their other demoralization is everywhere apparent. They have not the spirit, if they had the means, to make any further resistance to the troops.

The Cheyennes that were licked by McKenzie went north from Red river, and if they have not succeeded in running the gauntlet and reaching the agency, will no doubt be gobbled entire by Miles’ troops, which are moving in every direction to intercept them. Biddle is guarding the Adobe Walls country to prevent their crossing the Canadian; Price is looking after the inlet between the Canadian and North Fork; and Gen. Miles, with the balance of his command, is moving towards the headwaters of Wolf. If the Indians succeed in eluding all these commands, it will be no fault of Gen. Miles. He has administered a severe castigation to them, and caused them to seek protection of the agencies. He has broken up their thieving and murdering rendezvous on the streams between Red river and Camp Supply, and captured and destroyed property which it will take them years to replace. Never was such interest taken in the suppression of Indian hostilities and such activity manifested as has been done on the plains this year by the officers placed in charge of the different expeditions, and the settlers of Kansas, Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico owe them a debt of gratitude they can never repay. It has been the custom to decry the army as useless and a burden too intolerable to be borne, but any unprejudiced man who has accompanied any of the Indian expeditions through the hardships of their arduous campaigns, and witnessed the zeal and energy with which they have been prosecuted, must see and acknowledge the great injustice done to that branch of the government. T.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, October 25, 1874.

The tendency of democracy is well illustrated by the infamous Texas peonage act passed by the legislature of that state last spring, receiving the votes of all the democratic members of that body. It provides that every person convicted of misdemeanor or any petty offense, and sentenced to imprisonment, may be compelled to labor upon the public buildings or roads, or their labor may be hired to anybody who will pay for it during the term of their imprisonment. Persons imprisoned for the simple non-payment of a fine may be compelled to labor, though there is some consolation for such persons in the fact that their fine is being reduced at the rate of $1 per day so long as they so labor. No provision is made in the act for the good treatment of persons thus sold into servitude, perhaps for some trifling indiscretion, and the main object is undoubtedly to provide cheap labor for the ex-slaveholding planters who originated the idea.

CUSEY’S MENTAL PHOTOGRAPH.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, October 25, 1874.

The subjoined anecdotes would be deemed trivial did they not bear upon and illustrate the human characteristics of a statesman and reform candidate for governor. The Spaniards have an expression: “He carved the roast pig like a king’s prime minister;” the Italians say: “True greatness betrays itself in the doing of little things;” and the Latin, ex pede Herculem, has become an every day maxim, when one wishes to indicate the discovery of genius in an isolated work. As the zoologist reconstructs the Behemoth from a prehistoric tooth, so let us find the mental and moral stature of the statesman Cusey from a few of his characteristic actions.

The anecdotes are well authenticated, and since the democratic newspaper published by the McComb lottery swindler and reform candidate for secretary of state assures us that Cusey will certainly be elected, it would not be impertinent to publish them as illustrative of the man who is to control our destines for the next two years.

Cusey was the owner of a mule, which he thought could run slower than any animal in the state. This fact may account for the bond of sympathy between Cusey and the mule, for it is related that he was very fond of it. At the last Miami County fair, Cusey entered his mule for a slow race, confident that it could out mope any mule in Miami County. The privilege of showing off the preternatural slowness of his mule cost him one dollar and a half; but the long eared ingrate went back on Cusey, flew the track, and betrayed a speed and friskiness that was quite exasperating to its owner. Straightway he goes to the managers of the performance and demands a return of his one dollar and a half entrance money, and not receiving it, lost all interest in the show, and it is presumed sold the mule soon after and did not fail to reimburse himself for what it had lost him.

On another occasion, and while away from his duties as a legislator, he hired a horse in Paola, kept him out four days; and when several months afterward, the livery stable man presented him a bill of $3.50, he said he wasn’t going to pay any such exorbitant charge. Being asked what objection he had to so reasonable a bill, he declared that a deduction ought to be made for feed. He had fed the animal all of a half bushel of corn and several armsful of prairie hay. These instances of Cusey’s thrift we gather from the Olathe Mirror. We add one of our own knowledge, which we think will complete the picture, and enable the citizens of Kansas to make up an accurate estimate of statesman Cusey.

Last winter two rival photographic establishments in this city battled for the proud and profitable distinction of making a historic picture composed of the counterfeit presentments of all our law-makers. Cusey was one, and among the first to endanger the camera by subjecting it to the strain of taking so great a man all at once. It was the custom for each legislator to receive a copy of his picture gratuitously, with the privilege of purchasing as many more as he wished. One day not long afterward, Cusey came into the atelier of one of these gentlemanly artists and demanded his picture. It was given to him, and the disciple of Daguerre wished to know how he was pleased. Walking aside he drew two other photographs from his pocket and fell to comparing them pensively. The picture man disturbed his reverie by repeating his question. The soon-to-be immortalized as the $31 candidate for governor on the fodder ticket paid no attention to the question, but made reply: “Well, look a here, that other feller gives two pictures.”

No words of ours are needed.

FROM THE FIELD.

General Miles’ Indian Expedition.

Surrender of a Party of Cheyennes.

False and Malicious Reports in Eastern Papers.

The Expedition a Complete Success.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, October 27, 1874.

HEADQUARTERS INDIAN EXPEDITION,

Camp on the Washita, Texas, October 12, 1874.

Correspondence of the Commonwealth.

A part of the supplies intended for Gen. Miles’ command reached here yesterday. The train was detained for several days between Dodge and Camp Supply, on account of high water and bad roads. The command, however, was not destitute of rations. It has been short on one or two occasions, but there has been no suffering or starvation, as has been reported.

Two hundred head of horses and mules for the command have also arrived to replace those worn out and ordered to be killed.

The campaign against the hostile savages will be vigorously prosecuted, and there will be no let up until they are subdued and brought to terms. The forces operating against them are sufficient to bring them to our own terms, and the orders of the different commanders in the field are such, if faithfully carried out, to give assurance of a permanent peace and a final settlement of the Indian troubles.

Gen. Miles has had large reconnoitering parties out in every direction. They have found 10 Indians. The trails all lead south, and it is now pretty certain there are no hostile Indians north of the Canadian.

Col. McKenzie’s command, when last heard from, was in the vicinity of Double Mountain, and moving northwest. He is now probably somewhere on the headwaters of Red river. He left Fort Concho, Texas, on the 22^nd of August. Buell’s command is also thought to be in the same neighborhood. Gen. Davidson passed up the north fork of Red river about fifteen days ago, going in the same direction.

A letter received at General Miles’ headquarters from Col. Neil, commanding at the Cheyenne agency, states that one hundred and four lodges of Kiowas and Comanches have gone into Fort Sill. Satanta, Big Tree, and Woman’s Heart, the same authority states, with twenty-four lodges of Kiowas, have gone into the Cheyenne agency and given themselves up. A party of twelve Cheyenne warriors, under White Horse’s son, have also gone into the agency and surrendered to Col. Neil. They started out, so they say, to join the northern Cheyennes, and got as far as Sand creek, Colorado, when finding the troops scattered all over the country in hostile array, they concluded to retrace their steps, taking with them a number of horses and mules they had stolen on the route. This is probably the “large” force that were reported as coming from the north to join the hostile tribes of the south.

Whether the surrender of these Indians will exert any influence upon those yet at war remains to be seen. It is not unreasonable to suppose that it will. With the country covered with troops, cold weather approaching, and no chances for them to escape punishment, they must see that a further prosecution of the war on their part can result only disastrously to them. Indians are not noted for carrying on a long war. If they do not succeed at the first dash or two, they lose their grit and become disheartened. That they have been frustrated in all their designs since they encountered Gen. Miles’ forces is a fact so well known to the readers of the COMMONWEALTH as not to need repetition.

I have been somewhat amused at the reported disasters to Gen. Miles’ command, which have found their way into the public print. “Gen. Miles’ surrendered,” “Gen. Miles whipped and driven back one hundred miles.” These are some of the startling headlines the last mail brought to our astonished gaze. According to these reports Gen. Miles must have been in a woeful predicament, his supply trains captured, men and horses starving and dying, communications cut off—in fact, totally annihilated and swallowed up foot, horses, and dragoon.

To those who have accompanied the expedition through this campaign, and who have had opportunities of becoming acquainted with the real facts concerning Gen. Miles’ operations, these reports will excite only mirth and ridicule. They might possibly deceive some honest folks living at a distance, and this is my only apology for paying any attention to them. Their falsity is too transparent to be credited even by a heathen Chinee. So far from Gen. Miles being compelled to fall back after the fight at Red river, he followed the retreating Indians more than fifty or sixty miles south of it. The demoralization of the Indians was seen in the abandonment and destruction of their lodges and other property. The fight took place on the 30^th of August, and Gen. Miles remained on the south side of Red river, scouring the country in the meantime with his cavalry, until the 9^th of September, when his supplies being nearly exhausted, he started to meet his train on the way from Camp Supply. No Indians followed, and reconnaissances to Red river since have failed to discover any indications of the presence of Indians after the engagement with them.

The Indians that attacked Capt. Lyman’s train on the Washita were those that engaged Gen. Davidson at the Wichita agency, under Satanta, Big Tree, and Woman’s Heart, and were not in the fight on Red river at all. The only disaster to Gen. Miles was the detention, for a few days, of this train and the shortening of rations. In the fight Capt. Lyman had with the Indians—who outnumbered him ten to one—one man was killed, three wounded, and a few head of mules lost. This is the extent of the “disasters” to the train that was not captured. The total number of killed and wounded—a complete list of which the COMMONWEALTH has already published—since the expedition started, is thirteen, four killed and nine wounded.

The idea that Gen. Miles, with seven or eight hundred well armed men, would allow himself to be whipped by a few hundred poorly armed Indians, or to be placed in a “critical” condition, is too absurd to be seriously entertained. His movements have been somewhat retarded on account of high water and insufficient transportation—circumstances that he could not very well control.

These are the plain facts regarding Gen. Miles’ operations, full details of which the COMMONWEALTH’s readers have already seen. The reported “disasters” to his command are without the shadow of foundation in truth.

Lieut. L. D. Baldwin, who has made a creditable record during the progress of this campaign, by the display of those qualities which command universal admiration, leaves tonight on a ten days’ reconnaissance. His command will consist of sixty men, soldiers and scouts, and one Gatling gun. He will go south from here.

Maj. Compton’s battalion of the sixth cavalry is now on a scouting expedition south of the adobe walls. Two other companies left this morning, going in a southwesterly direction. The prospects for a winter campaign are growing slimmer every day. T.

NELSON ABBOTT IN DEMAND.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, October 28, 1874.

It was understood some weeks ago that Abbott had finished his principal contract in the fall campaign, that is, had made sure the election of his competitor, Tom Cavanaugh.

Whatever objections to Cavanaugh might exist, they were lost sight of when the people were informed of Abbott’s personal and political history—and the last remnant of opposition to Cavanaugh vanished before the frightful speeches of Abbott. The record of Abbott is bad enough, but his abominable oratory is what no fellow can stand.

There is now a great clamor for the services of Abbott during the remainder of the campaign. Guthrie wants him to speak against Cobb in the Second district. Green is trying to get him to speak for Phillips, so as to give Parrott a ghost of a chance. Uncle Maltby, the good old oyster man of Johnson County, is screaming for Abbott to come and oppose him in his race for the state senate. If Abbott should refuse to go, the venerable oyster man will never again serve his country for $3 per day and mileage.

The last rumor is that the reformers intend to set Abbott to stumping the state in favor of Osborn. But it is believed that the most bitter partisan and personal malignity cannot go so far as that. Even so desperate a procedure could not elect Cusey, but it might reduce Osborn’s majority below thirty thousand.

If the campaign were a month longer, Abbott could get more money from candidates for opposing them in his fearful oratory than he could cover into his pocket in the secretary of state’s office in two years—with a gift enterprise or so thrown in.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, October 28, 1874.

Senator Morton says that “the murder business in the south must be stopped.” Every vote cast for the reform ticket this fall encourages and strengthens the party that is murdering negroes and white republicans in the south. The colored men in Kansas understand this. They vote with the party that gave them their rights, and the only party that now stands by them in the enjoyment of their rights. The restoration of democratic rule by the defeat of the republican party would be the most terrible calamity to the colored race, north and south.

THAT $31 MATTER.

It Has Not Been Disproved—It Cannot Be.

It Convicts Statesman Cusey of Swearing to a False Account.

It Finds Him Guilty of Also Voting For It.

And, Finally, It Proves Him to be an 18-Carat Fraud.

THE CHARGE.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, November 1, 1874.

From the Commonwealth of Thursday, Sept. 17.

“Mr. J. C. Cusey was last winter and is yet a member of the Kansas legislature. He was also last year a member of the state board of agriculture. While the legislature was in session last winter, a meeting of the state board of agriculture was held here, which Mr. Cusey attended, and for which he put in a claim of thirty-one dollars for per diem and mileage, while at the same time drawing pay as a member of the legislature. The claim was included in the miscellaneous appropriation bill, but was stricken out by the legislature. Anyone who is curious to examine the proof in this matter can find it in the office of the secretary of state, where the original bill (house bill 452) is on file and open to inspection.

THE PROOF POSITIVE.

From the Commonwealth of Sunday, Sept. 20^th.

The following account and sworn voucher is on file in the office of the auditor of state.

CUSEY’S CLAIM AND AFFIDAVIT.

The State of Kansas, 1874. Jan. 16.

To J. C. CUSEY, Dr.

To per diem attendance annual meeting, Kansas state board of agriculture, 14, 15 and 16 Jan. 1874: $9.00

To mileage from Paola to Topeka and return, 220 miles: $22.00.

Total: $31.00

STATE OF KANSAS, Shawnee County, ss.

I do solemnly swear that the above bill is just, correct, and remains due and unpaid; that the amount claimed therein is actually due according to (Signed,) J. C. CUSEY.

Sworn and subscribed before me this 16^th day of January, A. D. 1874.

[SEAL] J. M. McFARLAND, Notary Public.

Approved as correct:

ALFRED GRAY, Secretary.

Appropriation for . . . .

THE JOURNAL RECORDS ON H. B. 452.

On page 899 of the house journal, the following facts are to be read of all men:

House bill 452, an act making appropriations for miscellaneous expenses for the years 1873 and 1874, was read the third time, and the question being shall the bill pass, an amendment was made striking out an item of $2,000, for McDonald and Van Gundy, but was defeated by a large majority, Cusey voting in the affirmative.

The question recurring on the passage of the bill, the bill was passed by a vote of 57 to 30, Cusey’s name being recorded on page 900 as voting in the affirmative and for this little thirty-one-dollar peculation.

On page 921 the following is to be found. We quote literally:

MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE.

MR. SPEAKER: I am directed to inform the house that the senate has passed H. B. 452, an act making appropriation for miscellaneous purposes, with six amendments thereto, in which your concurrence is desired. T. H. CAVANAUGH, Secretary.

On motion to concur in senate amendments to house bill No. 452, striking out appropriation to Mr. Cusey and appropriation to Frederick West, the motion prevailed and the house concurred.

REVIEW OF THE FACTS.

Mr. Cusey made out his account and swore to it before a notary public. On such sworn voucher it came before the house in the shape of an item in the miscellaneous appropriation bill. This bill, like all others, is required to be considered in committee of the whole, by sections. It was so considered, and Cusey presumably voted for the section containing the $31 appropriation, and the bill was reported back recommending passage, subject to amendment and debate (vide report of committee of the whole, House Journal, page 878). When the bill came up for passage, a word from Cusey would have caused the item to be stricken from the bill. He voted against an appropriation of $2,000 to McDonald and Van Gundy for work on the state normal school at Emporia. The item was of doubtful validity; but the motion to strike it out of the bill was defeated. The bill then came up for passage with this doubtful item in it, but Cusey voted for the bill and thus voted a little self conscious steal of $31 into his pocket.

When the bill came up in the senate, the quick eye of senator Moonlight detected this sneaking little grab and he denounced it, whereupon Senator Topping was asked by Cusey, who feared an exposure of his petty theft, to move to strike it out, and it was done accordingly. Had it not been for this untimely discovery, Cusey would long since have had this $31 of the State money invested in Texas cows. The law is explicit on the subject of constructive mileage, so that Cusey’s little grab was both illegal and fraudulent.

REPUBLICAN STATE TICKET.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, November 1, 1874.

FOR GOVERNOR,

THOS. A. OSBORN,

Of Leavenworth County.

FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR,

M. J. SALTER,

Of Neosho County.

FOR SECRETARY OF STATE,

T. H. CAVANAUGH,

Of Saline County.

FOR TREASURER,

S. LAPPIN,

Of Nemaha County.

FOR AUDITOR,

D. W. WILDER,

Of Bourbon County.

FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL,

A. M. F. RANDOLPH,

Of Coffey County.

FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION,

JOHN FRASER,

Of Douglas County.

FOR ASSOCIATE JUSTICE,

D. M. VALENTINE,

Of Franklin County.

FOR CONGRESS,

FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

WM. A. PHILLIPS,

Of Saline County.

SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

S. A. COBB,

Of Wyandotte County.

THIRD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

WM. R. BROWN,

Of Reno County.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, November 3, 1874.

Mr. Nelson Abbott is candidate on the democratic-reform ticket for Secretary of State, and the independent piebalds insist that all true men who want a genuine article of reform will have to lend a hand in electing Mr. Abbott to get it. It is of some interest to know who Mr. Abbott is, therefore, so that we may judge of what we are getting, or rather what we are to be whipped into accepting by the brand new piebald party lash. A person, from Abbott’s old home at Macomb, Illinois, and the papers of that town, testify that he was a vile and venomous copperhead during the war, who incited the fire-in-the-rear people to rise and murder a provost marshal; furthermore, that he got up a lottery scheme to dispose of some property, sold a large number of tickets, and, before the drawing, sold the property and levanted with the proceeds to this state.

The republicans have nominated an honest and respectable farmer, Mr. Thomas Cavanaugh, but then he’s no “reformer,” and Abbott is, you know.

FROM BARBOUR COUNTY.

Another Brush with the Indians.

An Indian Raid Apprehended.

More Protection Asked For, etc.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, November 4, 1874.

SUN CITY, October 28, 1874.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

DEAR SIR: A courier just in from camp on Red Fork, bearing dispatches from Lieut. D. Estes, of Capt. L. H. Bowles’ company, stated that he had met a party of Indians about seven miles from camp numbering fifteen or twenty warriors. After a spirited little fight, the Indians retreated. No casualties reported on either side. J. Dunlap had his gun struck by a ball and torn to pieces. This is the second party that has come in contact with the same band within the past ten days, and should the weather hold good, I fear they will give us trouble yet this fall, as the grazing for stock was never better than at present.

Some stringent measures as regards the Indians will have to be resorted to or the border counties must be abandoned. Farmers cannot till the soil with plow in one hand and gun in the other. I have tried it myself, and know from experience that it is very unpleasant, to say the least.

Capt. Bowles is doing all he can to protect the country from raids, but the line he has to guard is so long that his handful of men cannot do the duty required of them. His company should be increased by seventy-five or one hundred men, and the governor would do well to give this suggestion consideration at once, for delays may be dangerous, Truly yours,

ADRIAN.

SHERIDAN ON INDIAN AFFAIRS.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, November 13, 1874.

In his annual report to the war department, Gen. Sheridan devotes considerable attention to Indian matters, particularly to the troubles in Kansas and Texas, and furnishes to the adjutant general a very full and interesting account of the operations in the department of the Missouri, which includes most of the western states and territories. The depredations by Indians in this department commenced last June—that leafy month in which the savage fancy “lightly turns to thoughts of splendor”—the first attack being made on Maj. Compton, who, with a small detachment of troops, was accompanying a paymaster from Camp Supply. Following this, many horrible massacres occurred, the most extensive one being the brutal attack upon a party of buffalo hunters, an account of which was published in the COMMONWEALTH at the time. These outrages were principally perpetrated by the Cheyennes, aided by small parties of Kiowas and Comanches.

On the 21^st of July, when the hostile Indians began making their appearance along the frontier line of settlements in southern Kansas, orders were issued by the war department to Gen. Pope to invade the reservations and punish the dusky fiends wherever found. This resulted in the organization of a column under Col. Miles, of the 5^th infantry, a faithful and elaborate report of whose operations has already been furnished by our special correspondent accompanying the expedition. Another column was formed under Major Price, 8^th cavalry, who moved along the Canadian river, joining Col. Miles at Antelope hills. Col. Miles’ forces were also to operate in conjunction with the troops stationed along Red River in Texas. “All of these columns,” says General Sheridan, “were pushed out much sooner than was desirable, especially that of Col. Miles and Major Price, but I deemed it necessary that we should take the field at once to prevent the hostile Indians from forcing out those of their tribes who had made up their minds to remain at peace, and also to prevent the accumulation of winter supplies from the buffalo herds. As these hostile Indians have their families and stock with them, and as Col. Miles has given them but little time to hunt for the past six or eight weeks, and as all our columns are now in the field, we may hope for good results soon. Still, the country is large, and it may take us till midwinter to accomplish the object in view, namely, the definite settlement of Indian troubles in the southwest forever.”

In relation to his differences of opinion with Gen. Pope as to the chief causes of these Indian troubles, General Sheridan says:

“There is no doubt that the advance of settlers and the operations of the authorized surveying parties in the Indian Territory and Kansas, and also the buffalo-hunters at Adobe Walls, irritated them; but the business in which these parties were engaged made war an exceedingly undesirable thing for them. No man of close observation, it seems to me, can travel across the great plains, from Nebraska and Wyoming down to Texas, and see the established ranches with their hundreds of thousands of head of cattle, sheep, and horses, together with the families of the owners, and reasonably think that these people, so much exposed, and having such valuable interests, are desirous of provoking Indian wars. There was a time possibly, when the population of the Indian frontier may have been desirous of Indian troubles, but that has passed long ago. It was when the country between the Missouri river and the Rocky mountains was a barren desert, while now it is the grazing ground for the stock consumed by the population of our eastern cities. This outbreak does not look to me as being originated by bad white men, or the sale of whiskey to Indians by traders. It is the result of the restless nature of the Indian, who has no profession but arms, and naturally seeks for war and plunder when the grazing gets high enough to feed his ponies.”

In closing his report the general summarizes the results of the campaign in this department, and adds the hope that if his arrangements continue to work so admirably, we may soon see the Indian question settled forever, so far as the Kiowas, Comanches, and Cheyennes in the southwest are concerned.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, November 15, 1874.

The gratifying intelligence comes from the plains that the savages in the southwest are becoming “disheartened.” The rigorous manner in which they have been pushed by the troops is the cause of it.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, November 15, 1874.

Thirty Chinese boys have just arrived in Springfield, Massachusetts, to be thence sent to various schools in that state and Connecticut for education. They brought their wardrobes and trinkets in great bamboo chests.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, November 15, 1874.

Satanta, the Kiowa chieftain who was released from the Huntsville, Texas, penitentiary by Gov. Davis at the time of the Fort Sill council, about eighteen months ago, on condition that he keep the peace, has been remanded to his old quarters under a lifetime sentence. The old chief played false and lead his people on the warpath, and now he has been taken from them forever.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, November 15, 1874.

On the currency question the victorious democrats seem to be preparing for a greenback movement. Hon. Richard Schell, elected on the democratic ticket from New York City to the new congress, declares emphatically for expansion. The Richmond Whig repudiates, on behalf of the southern conservatives, all affiliation with the bullionist faction of New England. Gen. Ewing, in a speech at Columbus, Ohio, has declared for more greenbacks.

CHIEF SATANTA.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, November 17, 1874.

The President has directed a telegram to be sent to the governor of Texas requesting him to delay the execution of the death sentence of Satanta, until it can be satisfactorily ascertained whether or not he violated his parole, the president believing the weight of evidence thus far is in Satanta’s favor.

BY TELEGRAPH.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Minister Washburn Sent For.

The Latest From the Indian War.

Prof. Marsh Is Detained at Red Cloud.

The Nebraska Grasshopper Sufferers.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, November 18, 1874.

AN INDIAN FIGHT.

New York, Nov. 17. A dispatch from McClellan Creek states that two hundred Cheyennes who recently engaged Capt. Farnsworth’s command of twenty-five men, and were defeated, encountered ninety-eight men of the United States cavalry and infantry, under command of Lieut. Baldwin, chief of scouts, and after a fight lasting five hours, were driven from the field. The Indians lost their entire outfit, and left behind them two little girls named German, whose parents, brother, and older sister were massacred in Kansas. The white family were moving to Colorado. Two other sisters, aged thirteen and fifteen, are still in the hands of the Indians. Fresh and picked troops have gone in pursuit of the retreating Indians, who are moving for the Staked Plains.

THE INDIAN WAR.

Chicago, Nov. 17. The following was received from Lieut. Gen. Sheridan’s headquarters this morning: San Antonio, TEXAS, November 16. The following has just been received from Col. McKenzie’s headquarters: “Southern column, Supply Camp, Nov. 8, returned to this place today, having scouted to the southwest on the Staked Plains. On November 2^nd met a small party of Indians and November 3^rd found the camp of hunting parties; two Indians were killed and 19 wounded; two children were captured with 144 head of stock.

“On November 5^th, Lieut. Thompson, with nine scouts and several mules from the command, killed two Indians and captured twenty-six horses and mules. The women say that the bands of these two warriors are with eight lodges of Cheyennes on the Staked Plains. They say that many of their people have gone to the reservations with the intention of leaving there in a few days to try and slip around the troops and send in a party to get authority to go into Fort Sill. Some of the women were among those captured on the north fork of Red river two years ago. I shall try one trip on the plains, after which there will be no use in looking for Indians there this winter. I intend going to the northwest, between the headwaters of the Brazos and Red rivers. (Signed) GEN. C. C. AUGAR.”

Dispatches received at Sheridan’s headquarters this morning confirm the report from McClellan creek of the recent successful engagement of Lieuts. Farnsworth and Baldwin with the Indians.

WASHBURNE SENT FOR.

New York, Nov. 17. A Washington dispatch says there is a well grounded rumor that the president has sent a cable dispatch to Minister Washburne, at Paris, requesting his presence in Washington at the earliest convenience.

NEBRASKA SUFFERERS.

Omaha, Nov. 17. News from the grasshopper districts confirm all previous statements as to the extent of suffering. The state relief society are shipping supplies to the afflicted districts daily. Gen. Ord received a telegram from Washington today instructing him to ascertain what amount of men’s clothing will be needed by the sufferers. We hope this action of the secretary of war looks to the distribution of soldiers’ garments to these poor people.

LARGE SALE.

San Francisco, Nov. 17. The auction sale of the Lick property, donated to public uses, took place today and aggregated one million, nine hundred and fifty-nine thousand, nine hundred and twenty-five dollars. The Lick house sold for $920,000. The sale of the Island of Cataline was postponed two months.

Workmen have reached the seventh story of the Palace hotel.

AFRAID OF SCIENCE.

Fort Laramie, Nov. 17. News from Red Cloud agency to the 12^th and 13^th state that Prof. Marsh of Yale college is being detained there on account of the Indians objecting to his visiting the newly discovered fossil region near there. . . .

SATANTA AND BIG TREE.

The Secretary received a dispatch today from Gen. Sheridan, giving him the first intimation that Satanta had been sent back to Texas to be delivered to the government of that state, he having broken his parole; but that Big Tree was not returned, as it was not certain that he was alike guilty in that respect.

WASHINGTON.

Satanta in the Texas Penitentiary.

The Dispatches for Senator Dorsey.

Cairo & Fulton R. R. to be Examined.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, November 19, 1874.

SATANTA IN DURANCE.

Washington, Nov. 18. In regard to the recent dispatch sent by order of the president to the governor of Texas, it is stated that, without forming or expressing any opinion as to whether or not Satanta had violated his parole, the president and Secretary Delano, fearing he might be executed before evidence could be fully collected, considered it merely just to delay his execution. It is today ascertained that during Gov. Davis’ incumbency, the sentence of Satanta was commuted from death to imprisonment for life. Under the commutation, he has lately been placed in the Texas penitentiary.

DORSEY GOT NO DISPATCH.

The published dispatches purporting to have been received here on Monday night by Senator Dorsey from H. M. Cooper, secretary of the Arkansas republican central committee and others, were not received by Dorsey, his name having been falsely furnished to the press as the person who received them.

RAILROAD EXAMINERS.

The commissioners heretofore appointed to examine a portion of the Cairo & Fulton railroad were today directed by the secretary of the Interior to examine the road, which is said to be completed in Missouri up to the Arkansas line.

THE INDIAN EXPEDITION.

Operations in Texas and the Indian Territory.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, November 19, 1874.

HEADQUARTERS INDIAN EXPEDITION,

Camp on the Washita, Texas, November 12, 1874.

Special Correspondence of the Commonwealth.

At the date of my last letter, Gen. Miles was moving northward to interrupt Indians supposed to be trying to make their way into the agency, a portion of his troops, under Col. Compton, operating in the vicinity of Adobe Walls; Capt. Chaffee, with Co. I. of the Sixth cavalry, was pursuing a body going towards the same place. It was discovered that the Indians had gone some fifteen or twenty miles north of the Canadian, then separating into small parties, changed their course southward, re-crossing the Canadian above and below Adobe Walls. The line of march was at once taken up for the latter place, which we reached in three days. Here the forces were united and the march continued. On the third day out the Indian camps were struck, but the redskins had been on the lookout and disappeared, going in a southerly direction. Some forty or fifty showed themselves in Gen. Miles’ front, but vanished on the approach of the troops without offering the least resistance. The pursuit was continued to the Salt Fork of Red river, on the Staked Plains, the cavalry following some thirty or forty miles beyond. It was now ascertained that the main body of the Indians routed from their camps had come together and were traveling eastward. General Miles ordered Lieutenant Baldwin to take his scouts, together with a detachment of the Sixth cavalry under Lieut. Overton and one of the Fifty infantry under Lieut. Baily, numbering in all about one hundred men, with a howitzer, and proceed down the Salt Fork, bearing well to the east, report if he found Indians and pursue them as he thought best, the main command moving almost parallel in the same direction. No Indians were seen until the morning of the 8^th, when Baldwin’s party came upon a camp in the brakes of McClellan’s creek, numbering about two hundred warriors, independent of squaws. The Indians, contrary to their previous conduct, showed fight. This was what the boys wanted, and Baldwin at once moved on the enemy’s lines. The Indians were soon dislodged from their chosen position, when a running fight for ten miles took place, three Indians being killed and a number wounded. The enemy were taken by surprise and abandoned considerable property in the shape of ponies, camp equipage, etc. This was a brilliant victory for our men, all the more glorious because we sustained no loss.

In this fight Lieut. Baldwin re-captured two little girls that had been captured about three weeks ago on the Smoky Hill river. They give their names as Addie and Julia German, aged respectively five and seven years. They, with their parents, four sisters, and one brother, Stephen, were on their way to Colorado in search of a new home, when they fell into the hands of the Indians. The father, mother, brother, and two eldest sisters were butchered by the savages. Addie, Julie, and two older sisters, who are still captives in the hands of the Indians, were taken prisoners. The poor little innocents were nearly naked and in a famishing condition when they were providentially picked up by the troops. They had been once left alone on the wild prairie to be devoured by wolves or suffer another equally horrible death by starvation. For a while week, while in this lonely condition, their only food was wild grapes and the few grains of corn they picked up in the camps of the soldiers. The little creatures had been treated most cruelly by their savage captors, and were so weak and emaciated as to be scarcely able to stand on their feet. They say they lately came from Georgia. They are now with Gen. Miles’ command and will be tenderly cared for.

Here is another theme for Quaker homilies on the dove-like innocense and tender compassion of the noble red man of the forest, whose bloody deeds shock the sensibilities and cause the eye of humanity to weep. Is it not time these atrocities were stopped and their merciless perpetrators brought to certain punishment, and does not the good work of our troops now in the field call for universal support and sympathy? Let Quakerism and its abettors answer.

Capt. Farnsworth, with twenty-five men of company H, 8^th cavalry, left the Washita on the third instant to make a reconnaissance to the south. After traveling three days, he was attacked by a large body of Indians in the head breaks of Sweetwater. The men fought bravely, but were overpowered and compelled to fall back for reinforcements. In the fight two men were killed and four wounded, as follows.

Killed: Rufus Hibbard, William Densham.

Wounded: Herman Fher, breast; Thos. J. Tompson, side; Henry Field, hip; Geo. Robinson, hand.

Colonel Price, with two companies of the Eighth, came in today from the scene of the fight. Two dead soldiers were found and buried. They had been horribly mutilated, entrails taken out, faces and limbs cut into pieces, scalped, and everything done that savage ferocity could invent.

This is undoubtedly the same party that Lieut. Baldwin whipped, as two scalps answering the description of the murdered soldiers were found in their camp, besides property that the Indians had captured from the company. An Arapaho who was with Farnsworth as a guide says they were Kiowas. The Arapaho disappeared in the fight, and it is thought by some that he led the soldiers in this decoy.

Gen. McKenzie has gone to Fort Sill for supplies, and will soon be on his way to the field of operations.

A supply camp has been established at this point on the Washita, about ninety miles south of Camp Supply. New horses and additional transportation are on the way for the use of the expedition, and it now looks as if the campaign would last all winter. The Indians are on the Staked Plains, and there be no “going in” until they are thoroughly whipped and brought to terms. They are represented as in a deplorable condition, running in every direction to keep out of the way of the troops.

The weather so far has been favorable to military operations, but the falling leaves and chilling blasts warn us of the near approach of winter. T.

LATER.

CAMP SUPPLY, I. T., Nov. 15, 1874.

Late arrivals from Fort Sill and the Cheyenne agency report the Indians yet out as heartily tired of the war and anxious to come in. They now regret having gone to war at all, and would surrender on almost any terms. The Cheyennes yet out are in the bands of Grey Beard, Stone Calf (who also has thirty lodges of Staked Plains Comanches), Bull Bear, Heap-of-Birds, Old Whirlwind, Sand Hill, Manimick, and several under chiefs. Big Horse, who recently surrendered with twenty families, says these chiefs would come in, but are afraid of the troops. He left them south of Adobe Walls, where Gen. Miles found them on his late trip to the Staked Plains. They are now scattered in every direction. Meanwhile, preparations are being made for a winter campaign and a vigorous prosecution of the war. If the Indians come in and give themselves up, this necessity will be obviated, but the troops will not be withdrawn as long as they maintain a hostile attitude. Couriers are now on the way to the camps of the hostile tribes in the capacity of peace-makers. Whatever effect their visits may have on the minds of the war chiefs, it is certain there will be no patched-up treaty with the savages who have been carrying on their work of murder and robbery for the past six months. The blood of slaughtered innocents demands that the perpetrators of these deeds be brought to justice and made to pay the penalty of their crimes.

A small party of Cheyennes, under Medicine Arrow, passed up Wolf Creek a few days ago to join those on the plains. They came from the north, where they had been on a visit, and knew nothing of the present troubles. A Cheyenne, who claims to be a son-in-law of the chief, left this post yesterday to hunt him up. T.

FROM CAMP SUPPLY.

Movements of the Cheyennes.

New Military Post in Texas.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, November 25, 1874.

CAMP SUPPLY, I. T., Nov. 16, 1874.

Special Correspondence of the Commonwealth.

The Cheyenne who left here three days ago in search of Medicine Arrow’s party, returned today, bringing with him three of the chief’s men, who were out looking for Cheyennes. They went as far as the Washita, when, seeing the country full of soldiers and finding no traces of Indians, they started for this post. Medicine Arrow, with the balance of his party, about fifty persons, started for the Cheyenne agency, where he has doubtless arrived before this. They left their lodges, ten in number, on Wolf creek, about twenty miles west of here. Col. Lewis, commanding the post, has sent for them to be brought in. The Indians state that there is a large number of Cheyennes now on the way from the north. It may turn out that all of the Cheyennes have been north, and that the murders and thefts laid to them is all a myth. Indian ingenuity knows no bounds. It is reported that Gen. Sheridan, on the occasion of his recent visit, ordered the establishment of a military post on some of the tributaries of Red river to facilitate operations against Indians in the event of future outbreaks. The forks of McClellan creek and North Fork of Red river in Texas, is mentioned as the probable site of the new post. This will place it about one hundred and forty miles south of Camp Supply and about the same distance from the posts south. T.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Rescued Indian Captives.

A Wise Suggestion by Col. Miles.

No White Men in the Black Hill Country.

Navajo Indians En Route for Washington.

New Arrests of Louisiana Parishioners.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, November 28, 1874.

THE RESCUED CHILDREN.

Chicago, Nov. 27. The following is an extract from an official dispatch of Col. Miles, received at Lt. Gen. Sheridan’s headquarters this morning. It refers to the girls whose rescue from Indians was announced some time ago.

“During the fight two white girls were recaptured from the Indians. It appears these sisters, Adelaide and Julia German, aged 5 and 7 years respectively, were captured in Kansas, en route from Georgia to Colorado. They say their father, mother, brother, and one sister were murdered, and that they and two older sisters were kept prisoners. They have no positive knowledge of their sisters’ whereabouts. Their story of woe and suffering is simply too horrible to relate. They were almost naked and nearly starved. They are now under charge of Surgeon Waters and will receive every care and attention, and when strong enough, will be forwarded to Leavenworth. I most earnestly recommend that ample annual provision be made for these children by the government out of the annuity appropriation for the benefit of the Cheyenne Indians.”

Gen. Pope in forwarding this statement heartily concurs in Col. Miles’ recommendation.

NO MINERS IN THE BLACK HILLS.

Reports having been published recently in several western newspapers and reproduced elsewhere, purporting to be accounts from parties of white men out at Laramie City, who had penetrated the Black Hills country, an investigation was ordered by Gen. Sheridan, through the officers commanding at the different points on the borders of the Black Hills territory. The result of these inquiries proves that so far no white men have entered that country since the expedition of Gen. Custer. The officer commanding at Fort Sanders reports that he was informed that a company of prospectors, under Col. Grew, left Laramie some time since and succeeded in finding what they believe to be gold places diggings within four or five miles of this place up the big Laramie river, but this is not near the Indian country.

INDIANS GOING TO WASHINGTON.

St. Louis, Nov. 27. Ex-Gov. W. F. M. [?], Indian agent at Fort Defiance, arrived here today from New Mexico with a delegation of Navajo Indians, consisting of Manuelito, the principal war chief, his wife and son, his chief counselor, and seven other chiefs; also Wm. H. Manderfield, an editor of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and two interpreters, en route to Washington, where they will go to have a talk with the president relative to exchanging a strip of land sixty by thirty miles in the northern part of their reservation, which is known as the San Juan country, for a tract of agricultural and pasture land bordering on their reservation on the south; also to adjust some difficulties growing out of the treaty made with them in 1848, and to ask redress of the government for the murder of three of their tribe last summer by Mormons who were trying to found a colony in Arizona.

RESOLVED TO PROMULGATE.

New Orleans, Nov. 27. The returning board today resolved to promulgate the returns of all senatorial districts canvassed.

MORE ARRESTS.

Nineteen citizens of Lafourche parish have been arrested on warrants issued by the United States commissioner charging them with a violation of the enforcement act. They will be brought here for preliminary examination.

FROM THE FIELD.

The Last Stages of the Indian War.

A Winter Campaign Possible, But Not Probable.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, December 2, 1874.

From Our Own Correspondent.

CAMP SUPPLY, I. T., November 25, 1874.

Gen. Geo. A. Forsythe, of Gen. Sheridan’s staff, Gen. Stewart Van Vliet, chief quartermaster, department of the Missouri, and Major W. M. Dunn, Jr., aide to Gen. Pope, arrived here yesterday. Gen. Forsythe will visit the troops in the field before his return to ascertain their status and needs, and inquire into the possibility of establishing a new post. Gen. Van Vliet visits the territory on business connected with his department.

Lieut. W. B. Wetmore, of Gen. Pope’s staff, who has been serving as volunteer aide de camp to Gen. Miles since the expedition started out, returns to department headquarters at Fort Leavenworth. Lieut. Wetmore is one of those pleasant, gentlemanly officers, whose genial manners always inspire esteem. His associations with the expedition have been of the most pleasant character, and he leaves with the best wishes of the entire command.

Major Brooks, paymaster, left here day before yesterday for Gen. Miles’ headquarters to pay off the troops of this command. They now have four months pay due.

A severe snow storm visited this section last week. Several soldiers were frozen and a number of horses died during prevalence of the storm. Gen. Davidson, who was moving toward Fort Sill, was losing from ten to fifteen a night.

There are no new developments in regard to Indian affairs in this latitude. The last known of them they were going north as fast as horse flesh could carry them. As it is impossible for them to live on the Staked Plains during cold weather, they have probably taken refuge in the Guadalupe mountains.

Supplies are being forwarded to the front as rapidly as possible, and Gen. Van Vliet has ordered one hundred more wagons to be placed on the road between this post and Fort Dodge.

The question of continuing troops in the field during the winter will depend on the movements of the Indians. If the Indians come in, the troops will be withdrawn; if not, they will be kept in the field. The fighting is considered over, but it may take some time to get the Indians in and arrange terms for their future conduct. T.

MOUNTAIN MEADOW.

Details of the Horrible Massacre of Seventeen Years Ago

Being Brought to Light.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, December 2, 1874.

For weeks past, says the Denver News, the telegraphic dispatches from Salt Lake have contained allusions to the Mountain Meadow massacre, and a few days since it was announced that John D. Lee had been arrested, and in due time he would tell all he knew about it. Whether he will do so remains to be seen, but it is predicted by many that he will never tell all, for if he did, the people would be so outraged by his confession that they would tear him limb from limb.

SCENE OF THE MASSACRE.

The scene of the horrible massacre at Mountain Meadow is situated about three hundred and fifty miles west of south of Great Salt Lake City, on the old emigrant route leading to Los Angeles, California. In the spring of 1859, Judge John Cradlebaugh, who was at that time the federal judge of the district in which the Mountain Meadow was situated, determined to make an effort to, if possible, expose the persons engaged in the massacre. Gen. Johnson, who afterward went into the confederate army and was killed at the battle of Shiloh, was in command of the troops in Utah at the time, and sent a detachment of troops with Cradlebaugh. The command went as far south as the Santa Clara, a clear, bright, and rapid river, some twenty-five miles beyond the Mountain Meadow, where it then camped and remained about ten days.

AN INDIAN’S STORY.

During the stay there Judge Cradlebaugh was visited by the Indian chiefs of that section, who gave him their version of the massacre. They admitted that a portion of their men were engaged in the massacre, but were not there when the attack commenced. One of them told Judge Cradlebaugh that after the attack had been made, a white man came to their camp with a piece of paper, which he said Brigham Young had sent, that directed them to go and help whip the emigrants. A portion of the band went, but, said the old liar, they did not assist in the fight. He gave as a reason that the emigrants had long guns, and were remarkably accurate marksmen. He said that his brother (this chief’s name was Jackson) was shot in the hip while running across the meadow, at a distance of two hundred yards from the corral where the emigrants were. He said the Mormons were all painted to look like Indians. This chief said the Indians got a part of the clothing taken from the train, but that the Mormons took all the guns, cattle, horses, and wagons. He gave the names of John D. Lee, President Haight, and Bishop Higbee as the big captains [?]. It might be proper here to remark that the Indians in the southern part of the territory of Utah are not very numerous, and are a low, cowardly set, very few of them being armed with guns. They are not formidable, and it was the general impression of those forming Judge Cradlebaugh’s party that all the Indians in the southern part of the territory would, under no circumstances, carry on a fight against ten white men.

THE EMIGRANT TRAIN.

The company was composed of about thirty families; and 130 to 140 persons, principally from Johnson County, Arkansas. It is generally conceded that the company was abundantly supplied with traveling and extra horses, cattle, etc. They had thirty good wagons, and about sixty mules and horses, and 600 head of cattle—some of the cattle blooded stock. The emigrants arrived in Salt Lake valley in the latter part of July, and traveled south, stopping for several days at Provo City, Cord creek, Filmore, and Sevier river. The train reached Mountain Meadow on the second or third of September, 1857, and halted, determined to remain until the following Monday, on which day the attack was made on them.

THE FIRST ATTACK.

The first attack was made by going down the ravine, then following up the bed of the spring to near it, then at daylight firing upon the men around the camp fires, in which attack ten or twelve of the emigrants were killed or wounded, the stock of the emigrants having been previously driven behind the hill and up the ravine. The emigrants soon got in condition to repel the attack, shoved the wagons together, sunk the wheels in the earth, and threw up quite an entrenchment. The fight afterward continued as a siege, the assailants occupying the hill, and firing at any of the emigrants that exposed themselves, they having a barricade of stones along the crest of the hill as a protection. The siege was continued for five days, the besiegers approaching in the garb of Indians. The Mormons and Indians, seeing that they could not capture the train without making some sacrifices of life on their part, and getting weary of the fight, resolved to accomplish by strategy what they were not liable to do by force. The fight had been going on for five days, and no aid was received from any quarter, although the family of Jacob Hamlin, the Indian agent of the United States, and a Mormon, was living at the upper end of the valley, and within hearing of the reports of the guns; and the town of Cedar City, with from five hundred to eight hundred inhabitants, was not more than twenty-five miles away.

HOPE OF RESCUE.

A wagon appeared containing President Haight and John D. Lee, among others of the Mormon church. They professed to be on good terms with the Indians, and represented the Indians as being very mad. They also proposed to intercede and settle the matter with the Indians. After several hours of parley, they having apparently visited the Indians, they gave the ultimatum of the savages, which was that the emigrants should march out of their camp, leaving everything behind them, even their guns. It was promised by the Mormon bishops that they would bring a force and guard the emigrants back to the settlement.

THE FATAL TRAP SPRUNG.

The terms were agreed to, the emigrants being desirous of saving the lives of their families. The Mormons retired and afterward appeared at the corral with thirty or forty armed men. The emigrants were marched out, the women and children in front and the men behind, the Mormon guard being in the rear. When they had marched in this way about a mile, at a given signal, the slaughter commenced. The men were most all shot down at the first fire from the guard. Two only escaped, who fled to the desert, and were followed one hundred and fifty miles before they were overtaken and slaughtered.

The women and children ran on two or three hundred yards further, when they were overtaken, and with the aid of Indians, they were butchered in a most cruel manner. Seventeen only of the small children were saved, the eldest being about seven years. Thus on the 10^th of September, 1857, was consummated one of the most cruel, cowardly, and bloody murders known to history.

JUDGE CRADLEBAUGH’S INVESTIGATIONS.

Judge Cradlebaugh proposed to hold an examining court, but, as orders were issued that the military should not be used in protecting the courts, his plan had to be abandoned. While at Cedar City, however, the judge was visited by a number of Mormons, or apostates, who gave him every assurance that they would furnish an abundance of evidence in regard to the matter so soon as they were assured of military protection. In fact, some of the persons engaged in the act came to see the judge in the night, and gave a full account of the matter, intending, when protection was at hand, to become witnesses. They claimed that they had been forced into the matter by the bishops. Their statements corroborated in substance what the Indians had previously said. The deputy United States marshals, during their trip, succeeded in finding twelve of the surviving children. They were all found in the custody of Mormon families, who, however, claimed to have purchased them from the Indians. Some of the children related the circumstances of the butchery. One of them said to Judge Cradlebaugh: “Oh, I wish I was a man; I know what I would do; I’d shoot Mr. Lee, for I saw him shoot my mother.”

A MONUMENT.

During Judge Cradlebaugh’s excursion to the scene of the massacre, he discovered that the remains of the victims had never been buried—although two years had passed since the slaughter. At a later period a detachment of troops, under command of Maj. Gen. Carlton, gathered the remains together and buried them near the spring by which they were encamped when attacked by the Mormons. At the time he was there, he erected a monument to the memory of the dead. It was constructed by raising a large pile of rock in the form of a cone, in the center of which was erected a beam twelve or fifteen feet in height. On one of the stones he caused to be engraved, “Here lie the bones of one hundred and twenty men, women, and children, from Arkansas, murdered on the 10^th day of September, 1857.” Upon a cross-tree he caused to be painted, “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, and I will repay.” A year or two later the monument was destroyed, not one stone being left on another.

TESTIMONY OF CAPT. R. P. CAMPBELL.

Capt. R. P. Campbell, of the United States army, in his report of the expedition to the scene of the Mountain Meadow massacre, says:

“Here I found human skulls, bones, and hair scattered about, and scraps of clothing of men, women, and children. I saw one girl’s dress, apparently that of a child of ten or twelve years of age. These were the remains of a party of peaceful inhabitants of the United States consisting of men, women, and children, and numbering about 150, who were removing with their effects from the state of Arkansas to the state of California. These emigrants were here met by the Mormons (assisted by such of the wretched Indians of the neighborhood as they could force or persuade to join), and massacred with the exception of such infant children as the Mormons thought too young to remember or tell of the affair. The Mormons had their faces painted so as to disguise themselves as Indians. The Mormons were led on by John B. Lee, then a high dignitary in the self-styled church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and Isaac Haight, now a dignitary in the same. This affair began by a surprise. The emigrants were encamped near a spring from which there is a ravine. Along this ravine the Mormons and Indians crept to the spring during the night. When the emigrants arose in the morning, they were fired upon, and some twelve or fifteen of them killed. The emigrants then seized their arms, and defended themselves so bravely that after four days the Mormons and Indians had not succeeded in exterminating them. This horrid affair was finished by an act of treachery. John D. Lee, having washed the paint from his face, came to the emigrants and told them that if they would surrender themselves and give their property to the Indians, the Mormons would conduct them back to Cedar City. The emigrants then surrendered, with their wives and children. They were taken about a mile and a half from the spring, where they, their wives, and their children, with the exception of some infants, were killed. These facts were derived from the children who did remember and could tell of the matter, from the Indians, and from the Mormons themselves. This affair occurred in the month of September, 1857.”

This man, Lee, who has just been arrested, has never denied, we believe, that he was present at the massacre, but pretended that he was there to prevent bloodshed; but incontestible evidence implicates him as the leader of the murderers. The surviving children, some of whom are still in Mormon families in Southern Utah, point him out as the fiend who killed their mothers and fathers, and it is a matter of wonder that these children haven’t been butchered, too, years ago. No longer than a year ago, one of these children recognized a jewel on a Mormon woman, which had been the property of the child’s mother before the massacre. Gov. Arny says that the Navajo chiefs, who are accompanying him to Washington, were overjoyed when told by the interpreters of Lee’s arrest. They charged him with having murdered emigrants and prospectors crossing from Colorado and New Mexico into Southern Utah, and then laying it to the Navajos. They also say that Lee led the party, last summer, which assassinated three of their tribe on the Colorado river.

THE SMOKY HILL MASSACRE.

A Strange Story of Captivity and Rescue.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, December 2, 1874.

The two little girls, named Adelaide and Julia Germain [German], who were captured by the Indians last September and rescued on the 8^th of November by a scouting party from Gen. Miles’ expedition, passed through this city yesterday morning for Leavenworth, in charge of Surgeon Powell. In commenting upon the capture and rescue of these children, the Leavenworth Commercial truly says that in the whole history of frontier deviltry and savage brutality, there is no sadder story than that which clusters around these orphans. Briefly told, it is this: Last September a family of emigrants, named Germain [German], from the Blue Ridge region of Georgia, were on a journey across the plains to Colorado. They encamped one night on the Smoky Hill, not far from Sheridan station, and while at rest wee surprised and attacked by a band of Cheyenne Indians. Of the nine members of the family, five were instantly butchered and four carried into captivity. The father, mother and infant, a grown son and an invalid daughter were cruelly murdered in cold blood, and thus escaped the terrors of captive brutality, infinitely worse than the horrors of death itself. The remaining members of the family—all girls—were placed on ponies, and forced to endure the hardships of a rapid flight to the Texas frontier. Two of the girls, Adelaide and Julia, aged respectively five and eight years, were recaptured some days ago. The other sisters, Lucy and Ada, the former nineteen and the latter sixteen years of age, are still held as prisoners, and supposed to be with Gray Eagle’s band of Cheyennes.

The misery of the young ladies still in captivity can better be imagined than described. The story of suffering borne by the two children rescued from the savage band was told in their own half-naked bodies, emaciated faces, and woe begone countenances. The elder, a frail girl, but old enough to know mental anguish and comprehend the terrible tragedy which had befallen herself and her own, was a mere walking skeleton, worn to the shadow of death, when her rescuers appeared. The young, naturally the stronger of the two, and perhaps unconscious of other than physical suffering, bore up much better than her sister did, but she, too, bore hardships, and the heroism of her innocent suffering appealed to every sentiment of sympathy in the warm hearts of the gallant soldiers who rescued her. The officers and soldiers at Camp Supply, and in the field, contributed so generously to the relief of the children, that after clothing them comfortably, there were left in the surgeon’s hands one hundred and eighty-five dollars for their use. The children will probably become the wards of the Protestant orphan asylum at Leavenworth.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, December 2, 1874.

Ten families of Mennonites, numbering fifty or sixty persons, passed west on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad yesterday, to join their friends at Newton. They belong to the Mennonite colony consisting of two hundred and seventy-five souls, which passed west last week.

The Commonwealth, Wednesday Morning, December 2, 1874.

The suit of Craig vs. Smith & Hale for infringement of patent of well points having been decided in our favor, we are prepared to furnish well points, pumps, and pump material in any quantity, wholesale and retail. SMITH & HALE.

BY TELEGRAPH.

WASHINGTON.

The President’s Message Being Prepared for the Press.

Possibility of the Admission of Colorado and New Mexico.

The Washington Safe Burglars Not Legally Indicted.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, December 6, 1874.

THE MESSAGE.

December 6. The secretaries and clerical force of the executive mansion are today engaged in making manifold copies of the message for the press. It will be sent to both houses of congress about 1 o’clock on Monday.

THE ADMISSION OF NEW STATES.

New York, Dec. 5. Washington dispatches foreshadow early and favorable action on the house bills for the admission of Colorado and New Mexico, with the object of adding four republican senators and two congressmen to the present bodies.

ILLEGAL INDICTMENTS.

Washington, Dec. 5. A full board of judges in this district today decided that the late grand jury which indicted the alleged safe burglars was illegally chosen, and therefore all indictments found by that grand jury are nullities. The matter came up on the case of Huff, found guilty of stealing a horse and carriage from the Continental hotel in this city. His counsel appealed and the case has been decided against the legality of the grand jury.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Latest Reports from Gen. Miles’ Indian Expedition.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, December 6, 1874.

MILES’ EXPEDITION.

Chicago, Dec. 5. Lieut. Gen. Sheridan received the following dispatch this morning.

CAMP ON THE WASHITA, TEXAS, Dec. 1.

Miles’ encampment is at the head of the timber on the Washita. He has nine companies of infantry here, and another will be up soon from Camp Supply. Maj. Compton, with four companies, is on the Sweetwater, sixteen miles distant. Four companies of the Eighth cavalry are at the Adobe Walls. The troops have suffered somewhat for want of clothing. If the forage gets up, Miles will move on or about the 10^th along the headwaters of the creeks emptying into the north fork of Red river to the headwaters of the main Red river, meeting there the eighth cavalry, who are ordered to move fifty miles up the Canadian, thence south to meet his command. It is generally believed that the Indians who are still out have taken refuge in ravines near the headwaters on the Red. If Miles had forage, he would start today. The horses and mules are thin in flesh, but otherwise in fair condition.

KING KALAKAUA.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, December 6, 1874.

San Francisco, Dec. 5. King Kalakaua and suite left for Washington this morning in a special palace car. He is accompanied by Col. Wherry, Lt. Col. Hubbard, and Lieut. Whiting, of Benicia. Several officials and officers of the army and navy went to the ferry landing today to bid farewell to his majesty. He says that his visit has been most pleasant and agreeable. The military review last night in his presence was a splendid affair, attended by about 4,000 spectators.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Monday Morning, December 7, 1874.

A prominent citizen suggests in another column the name of Col. W. D. Terry in connection with the mayoralty of Topeka. Few, if any, will be found to dissent from the statements concerning Col. Terry’s fitness for the duties of such an office, and if the people should take a notion to elect him, they need have no fears that he would serve them in any way but the most energetic, prudence, and honest manner. And he wouldn’t “put on airs” over it either, for modesty is the shiningest of his many virtues.

The Commonwealth, Monday Morning, December 7, 1874.

The Emporia Ledger publishes a full report of the Thanksgiving sermon delivered at that place by Prof. H. B. Norton, of the state normal school. The discourse is one of unusual force and beauty, and serves to confirm us in the opinion we have frequently expressed that Prof. Norton has one of the best minds in Kansas.

RIOTS IN VICKSBURG.

New Orleans, Dec. 7. The following is a special to the Bulletin, dated Vicksburg, Dec. 7, 12:25 P. M.: Our citizens were called under arms at 3 o’clock this morning. The negroes advanced upon the city in three columns and commenced an attack on the Cherry street outskirts. They were driven back with a loss of four killed and quite a number wounded. One citizen was slightly wounded. The negroes are now advancing on the Warrentown road and another conflict is momentarily expected.

THE MILES’ EXPEDITION.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

We present to our readers, this morning, two very full and graphic letters from our south-western correspondent, who has, during the past summer, accompanied the expedition of Gen. Nelson A. Miles against the hostile Indians of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Comanche, and other tribes. These letters have given the latest, fullest, and most accurate account of the movements of this and the other expeditions, under Cols. Price and McKenzie, in concert with this that have appeared in any newspaper in the country. It is with a sense of pride and gratification that we say this, because the campaign has been the most important one, both in its general scope and its results, that has ever been prosecuted against the warlike Indians of the frontier. The Cheyenne tribe especially, which met with such a serious reverse at the battle of the Washita in 1868, has been taught a lesson that will probably never be forgotten. It is fair to presume that the Cheyennes may now be enrolled amongst the peaceful tribes for an indefinite period. The present generation will never recover from the loss of property that it has suffered the present summer. Too much credit cannot be awarded to Gen. Miles for the vigor, untiring energy, and utter disregard of difficulties and hardships that he has infused into the expedition under his command. We happen to know that he has always favored the peace policy and the humane treatment of Indians, believing that they had been frequently wronged and oppressed by the whites. But he has not allowed his views in this respect to interfere with the active and untiring prosecution of his expedition. The success of it has been complete, and we claim a share of the laurels for our correspondent for his full and reliable record of its achievements.

FROM THE FIELD.

The Attitude and Temper of the Cheyennes.

Important Information From Mexican Traders.

Interesting Military News Items from Gen. Miles’ Expedition.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

From Our Own Correspondent.

HEADQUARTERS INDIAN EXPEDITION,

CAMP ON THE WASHITA, TEXAS, December 9, 1874.

Notwithstanding the cold stormy weather which characterized the last days of autumn, Gen. Miles’ troops have not been inactive. The Indians, probably thinking that the troops have been withdrawn from the field, or that the cold weather would secure them against molestation, began to show signs of wanting to get back to their old haunts, from which they had been driven in the early fall by this command. Accordingly, scouting parties were sent out in various directions to ascertain their whereabouts.

Captain C. A. Hartwell, commanding a battalion of the 8^th U. S. cavalry, left camp, on the Canadian, five miles above Adobe Walls, on the 28^th ult., with detachments of companies C, H, K, and L, going in a westerly direction some twelve or fifteen miles, then crossing to the south side of that river, proceeded southwest, traveling all night, to within a few miles of Muster Creek. At this point his scouts, who were moving in the advance, discovered moving on this stream what proved to be a Mexican bull train, consisting of nineteen wagons and seventy men, and one hundred head of loose cattle. The Mexicans stated that they were hunting buffalo, and had come together for protection, but it is the opinion of the officers in charge that they had been trading with the Indians. They had been in the camps of the Cheyennes, and the Cheyennes had been in their camps. The information obtained from them is important, as tending to show the present temper of the hostile savages. The Indians who were under White Bird and Maumuck were anxious to make some terms, looking toward a cessation of hostilities and the establishment of friendly relations with the government; and, that with this object in view, three of the principal chiefs had gone to Fort Sill.

The Mexicans also stated that these Indians had two white girls in their possession, supposed to be sisters of the little ones recaptured by Lieut. Baldwin in his fight on the 8^th of November.

Acting upon this suggestion, General Miles has secured the services of two friendly Cheyennes, who are accompanied by Ben Clarke, a reliable and intelligent gentleman, who has been in government employ for years as a guide and interpreter, and who is familiar with the habits and haunts of the tribe. To visit the camp of their red brothers, and, if possible secure the release of the young girls, who no doubt have and are suffering untold agonies at the hands of their savage captors. The party, one white and two reds, left here this morning on their mission of mercy. They will proceed to Adobe Walls, and from there go north in search of the Cheyenne camp. If they succeed in their perilous undertaking, they will deserve the undying gratitude of the race. If the captives are delivered up, General Miles will allow the Indians holding them to go to the agency and surrender to the troops there. If not, he will move on them, and they will have the consequences.

Upon the approach of Hartwell’s command, the Indians withdrew, going in a southeasterly direction. Forty or fifty warriors showed themselves on the ridges in his front, but were driven off without much resistance.

The command returned to camp on the Canadian on the evening of the 2^nd inst. Hartwell reports two Indians killed and left on the field, and two others were seen to fall from their horses, badly wounded, besides capturing and killing several ponies. The Mexicans are now encamped on the Canadian, fifteen miles above Adobe Walls.

On the 30^th inst., Sergeant Dennis Ryan, with thirty men of company “I,” 6^th cavalry, started from camp on the Sweetwater to recover property abandoned by the 8^th cavalry. On his return he was met by between one hundred and fifty and two hundred Indians, going east, evidently trying to make their way into the agency. Upon seeing the soldiers the Indians scattered in different directions, throwing away in their flight a large amount of valuable property and Indian trinkets. Ryan’s party captured and killed about one hundred ponies. In their retreat the Indians abandoned a number of fine dresses and other articles belonging to a lady’s apparel; also a scalp, which it is thought belonged to the murdered mother of the German children, who was so cruelly butchered while en route to Colorado in the fall.

Sergeant Ryan has been highly complimented for his gallant conduct and the good judgment he displayed in the disposition of his small party, as he gave it the appearance of a larger force. The Indians, no doubt, imagining this to be the advance of a large body of troops, fled in the greatest confusion, leaving their animals with packs on, and taking nothing that would in any way impede their rapid locomotion. They took a westerly course, and Ryan, after following them for ten or fifteen miles, returned to camp with the spoils.

Gen. Forsythe and party have returned from their trip south. It has been decided to locate the new post at the forks of McClellan creek in Texas. This will place it in the department of Texas, commanded by Gen. Augur. Work on the new post will probably not commence before spring.

Viscount Massarene and Earl of Everart, colonel in the British army, accompanies Gen. Forsythe on a pleasure tour. He is a clever sort of an Irishman, and seems to be as much at home on the Staked Plains as in the streets of Dublin.

On the 29^th, two of Gen. Miles’ scouts, Ira Wing and Smith Steele, left camp on the Washita, fully armed and equipped, to find Indians. It was a risky undertaking and required courage, judgment, and a thorough knowledge of the country, all of which were happily combined in the men selected. They traveled a day and night, and came upon an Indian camp near the north fork of Red river. Having accomplished the object of their mission, they returned to camp.

James L. Stanford, who was shot by Indians on the 9^th of September last, died from the effects of his wound, in the hospital at Camp Supply, November 27^th.

The troops are making themselves as comfortable as possible, but there are no indications that they will go into permanent winter quarters. Gen. Miles intends to keep stirring the Indians until they come to terms.

Major Brooks’, U. S. paymaster, late visit to the post has had its effect to augment the volume of currency and to cause considerable activity in money matters. The “fluctuations” have been numerous and “special deposits” the ruling feature. Legal tenders are at a premium and call loans on the decline. Specie, none in the market. Several “banks” have collapsed, and others are likely to follow suit if they don’t do “business” on a surer foundation. T.

War Department Orders.

The Terrible Trouncing of the Cheyennes.

They Have Lost Many Scalps and Nearly All Their Property and Sue for Peace.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

CAMP SUPPLY, INDIAN TERRITORY, December 12, 1874.

The following is a summary of events that have transpired since my last.

Company K, Sixth cavalry, in command of Lieut. K. P. Kingsbury, which has been stationed at this post for the past two years, relieves company G, Capt. T. C. Tupper. The latter company has been with the expedition since the start and acquitted itself with honor in the various engagements with the Indians. It goes to Fort Dodge.

Capt. E. P. Ewer’s company of the Fifth infantry goes to the Cheyenne agency to take the place of company E of the Sixth cavalry, who have been ordered to the front.

The Pawnees, numbering about 2,500, and who have been assigned to a new reservation in the Territory, have been taking advantage of their privilege to hunt on the way. They have been on the Cimarron the past two weeks, but have resumed their journey to their new home. They did not let the opportunity pass, however, to prove that they belonged to the universal Lo family of thieves. A freighter in the employ of the government had four mules stolen by them while en route from Dodge to this place. They offered to return them for a ransom.

The war department has ordered medals of honor to the following named persons of Gen. Miles’ command for meritorious conduct on the field: Amos Chapman and William Dixon, scouts; Herrington, Rath, and Woodhull, soldiers.

The Indians lately encountered by Capt. Hartwell, south of the Canadian, and who are represented as tired of fighting and desirous of making peace, are, it has been ascertained, some of the same bands of Cheyennes that General Miles drove south over a month ago. The fact of their return so soon to the same locality and the sending of three principal chiefs to Fort Sill is evidence of their willingness to discontinue further resistance and place themselves under the sheltering wings of the government.

These Indians have been unfortunate throughout this whole campaign, and sustained greater losses in men and property than any other single tribe. They were the first to encounter Gen. Miles’ advancing column, who drove them south more than one hundred miles, forcing them to abandon lodges, ponies, and other property of great value, and giving them a sound drubbing in the fight at Red river. Gen. McKenzie then pounced upon them, and sent them skedaddling northward, the Indians leaving in that officer’s hands two thousand ponies and a number of slain warriors. In retiring from McKenzie they again came in conflict with Miles’ troops, who again reversed their order of march and sent them whirling toward the tropics. Thus they have been kept on the run almost continuously for four months, and deprived of nearly everything in their possession, ammunition exhausted, the rigors of winter upon their unsheltered families, it is not to be wondered at that they are in a mood favorable to the establishment of peace. As long as they roam over the country, murder and scalp innocent children and defenseless women, spreading terror and dismay throughout the border, causing whole neighborhoods to flee from their homes to save their lives, these brave cowards had a glorious time of it; but when the government tardily sees fit to interfere with their little innocent amusement, it loses its romantic charm, the Indians become amiable, and manifest their old desire for rations, blankets, and other luxuries dispensed by our munificent government. T.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

A fifty dollar counterfeit bill has turned up at Manhattan.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The ex-reverend, ex-professor, ex-doctor, Smith, who has been more than once exposed in the COMMONWEALTH for dead-beating the charitable in various parts of Illinois under the pretense of assisting the destitute in this state, has turned up again at Elgin, Illinois, where he has collected goods and money to the amount of about $1,500. It is some consolation to know that letters have been sent to that place, which it is hoped may serve the purpose of defeating Smith’s plan there, and so have the goods reach the destination intended by the kind donors.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The ladies’ Christian Mission decided at their meeting of December 9^th that it was advisable to locate the depot for the clothing for the poor in a most central part of the city. They have therefore succeeded in securing a room above McGrath’s store, second door on the east side. Ladies will be in attendance to receive donations on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, from 2 to 4 P. M. The key of the room will be left in one of the adjoining rooms for the convenience of visitors who may wish at any time to distribute articles to the poor.

BY ORDER OF CHRISTIAN MISSION.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

A special meeting of the council was held last evening, but no business transacted, and it adjourned, to meet Monday evening, Dec. 28, at seven o’clock, at which time all petitions for licenses for the ensuing six months should be presented. All licenses now issued expire Dec. 31^st, and we are informed that no person will be permitted to transact any business for which a license is required whose petition is not presented and acted upon at that meeting (even though the petition for such license has been filed with the city clerk and the money required for the same paid into the city treasury), until the same shall have been presented and granted at some subsequent meeting of the council. Saloon keepers should file their bonds with their petitions.

STATE NEWS.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The town of Clear Water, Sedgwick County, wants a hotel, bad.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

Every load of wood brought into Lawrence for sale is measured by the city authorities.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The contract by which the Fort Scott foundry is to manufacture implements for the granges has been signed.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The residence of Rev. J. H. Burrage was burned by unknown parties at Concordia on Monday night of last week.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

In Arkansas City, hay is selling for $3 per ton, corn 80 cents, and scarce, and wheat at 80 cents, with a dull market.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

A dog bit Mr. Russell, of Arkansas City, last week, and he has been confined to his bed ever since in a very critical condition.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

One year from next March, passengers going east can take the Eureka, Augusta and Wichita railroad. So says the Beacon.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

A wildcat which measured four feet in length was killed on the Cowskin last week.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The Methodist minister of Hutchinson goes 140 miles to preach to the brethren at Fort Dodge.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

Mr. Leggett, a farmer, near Waterville, has fallen heir to $35,000 by the death of his uncle in London.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

A dealer in Emporia received twelve barrels of whiskey last week, and there has not been near the usual amount of destitution in the place since.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The new depot at Wyandotte will be one hundred feet long and twenty-six wide, and the platform two hundred feet long and ten wide.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

It is said W. C. Tenney is going to fight the board of regents of the state university in the legislature on the salary allowed the chancellor. He thinks $3,000 a year is too much.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

Two young brothers, named Kohler, were smothered to death at Empire, McPherson County, last week, by their sod-house caving in upon them.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The Osages, Kaws, and other Indians received their scalp money week before last. The gentle Enoch Hoag saw them paid, and then returned to Lawrence with the proud satisfaction of having done his duty.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The Arkansas City Traveler says: “We have had a number of men in our office during the past two weeks, offering to work at anything, for one bushel of wheat per day and board themselves, equivalent to eighty cents.”

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

The Newton Kansan says that Lewis Noble, living in Emma township, about ten miles northwest of that place, was burned out last Tuesday week. The family lost all their furniture, clothing, and $100 in money.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

J. W. Campbell keeps a restaurant in Fort Scott. He also has a wife who placed her affections on one Chris. Greenwood, which so incensed Campbell that he “turned loose” on Chris. one night last week. Not being an artist in that line, Campbell shot wild, and one of the balls struck Edward Walker, of Coffeyville, in the jaw, shattering the bone. Campbell was promptly locked up, while Greenwood went and courted Mrs. Campbell.

INDIAN RAID.

The Santa Fe Railroad Track Torn Up.

A Train Hemmed in Near Dodge City.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, December 17, 1874.

From Mr. Horner, who came in on the Santa Fe road at half past two this morning, we learn that a band of Indians have torn up the track of the A. T. & S. F. railroad a few miles beyond Dodge City. They have a train hemmed in, having torn up the rails each sides of it. It is supposed they are Cheyennes. Full particulars have not been received, but the above are the facts as related to us.

A CANARD.

That Indian Raid on the Santa Fe Unfounded.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, December 18, 1874.

In yesterday’s COMMONWEALTH appeared a brief statement in reference to an alleged Indian attack on the Santa Fe railroad, which we received from Mr. A. F. Horner just before going to press. We opened our forms for a statement of a rumor which seemed to have excellent foundation, coming as it did from a perfectly reliable and truth telling citizen, Mr. Horner, of Florence and Topeka. But it now appears that Mr. Horner’s information was unreliable, for no such raid took place. As nearly as we can get at the facts, one Santa Fe railroad operator sent such a dispatch to another as “a flyer,” as it is called in current slang, and the Florence operator heard it pass over the wires. He told Mr. Horner, therefore, that a dispatch had passed over, addressed to the superintendent. When Mr. Horner arrived in the city yesterday morning about three o’clock, he stopped at this office on his way home, to ask if we had any fuller particulars than he had received. We had not heard of the matter at all, but on his very positive statement, inserted the rumor with no intention of either deceiving the public or harming the Santa Fe railroad. This is the whole story and we have only to add, that it would profit Mr. Stacy, the telegraph superintendent, to send a copy of Mrs. Barbauld’s essay on “Lying and the fate of liars,” to some of the operators under his charge. It might temper the fervency of their imagination a little.

THE MISFORTUNE OF LOOKING LIKE A MARRIED MAN.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, December 19, 1874.

Max Adeler has a friend named Slimmer, who deserves pity. He was going up to Reading not long since, and, when reaching the depot, he happened to look in the ladies’ room. A woman sat there with a lot of baggage and three children, and, when she saw Slimmer, she rushed toward him, and, before he could defend himself, she threw her arms about his neck, nestled her head upon his breast, and burst into tears. Slimmer was amazed, indignant, confounded; and, ere he could find utterance for his feelings, she exclaimed:

“O, Henry, dear Henry, we are united at last. Are you well? Is Aunt Martha still alive? Haven’t you longed to see your own Louisa?”

And she looked into Slimmer’s face, and smiled through her tears.

“Madam,” said he solemnly, “if I am the person alluded to as Henry, permit me to say that you have made a mistake. My name is Lemuel. I have no Aunt Martha, and don’t own a solitary Louisa. Oblige me by letting go my coat; it excites remark.”

Then she buried her bonnet deeper into his waistcoat, and began to cry harder than ever, and said:

“O, Henry, how can you treat me so? How can you pretend that you are not my husband?”

“Madam,” screamed Slimmer, “if you don’t cease slopping my shirt bosom, and remove your umbrella from my corn, I shall be obliged to call the police. Let me go, I say.”

“The children are here,” she persisted. “They recognize their dear father; don’t you, children?”

“Yes, yes,” they exclaimed, “it’s pa; it’s our own dear pa.”

And then they dragged Slimmer by his trouser legs, and hung to his coat tail.

“Woman,” he shrieked, “this is getting serious. Unhand me, I say.”

And he tried to disengage himself from her embrace, while all the brakemen and the baggage masters, and newsboys stood around and said his conduct was infamous.

In the midst of this struggle, a stranger entered with a carpet bag. He looked exactly like Slimmer—and when he saw his wife in Slimmer’s arms, he became excited and floored Slimmer with that carpet bag, and sat on him, and smote his nose, and caromed on his hat, and asked him what he meant. Slimmer was removed on a stretcher, and the enemy went off with his wife and family in a cab. He called the next day to apologize. His wife had made a mistake because of Slimmer’s likeness to him. And now Slimmer wishes he may soon be kicked in the face by a mule, so that he will resemble no other human being in the world.

FROM THE FIELD.

Latest From the Miles’ Expedition.

The Troops Ordered Into a Winter Cantonment.

The Indians Starving and Demoralized.

The Commonwealth, January 21, 1875.

HEADQUARTERS, INDIAN TERRITORY EXPEDITION,

CAMP ON THE CANADIAN, December 28, 1874.

From Our Own Correspondent.

There is at present nothing new from the camps of the hostile Indians, and their present whereabouts is not definitely known. After their route by Capt. Hartwell, of Gen. Miles’ command, they retreated south, in the direction of Red river, in the canons of which they are now supposed to be. The Indians rely entirely on buffalo meat for food for their families, and will not leave them unless forced to do so. The Cheyennes, the only considerable body of hostile Indians yet out, were anxious to make peace at last accounts, and were in a terribly demoralized and destitute condition.

A winter cantonment has been ordered to be established on the Sweetwater, to consist of companies B., C., E., and K., 6^th cavalry, and companies C., D., E., and I., 5^th infantry. The cavalry companies have not been in active service during the campaign. The infantry has been with the expedition since the start. The whole is to be under the command of Major James Biddle, of the 6^th cavalry. The other troops that have been operating with the expedition will be withdrawn from the field. Col. Price’s battalion of the 8^th cavalry, returns to Fort Wingate, New Mexico.

This arrangement practically suspends effective operations for the winter. Had Gen. Miles been properly supported in the start, the Indian problem would be nearer a satisfactory solution. No officer has labored with more zeal to bring about a settlement of this vexed question that would be at once permanent and in harmony with the wishes of the people of the great west.

The companies that are to be replaced will go in as soon as those that are to take their places arrive.

Sergeant Dennis Ryan, Co. I, Sixth cavalry, has been recommended for promotion by Gen. Miles, for his courageous conduct in the engagement with Indians, on the 2^nd of December T.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, January 21, 1875.

McClure & Hindman have on hand 15,000 bushels of No. 1 shelled corn, bought last fall before the advance; 2,000 bushels of selected seed corn, in the ear; 2,000 bushels of peach blow potatoes; 7,000 bushels of No. 1 seed oats; 7 car loads of Illinois and Missouri bran; 5 car loads of ship stuff; 1 car load of chopped corn; 1 car of corn meal, soon to arrive; and 2 cars of the celebrated Leavenworth flour. We pay nothing for rents or for help, and can sell as cheap as anyone. McCLURE & HINDMAN.

FROM THE FIELD.

Latest From Gen. Miles’ Expedition.

Five Hundred Comanches Driven In From the Staked Plains to Fort Sill.

One of the Greatest Feats of Grit and Endurance On Record.

Gen. Miles To Leave His Command.

Only Five Hundred Hostile Indians Out.

The Commonwealth, January 29, 1875.

From Our Own Correspondent.

FORT SILL, January 23, 1875.

Gen. Miles, with a portion of his command, reached this post yesterday, after a hard march of twenty-five days. The object in coming here is to obtain supplies. On the 28^th of December, he left camp on the Canadian, west of Adobe Walls, with Co. K of the 6^th cavalry, Co. D of the 5^th infantry, one Gatling gun, and twenty-five wagons, with the view of inflicting one more blow upon the hostile Indians, and make a final effort to secure those innocent captives the German sisters, now in their possession. The route from the Canadian was almost due south, to the Tule, the north branch of Red river, and across the Staked Plains, a distance of over one hundred miles. Here the course was changed eastward, a part of the command going down the Tule to the mouth, and a portion following Canon Blanco, another tributary of Red river, and down that to the old crossing of August, where the forces again united, camping on Gen. Miles’ old battle ground. To make a thorough search of the country and find the Indians, if they could be found, the command again split, Lieut. Baldwin, with Co. D, 5^th infantry, and his invincible scouts, being ordered to go to the head of Salt fork and scour that stream, while Gen. Miles, with the balance of the command, proceeded down Battle creek, scouting the country to the right and left for fifty miles. After making a careful examination of the country passed over, the troops again came together at Elm fork, the command being reinforced at this point by Co. I, 6^th cavalry, and Co. C., 5^th infantry, one howitzer and twenty-five wagons loaded with supplies, the whole in charge of Col. Compton.

By this time some trails of Indians were discovered, and Gen. Miles determined to follow them so long as he had a man or a hoof left. The trains all led in the direction of Fort Sill, so taking one himself and ordering Compton to take another, they were pursued to this post, reaching here one day in advance of the troops. The Indians driven in by Gen. Miles were Comanches and Kiowas, and numbered four or five hundred men, women, and children. They were in a terribly demoralized state, almost destitute of clothing and food. They say they have been run so hard by the soldiers that they have had not chance to kill any meat for their families. They are now at their agency, where they are likely to remain for an indefinite period, and content themselves with government rations.

This march, made in the dead of winter, and over a country never ventured upon by whites at this season, will be put down as one of the most remarkable on record as illustrating the hardships and privations men are capable of enduring. The distance traveled is over five hundred miles, and when the command returns to the cantonment on the North Fork, even if it goes by the most direct route, the entire distance traveled will be more than seven hundred miles. The weather was cold and stormy throughout—small parties were often compelled to sleep on the bald prairie with no shelter save the broad canopy of heaven, yet there was no murmuring and no casualties. Such patient endurance of hardships and such cheerful compliance with orders are worthy of the highest commendation.

The command will remain here for a few days to get supplies, and then return to the cantonment on the North Fork, going by way of the Washita, when Gen. Miles will perhaps take leave of the field, and this at a time when his services would be rendered most useful. I am not acquainted with the reasons that have produced the change, but I know that Gen. Miles’ highest ambition was and is to remain in the field as long as there is a hostile Indian off his reservation. In this patriotic and philanthropic desire, Gen. Miles has not been seconded by those over him, and he will therefore retire from the field when his experience and knowledge of the country could be used most advantageously in the entire subjection of the hostile tribes, and the freeing for all time of this vast country to civil settlement.

As previously stated in this correspondence, Col. James Biddle, of the sixth cavalry, will command the troops, four companies of cavalry and four of infantry, that are to constitute the cantonment of the North Fork. They will remain here until May, when they will be relieved by troops from the department of Texas.

Lieut. Baldwin will also go in, taking with him his company of scouts. These men have taken a conspicuous part in all the movements of this expedition, and have ever been foremost in the various engagements with the enemy. Their heroism in individual combats with greatly superior numbers has been made the subject of special commendation by the commanding officers; their long rides through a country swarming with hostile savages, often going for two and three days without food or sleep, never failing to deliver their messages, and only one of the entire number ever being hurt, are matters of special pride to themselves and to those who appreciate genuine grit.

I have learned upon my arrival here that the whole number of warriors yet out, Kiowas, Comanches, and Cheyennes, will not exceed five hundred, and it is now well known that they are all anxious to come in. A party of friendly Indians will leave here in a few days to induce them to come in. A party of Cheyennes are already out on the same errand, and the prospects now are that the troops will have very little to do next summer. They are not in a condition to protract the war, even if they had the disposition.

This is one of the largest and finest forts west of the Missouri. It is built of stone, and is made to accommodate ten companies. It was established in January, 1869, by Gen. Sheridan. It is garrisoned at present by six companies of the Tenth cavalry, colored, and three companies of the Twenty-fifth infantry. Col. Davidson, better known on the frontier as Black Jack, is in command. The Tenth is soon to be relieved by Col. McKenzie’s regiment, the Fourth cavalry, now at Fort Concho, Texas.

There are fifty Indians, representing the different hostile tribes, held here as prisoners. Nineteen of them are in irons. They answer to their names at every guard mount and nobody is allowed to have communication with them. A more stolid, dirty, meaner looking set of scoundrels were never drawn into line. They are to be tried by the military, and will undoubtedly pay the penalty of their crimes on the scaffold. Among them are several prominent chiefs, Woman’s Heart, Kill Chief, and White Horse.

I will return to Supply by way of the Cheyenne agency and may have occasion to send you some notes announcing the workings of that institution. T.

THE STAKED PLAINS.

THE WICHITA MOUNTAINS.

GEN. MILES TAKES HIS FAREWELL SCOUT.

The Commonwealth, January 29, 1875.

FORT SILL, INDIAN TERRITORY, January 24, 1875.

Correspondence of the Commonwealth.

The sight of the Wichita mountains was a glorious relief from the terrible monotony of the Staked Plains, which are almost unendurable at any time, but particularly so in the winter. Over this bleak, barren waste, through wind and storm, with scarcely no cessation, the command traveled for six long, weary days, the all-absorbing question with every man in the expedition being how to keep from freezing. Buffalo chips were not to be had, and the little wood that was hauled along in the wagons was our only fuel. Fortunately no one was seriously frozen, and the great Llanos Estacado were parted with, with the utmost satisfaction to all hands. From the headwaters of Red river to the Wichita mountains, the country is rough and broken, and almost destitute of vegetation. The soil is a kind of red clay, the only product of which seems to be mesquite brush. The Creek bottoms are narrow and almost devoid of timber. The water generally is bad, being a compound of gypsum, alkali, and salt. This country can never be made to subserve the purposes of agriculture, and it has very few inducements for stock-raising.

The country to the north and south of the mountains is altogether different. It is like arriving from a desert to a paradise. The mountains proper are about fifty miles from east to west, and forty from north to south. Their greatest altitude, I should think, does not exceed six hundred feet above the surface of the surrounding country. Their surface is rocky and I could discern no timber on them from the south side. Numerous small streams of pure water gush out from either side. These streams are all supplied with an abundance of timber: walnut, oak, hackberry, hickory, and other varieties. The country breaks off into rolling prairie, and is covered with a rich growth of vegetation, indicating unusual fertility.

The present has been an uncommonly severe winter, but I am told that the climate generally is mild and equable, and free from malaria. When this vast domain is opened to settlement, as it will be sooner or later, I know of no better place to locate a claim than in the vicinity of Fort Sill.

The post is located on Cache creek, near the eastern base of the Wichita mountains. The nearest railroad station is Caddo, 180 miles, on the M. K. & T. It is 75 miles south of the Cheyenne Agency. Two tri-weekly stage lines run to Caddo and one to Wichita via Cheyenne Agency.

Gen. Miles’ command leaves here today. He intends to scour the country between this and his late base of operations on the Washita and Canadian, when he will have completed the grandest scout and most thorough examination of this whole vast region, ever made. T.

AN IMPORTANT BILL.

The Commonwealth, January 29, 1875.

Lawrence Journal.

An important bill is under discussion in the house of representatives, in Topeka, with reference to the sale of lands under foreclosure of mortgage where the right of appraisement has been waived. The bill provides that where judgment in such cases has been or may hereafter been rendered, execution shall not issue for two years. Under the law as it now stands execution issues within six months. Since the law was passed, three years since, allowing the right of appraisement to be waived, hardly any mortgages have been executed without containing the waiver. They are now falling due while business all over the country is terribly depressed, and in our own state we are suffering from the accumulated horrors and disasters of drouth, grasshoppers, and panic generally. The result is that thousands of farms are falling under the sheriff’s hammer, oftentimes for the merest pittance. The six months speedily expires and with it the right of redemption passes forever.

It is objected to all this class of laws, appraisement, redemption, etcetera, that they diminish the power of the people to loan money. Such may be the effect, but it is worthy of question whether a farming population can afford to do business on borrowed money at all, and whether the farmer who mortgages his farm does not in nine cases out of ten, in effect sell it at the price of the loan. Certain it is that for years there has been no such margin of profit on farm operations as would allow farmers in this state to pay 12 per cent a year for money to operate with. It is a question whether it is of any real advantage to farmers to be able to loan money on their farms. It is not a question that vast numbers of them are now in a condition where unless they get relief of some kind their farms will be swept from under them remorselessly and without redemption.

FROM THE FIELD.

Prisoners of War at the Cheyenne Agency.

A Brief Summary of the Present Situation.

Col. Neil Sends an Ultimatum to Stone Calf.—The German Sisters.

The Commonwealth, February 2, 1875.

From Our Own Correspondent.

CHEYENNE AGENCY, INDIAN TERRITORY, January 26, 1875.

I reached this place today from Fort Sill, making the ride in two days and a half. A few months ago the traveler who attempted the journey alone did so at the peril of his life. The solitary wayfarer can now go on his way without being haunted by specter demons springing up on every side.

The country between this place and Fort Sill is an unending panorama of hill and dale, with numerous streams of pure, crystal water, all heavily timbered. The soil is of a reddish loam, and, where tried, produces well. The valleys are from one to two miles wide. The uplands are rolling prairie, and in many places large belts of timber are seen. The principal streams crossed are the Washita, Canadian, and North Fork of the Canadian. The agency for the Wichita and Caddo Indians is located at the crossing of the Washita. I found quarters here for the night with a company of the Twenty-fifth infantry, and made myself as comfortable as a traveler well could on the soft side of a cottonwood plank. There is a fine school building here, and I was informed there were about four hundred pupils in daily attendance, all of whom take the liveliest interest and are making satisfactory progress in their studies. The agent’s dwelling—which is a very fine structure for the frontier—the schoolhouse, store, missionary building, and one or two minor buildings, are the headquarters for the two tribes, who gather in from the surrounding country once in every week to draw their rations. On these days the banks of the Washita presents a scene of unusual animation. The Caddos are scattered along from the Washita to the Canadian. These Indians all live in houses and cultivate the soil. I noticed many farms under good cultivation. Nearly all speak English and dress the same as whites. In fact, their manners and customs are more like the whites than the Indians. One custom, however, prevails among them that is not altogether in harmony with our advanced notions of the way things ought to be done in a civilized community, and that is the way the daughters are linked in the bonds of wedlock. All the suitor has to do to obtain the hand of a Caddo maiden is to present the father with one or more ponies, just as the parent estimates the worth of his daughter or likes the man on whom her affections are set. This completes the whole ceremony, and the two become man and wife.

The Caddos are originally from Louisiana, and moved to their present reservation after the close of the Mexican war. They are a quiet, order-loving people, and have never imbrued their hands with the blood of innocent whites.

The Wichitas, who are a prairie-raised tribe, do not make so much progress in the arts of civilized life. They live in wigwams and lodges, constructed after the aboriginal fashion, and have made no attempts at tilling the soil. The rising generation may be reclaimed, but there is no hope for the able-bodied loafers that hang around the agency and depend on the government for subsistence.

I found everything quiet at this agency, with plenty of dirty looking squaws and dirtier looking papooses strapped on their backs, sauntering about. . . . T.

Excerpt from an article written by “P,” a correspondent...

The Commonwealth, February 2, 1875.

Col. Neil has charge of the prisoners, about three hundred, and Agent Miles the friendly ones. The utmost harmony prevails between these officials, and both have discharged t heir delicate duties in a manner to elicit the plaudits of the nation.

Stone Calf, the Cheyenne who has the German sisters, sent word to Col Neil that he wanted to come in and make peace. Col. Neil’s reply, which was sent out by some friendly Indian, has the ring of a true soldier. It is as follows:

“Tell Stone Calf to come in with his people and surrender unconditionally, and he will be treated as the others have been; and further, that he must bring in those white girls, the German sisters. The government will use all its power, if it takes years; that we care more for those white women than the whole of Stone Calf’s band.”

The Indians bearing this message are to go to Stone Calf’s camp, and return in forty days.

Estimated number of Cheyennes 2,200; number at agency, 286; prisoners of war, 289; warriors, 400; out, 1,625.

Arapahos, 160; warriors, 300. None of these Indians have been on the warpath this season.

Total number of Kiowas, 2,000; total number of Comanches, 1,968.

These last mentioned tribes paint and live in the wild style. A few of the Arapahos and Kiowas send their children to school. The others do not.

Col. Neil and Agent Miles are doing everything in their power to effect the release of the two white girls now with Stone Calf’s band, and it is hoped their very laudable efforts may be crowned with success.

Two companies of the fifth infantry, and one of the sixth cavalry, are the only troops now at the agency. The prisoners are kept under strict guard, and those that are guilty of murder are known to the officers, and will receive their deserts in due course of time. P.

FROM THE FRONT.

The Soldierly and Feeling Speech of Lieutenant Baldwin to His Men.

Not Over Five Hundred Fighting Indians Out.

A Winter Campaign Ordered to be Begun Against Them.

Notes of Peace.—Business and Agriculture in the South West.

The Commonwealth, February 19, 1875.

DODGE CITY, KANSAS, February 16, 1875.

From Our Own Correspondent.

Lieutenant Frank D. Baldwin, chief of scouts, and General Miles’ main dependence in his arduous campaign in the southwest, passed down the road yesterday, his services in the field having terminated with those of that officer. He will go by way of Coffeyville to pay off the Delaware Indians, who served as scouts with the expedition. In taking leave of the men who had clung to him through all the dangers and privations incident to a winter campaign, Lieutenant Baldwin was called on for a speech and responded in these timely and appropriate words.

“Gentlemen: In parting with you I desire to express my heartfelt thanks for the cordial and uniform support you have given me throughout this entire campaign. You have by your actions in the various encounters with the enemy, given fresh illustration of those qualities of courage and endurance that are the peculiar characteristics of the frontiersman. The recollection of your heroic conduct under circumstances the most trying—always thwarting the well laid plans of your savage adversary, although outnumbered ten to one—your long, perilous rides through a country infested by hostile Indians who knew no mercy and gave no quarter, will ever be a source of pleasurable meditation to me.

“Again, thanking you for this manifestation of sympathy and regard, I will bid you all an affectionate good-bye.”

Three cheers followed, and in a few moments the train was underway.

It is but proper to say that Lieut. Baldwin has acquitted himself with great honor in the discharge of his responsible duties with the expedition, and has, by his gentlemanly demeanor, won the esteem and confidence of all who knew him.

Some apprehension is felt that the Indians will renew the war in the spring with increased fierceness, but this is barely probable unless the hostile savages of the south are joined by others from the north. They have been badly whipped, according to their accounts; their ammunition is exhausted; a large proportion of those yet out have lost their ponies, and are not in a condition to offer any very serious resistance to the troops; and as to making raids on frontier settlements, they will have enough to do to watch and evade the troops. It is now well ascertained that the confederated bands of hostile Indians in the south cannot muster over five hundred fighting men, and when the columns of Gen. McKenzie, Cols. Hatch, Davidson, and Biddle are put in motion, they will make short work of it. The first two officers are ordered to take the field in person at once. Biddle is already out, and the different columns will soon be put in motion. So that, on the whole, the prospect for a speedy and permanent settlement of our Indian troubles was never more encouraging.

Dodge City, which has always been a live business town, shows signs of increasing prosperity as she grows older, and just now wears a look of unusual bustle and animation. Every man, woman, and child in the place carries a cheerful countenance, and complaints of dull times are seldom heard. Besides being the center of a large trade in hides, meat, and pelts, it is the nucleus of a populous district and the shipping point for all the supplies that go south for the troops operating against the Indians. The land in the immediate vicinity of the town is taken up and the occupants are making preparations to put in a spring crop. The grasshopper plague did not seriously affect the people here, and if the signs of the times are any criterion, their future prosperity is an assured fact.

Its businessmen are of that class peculiar to the west: live, energetic, and go-aheadative.

Among the old, original, and tried firms are the houses of Chas. Rath & Co., Myers & Leonard, A. B. Webster, R. W. Evans, Jake and Morris Collar, who deal in dry goods, clothing, groceries, etc., while the liquor, wine, and cigar trade are represented by such old-timers as Hoover & McDonald, Walters & Hanrahan, A. J. Peacock. Cox & Boyd navigate the Dodge City hotel—they are first-class pilots in their line. Beatty & Kelly sling grub in style—D. M. Frank is also proprietor of a restaurant, which he runs on first-class principles. His table is always supplied with the best the market affords, and his guests are made to feel at home in his house. A bar supplied with the best of liquors, wines, and cigars, is attached to the house. Jimmey Redmond, one of the best bar-keepers in the west, stands behind the counter, and always greets his friends with a “smile.” H. P. Niess, formerly of Leavenworth, is a constructor of boots and shoes, and everybody who leaves their “measure” with him is sure to be suited and fitted. Herman J. Fringer is postmaster, and also keeps a full assortment of drugs and things in that line. The country being very healthy, there is not much call for medicine. T. L. McCarty is an excellent physician and surgeon, but he says that this is the healthiest country he ever struck. The law is represented by Messrs. D. M. Frost, J. C. Wyckoff, and D. L. Henderson. As the people here are all peaceably disposed and dwell together in unity; business in this line is rather slack at present. The seat of learning, literature, and the fine arts is the Messenger office, where the force of habit and old associations naturally caused me to drift. I found Mr. Moore, the editor, up to his eyes in ink, paper, and the like, and everything about the premises indicate a high degree of financial prosperity, a very unusual thing among newspaper men.

The musical interests of the people are looked after by Tom Sherman and George Jones. If you are afflicted with low spirits, the blues, or anything of that kind, just drop into one of these places; and if you are not cured in fifteen seconds, your case must be hopeless indeed. The music is a continuous flow of melody, and nothing will so effectually extinguish despondency as a visit to Tom’s or George’s. T.

FEES AND SALARIES.

The Commonwealth, February 19, 1875.

There are several bills now pending in the legislature reducing the fees and salaries of state and county officers. The principle pervading these bills is one whose enactment the people very generally demand to the end of reduction of taxes. It is therefore commendable; but the pruning should be wisely, fairly, and judiciously done. The fee system is, in many of its features, onerous to the people and fruitful of abuses, and though it has frequently been revised, injustice and extortion have not been eradicated. The fees for various official acts and services should be so regulated as to pay the salary of the officers simply, and not to extort unreasonable sums from the people.

The various county officers would prefer a fixed salary, we believe, to the uncertain fee system, especially since the latter breeds popular suspicion of wrong-doing. But a salary graded on population should be fixed on a liberal sliding scale, so as to be fairly proportioned on the labor and responsibility involved. There is one feature in these bills which we deem to be very iniquitous and unjust, and should be stricken out before the fee bills are enacted. That is the clause devolving the power of regulating salaries upon the board of county commissioners. There is no unfairness in fixing the salaries of county officers at sums certain; but to allow them to be reduced from those limits at the whim of a board of commissioners is to make the officers the servants of the board, and not of the people. It may work great injustice to officers, and cannot possibly protect or subserve the interests of the people. The salaries of state officers were increased two years ago, to figures that were at that time deemed to be far from excessive. We do not believe that they should be cut down, especially we would protest against the reduction of the salary of supreme and district judges. There can be no wisdom in cutting down judicial salaries—indeed, nothing but harm can result both to the intelligence and the probity of the judiciary. It is proposed to reduce the number of judicial districts, which is both a rational and legitimate measure of economy; and if this reduction is made, there remains more cogent reason for not reducing the salaries of judges.

The general plan of reduction meets our approbation and will be commended by the people; but an unthinking and injudicious razing of the salaries of important public officers will result in far greater calamity to the state and the people than the money saving can compensate.

OPINION OF THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ON THE PRESS GAG LAW.

The Commonwealth, February 19, 1875.

Washington, Feb. 16. The senate judiciary committee, having been directed by the senate to report what is the meaning and extent of the so-called press gag law of June 22, 1874, submitted a report today, expressing their opinion that the second section of the act of June 22, 1874, confers upon courts of the district of Columbia the power to arrest offenders found in the district who are charged with a crime committed within the district, and hold them for trial, which was the law before, and to arrest offenders found in the district who have committed crimes against the United States, in some judicial district in the United States, and to send them to such district for trial, and that is all. No person can be brought into the district of Columbia under it, either for libel or any other crime. The committee are of the opinion that both sections of the act are necessary and proper, and in perfect accordance with the principles of justice, of the course of civilized jurisprudence. Without provisions of this character, the district of Columbia would be an asylum for offenders committing crimes against the laws of the United States and escaping hither.

It only remains to report as directed by a resolution of the senate whether said act has any application to the prosecution or indictment for the crime of libel in any case. We are of the opinion that, as before stated, no person charged with the crime can be brought into the district of Columbia under it, for no person can be brought here under it for any crime whatever, and it is equally plain that no person charged with the crime of libel in any other district or place in the United States can be arrested here and sent to such district or place under it.

For, first, libel is not a crime against the laws of the United States or any of the states, so that no case could arise in which a court or judge in the District of Columbia could be called upon to arrest a person here and send him to any state for trial for libel. It should be here observed that the jurisdiction of courts of the United States in criminal cases is confined to offenses created by statutes of the United States. No offense at law is indictable or tryable in the courts of the United States. This was early determined by the supreme court of the United States, and is the settled law of the land.

Second, If in any territory libel is a crime by the laws, and if such laws could be held for such purposes to be laws of the United States, the act under consideration provides no aid in sending a person from this district to such territory, for the thirty-third section of the act of 1789 has no application whatever to territories. The result is that the act of June 22^nd, 1874, is not, in our opinion, obnoxious to criticism, and, in respect to the crime of libel, it confers no power either to bring a person charged wit it either into the district of Columbia, or send him out of it.

(Signed) GEO. T. EDMUNDS, ROSCOE CONKLING, FRED T. FRELINGHUYSEN, GEO. G. WRIGHT, ALLEX G. THURMAN, J. W. STEVENSON.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, February 19, 1875.

The Littleton, N. H. Republic tells about a little six year old girl in Monroe, who went into a store where her father was lounging, the other day, and slyly approaching him, said, “Papa, won’t you buy me a new dress?” “What, buy you a new dress, Susy?” “Yes, papa, won’t you?” “Well, I’ll see; I’ll speak to your mother about it.” Elongation to an alarming extent rapidly spread over that little countenance, but a thought suddenly struck her, and with a smile she looked up into her father’s face and said, “Well, papa, if you do speak to mama about it, toucher her easy, or she may want the dress herself.” The father at once saw the point, and the point and the dress was purchased.

The Commonwealth, February 19, 1875.

An opening for an enterprising medical practitioner exists among the Indians at Hot Springs, California, their former medicine man having lately been made defendant in an aboriginal malpractice case, wherein the damages consisted of his ears and scalp.

The Commonwealth, February 19, 1875.

An exchange asks: “If there’s a place for everything, where is the place for a boil?” It has been said that the best place for such an ornament is on some other fellow, and we don’t think a better location can be discovered.

The Commonwealth.

HENRY KING, Editor.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, February 20, 1875.

They say that Uncle Daniel Drew has made $1,000,000 this winter in stock speculations, and Jay Gould $2,000,000.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, February 20, 1875.

Three royal sprouts of Europe, who may yet be all ruling nations at the same time, are Louis Eugene, of France, aged16, Fredrick Wilhelm of Germany, aged 18, and Alphonso of Spain, aged 19.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, February 20, 1875.

The Late Rev. Charles Kingsley, Canon of Westminister, was buried in the parish churchyard of the village which had been the scene of his labors for thirty-one years.

FROM THE OSAGES.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, February 20, 1875.

[From the Arkansas City Traveler.]

The Osages say they are willing the whites shall herd cattle in the Territory, as long as they keep off of the Salt Fork, where they want to herd their ponies. The fact is neither the whites or Osages have any right west of the Arkansas river, in the Territory, and if one is compelled to move, the other will have to be. If the matter can be arranged, and understood where each party shall herd, it will be better than contention.

ABOUT DEAD OSAGES.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, February 20, 1875.

Mr. Charles Robinson has declared the attitude of the opposition on the Indian question. He has requested and obtained the insertion in the organ of the James brothers, of Missouri, and the so-called reformers of Kansas, of a report of Mr. Enoch Hoag, the Quaker superintendent of Indian affairs of this department, on the killing of certain Osages within the borders of Kansas. This report is prepared by the interior department at the instance of Friend Hoag, and in the interest of the Indian ring. This letter to Mr. Robinson, with the accompanying documents, presents the question fairly to the legislature as to whether they propose to accept the peace policy inaugurated by the Quakers in control in Washington, and thus virtually to endorse the killing of twenty-seven of the citizens of the state, as against the express command of the state administration that the Indians shall remain on their side of the line. The issue is squarely met in the organ of the opposition, and the position of Mr. Hoag and the ring in concealing, by every possible means, all aboriginal atrocities, to the end of perpetrating the ascendancy of the Indian ring, which is endorsed by the accepted leader of that party in the senate. We need only state this proposition to the people of the state, who are already familiar with all the points in this controversy between Governor Osborn and the Indian hierarchy, to enable them to obtain a fair estimate of Senator Robinson’s honesty and sincerity in dealing with this question. But a few days ago in the city which Senator Robinson represents, were held the imposing obsequies of six Lawrence citizens, the victims of a band composed in part of Osages and Cheyennes, while acting as government surveyors, last summer. Yet the senator from Douglas County, while the shadow of this crime still rests upon the households of our citizens and remains unappeased and unpunished, insists that the peace policy, which is proximately responsible for this brutal outrage, shall be sustained by a Kansas legislature. He offers, as testimony in his behalf, an ex parte inquisition ordered by an Indian superintendent, who demanded the resignation of Agent Miles for telling the truth about Indian outrages last summer, and declaring the necessity of troops on the plains to repress hostile savages who disregarded reservation lines and restrictions. We need merely to state this position of Senator Robinson and his following, to show the extremities of their bitter hatred and unrelenting opposition to the republican administration of the state.

But we have a word or two to say about the character and credibility of these affidavits, and we beg leave to assure Governor Robinson that we make this statement on our own responsibility and of our own knowledge. The writer of this was in Barbour County in November last, in his capacity of newspaper correspondent, examining into this very question of the killing of the Osages. He knows, of his personal knowledge, the makers of some of these affidavits, and knows them to be outlaws and horse thieves, whose arrest for stealing horses was ordered by Adjutant General Morris—who were examined and bound over for trial. Mr. Tip McClure, as he is called, is an elegant specimen of the long-haired gentry who are found in those parts, who never see a likely horse without first breaking the tenth commandment and fracturing the sixth the first dark and convenient night afterward; who, if hard pushed, would shoot a lonely traveler for a ten-dollar bill. If God Almighty writes a legible hand, some of these affidavit-makers bear the unmistakable impress of abandoned scoundrels on their countenances, and their affidavits are not worth the paper they are written on. All the credible members of the militia company, including Captain Picker, whom we found to be a modest and reticent man of nerve, altogether superior to the community that owns him, have already made affidavit to a state of facts, the exact contrary of those of Mr. Tip McClure and his pals, who are undoubtedly instigated by a spirit of revenge in making affidavits at all. The preponderance of evidence, numerically and every other way, is against their story. Mr. M. Sutton, who prepared the affidavits for these men to swear to, is a person who has, so far as we could learn, never done an honest day’s work since he lived in Barbour County. He is utterly without credit and without character. In making these statements, we desire to be understood as declaring what we know and what we have seen. These affidavits may look formidable to a stranger to the matters of them, but to us, who have passed them under personal review, they bear the impress of a very painful effort to manufacture evidence on the part of Mr. Enoch Hoag, and a very desperate attempt to use it for political capital on the part of Mr. Robinson and his sweetened organ, the Kansas City Times.

ENOCH HOAG’S LETTER.

A Document Which Is Reviewed At Length Elsewhere.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, February 26, 1875.

From the Kansas City Times.

OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, CENTRAL SUPERINTENDENCY,

LAWRENCE, KANSAS, February 23, 1875.

Senator Robinson, Senate Chamber.

I enclose response to the COMMONWEALTH’s article correcting misstatements and have to ask thee to see the editor in order to its publication, if he is willing—otherwise, have the Kansas City Times publish if practicable, and oblige, Respectfully, ENOCH HOAG.

ROBINSON TO THE TIMES CORRESPONDENT.

J. G. Pangborn. Special Correspondent of the Kansas City Times.

I offered the above referred to communication to the COMMONWEALTH on Wednesday evening, but I am told that it cannot be published before Friday and hence ask you to have it inserted in the Times. Very truly, C. ROBINSON.

HOAG TO THE “COMMONWEALTH.”

OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, CENTRAL SUPERINTENDENCY,

LAWRENCE, KANSAS, February 21, 1875.

“DEAD OSAGES.”

To the Editor of the Commonwealth:

Your article in the issue of the 19^th, with the above caption, embraces several statements without foundation. So far as my name is connected with these misstatements, I should never reply personally, but representing a religious society and also the government, it is my duty in their interest to see that said errors be corrected.

You certainly cannot take exceptions to my furnishing a senator with a copy of the files of this office, on his official request, on any subject deemed by him of interest to the people of the state. Neither can you regard me as being actuated by any political motive.

You say these papers (referring to the reports and affidavits in the Osage militia case) “present the question fairly to the legislature as to whether they propose to accept the ‘peace policy’ inaugurated by the Quakers in control in Washington, and thus virtually to endorse the killing of twenty-seven of the citizens of the state,” etc.

The peace policy was not “inaugurated by the Quakers.” They are not “in control at Washington.” The policy was inaugurated by President Grant, whom you support, and his Indian policy was adopted and accepted by all the principal christian sects of the country. The Quakers being one of the smallest, who, by request of the president, were placed in charge of a very small portion of the Indian service; and the Quaker policy you attempt to make odious by misstatements is precisely the same policy adopted by the other christian denominations.

It is very unwarrantable to charge the Quakers with endorsing the killing of twenty-two citizens, who, if killed by Indians (as some may not have been), were by Indians with whom the government were at war, and the files of my office show sufficient appeals and warnings to the government to suppress encroachments, both by Indians and citizens; and that appeals have been made to the executive of the state to arrest and punish violations of the intercourse laws, by our citizens, without effect, while every laudable effort has been exercised by this office to ferret out and punish violations of law by either race. The charge of “Hoag and the ring” ‘in concealing aboriginal atrocities,’ has no foundation, and the attempts, by such insinuations, to bring odium upon the work of aiding the Indians in their efforts to obtain a better life is an unworthy appeal to the slumbering jealousies of the ignorant, tending to fan the flame of passion, always ready for war upon Indian rights.

Your reference to the unfortunate murders of surveyors, residents of Lawrence, gives me the opportunity to say that I discouraged their entering upon that service as unsafe while the Cheyennes were at war. Your criticisms evince an ignorance of the peace policy you condemn. “Grant’s” peace policy is that of peace to all Indians who remain in their reservations in obedience to the government, and war to all who will not, but who engage in raiding; and the present Cheyenne war is conducted under that policy; and if your desire to have the service transferred to the military was granted, there would be no change in the treatment of hostile Indians—and your military commander of the district of Missouri is not in favor of such transfer.

You speak of an “ex parte inquisition ordered by an Indian superintendent.” An investigation of the Osage murders was promised by the executive of the state, with the assurance that if found innocent, the captured Indian ponies and property should be returned to the Indians. A long time passed, when the department at Washington, not “Indian superintendent,” ordered an investigation. Two commissioners from the east with ex-Governor Wilson Shannon, of Lawrence, investigated the case and reported the Indians a peaceable hunting party, the attack unjustifiable, and that property captured ought to be returned and the Indians remunerated; that the two reports to the governor by Capt. Ricker were contradictory and each nullified the other. Subsequently letters were addressed to the government by citizens of Barbour County and vicinity, voluntarily, by which the government (not the superintendent) ordered further investigation, and the affidavits and correspondence is the result of said investigation. The charge that the “superintendent demanded the removal of agent Miles for telling the truth,” displays great ignorance of wilful misrepresentation. All the agents recommended by the church hold their office at her discretion, and would be removed at her request. If you have received any different information, it is untrue.

You characterize some of the affiants as “outlaws,” “horse thieves,” and “abandoned scoundrels,” and Commissioner Rankin, in his official report, characterizes that of Captain Ricker as “saloon keeper;” and yet they are constituents of the Kansas militia commission to receive arms from the general government to protect the interests of the border. I hop not to find it necessary again to correct statements of the press, but the time is passed when the honest people of the state will be furnished with so much error on this subject without correction. Respectfully, ENOCH HOAG, Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

FROM THE FRONTIER.

Stone Calf Surrenders, and Gives Up the Two German Girls.

The Whole Tribe of Cheyennes, to the Number of 1,600, Lay Down Their Arms.

Official Dispatch from General Thomas Neil.

The Commonwealth, March 2, 1875.

By the courtesy of General Pope, the Leavenworth Commercial is permitted to publish the following official dispatch from Gen. Thomas H. Neil, regarding the surrender of Stone Calf and the whole tribe of Cheyennes, including the two German girls, so long in captivity.

CHEYENNE AGENCY, I. T., Feb. 22, via WICHITA, Feb. 25.

To Maj. Gen. Pope, Leavenworth:

Stone Calf has come in here to surrender himself and the whole Cheyenne tribe, about 1,600 in number, with the two German (white) women. The main body is still three days’ travel from here. I send an ambulance out tomorrow morning to bring in the white women captives. Stone Calf has agreed that they shall give up their arms and ponies, go into camp, and attend daily roll call. Bray Bird, Heap of Birds, and all the principal chiefs except Medicine Water, are with Stone Calf. Please order flour, sugar, and coffee to be forwarded as soon as possible. I can get plenty of beef.

THOS. NEIL, Brevet Brigadier General Commanding.

[Note: I have changed the name “Germain” to “German” when it appeared. At first the newspapers were confused about the last name of this family. This was corrected in time. The saga of the German family is told in Volume II, The Indians. It is my firm belief that the campaign against the Indians continued until General Miles was assured that the two older girls would be rescued from the Indians.]

BY TELEGRAPH.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Unconditional Surrender of 140 Kiowa Braves.

Kellogg Vetoes a Bill for the Relief of the Levee Company.

The Commonwealth, March 3, 1875.

AN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.

St. Louis, March 2. A dispatch from Gen. Augur, dated San Antonio, Texas, today, to Gen. Sherman, says: The balance of the Kiowa Indians, numbering 140, among whom were Lone Wolf, Red Otter, and other prominent chiefs, surrendered unconditionally to a scouting party on Salt Fork, on February 22, gave up their arms and ponies, and were expected to arrive at Fort Sill February 26. There are only 12 Kiowas now out.

A VETO.

New Orleans, March 2. Gov. Kellogg this morning sent in a veto of a bill which had passed the legislature for the relief of the Louisiana levee company, asserting that the bill was an attempt to legalize a million dollars or more of illegal indebtedness in violation of the funding law and the constitutional amendments. It is said that a strong ring has been formed to pass the bill over his veto.

CRIMES.—CASUALTIES.

The Commonwealth, March 3, 1875.

FIRE AT FORT SCOTT.

Fort Scott, Kas., March 2. Geo. W. Goodlander’s carpenter shop and contents was destroyed by fire tonight. Loss, about $2,000. No insurance. Supposed to have been the work of an incendiary.

SAD CONSEQUENCE OF A BROKEN RAIL.

Cincinnati, March 2. The west bound passenger train on the Indianapolis, Cincinnati & Lafayette railroad was last night thrown from the track near Lawrenceburg, by a broken axle, and a tramp, who was stealing a ride on the front end of the postal car, was instantly killed. No others injured.

WASHINGTON.

The Commonwealth, March 3, 1875.

NOMINATIONS.

Washington, March 2. The following nominations were to the senate today: Register of land office: G. H. Wright, Sioux City. Postmasters: W. T. Maxwell, Creston, Iowa; M. W. Coulter, Baxter Springs, Kansas; Robt. Love, Trenton, Tennessee.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

Osage City is glad that the legislature has provided for “escape shafts.”

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

Col. G. H. Norton, of Arkansas City, talks of going to Oregon.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

The Emporia News gives a sigh of relief, and says “eggs are getting plentier.”

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

Howard County suffers not only from the horrors of “division,” but mad dogs are raging.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

M. W. Coulter has been reappointed postmaster at Baxter Springs. He was an editor once.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

The Wichita Eagle speaks of the “nunck heads at Topeka.” It’s “funkheads” in the dictionary.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

One thousand persons said “Ary letter for me?” at the Hiawatha post office window last Saturday a week ago.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

According to the Woodson County Post, Caesarism has broken out in an aggravated form in the Neosho Falls city council.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

The Odd Fellows of Osage City are to put on their collars and have a good time, April 26^th.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

Our Kansas exchanges remark with singular unanimity that “March came in like a lion.”

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

Sumner County must be a desolate region. The Press says it swarms with bachelors and widowers.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

There is a dentist in Arkansas City named D. C. Haskell. We would like to see his namesake of the recent legislature lift on a back tooth once. Something would start.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

Mr. John B. Campbell has purchased W. C. Douthitt’s interest in the Fort Scott Monitor. Now, Campbell, “hump yourself.”

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

A Cowley County pedagogue is charged with giving his female scholars “love powders.” A hypodermic injection of gunpowder would help him, if guilty.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

The McPherson Independent claims that scrip is so low in its county that it is hard to buy wood enough with it to warm the courthouse.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

Mr. Eddy, of Arkansas City, has coughed up an oyster shell which has stuck in his throat for five years. He will never take his oysters on the half shell again.

The Commonwealth, March 7, 1875.

Mr. W. H. Morgan and the Osage City Shaft give way to make room for Mr. J. P. Campbell and the Osage City Free Press.

THE LATEST INDIAN POLICY.

The Commonwealth, March 16, 1875.

The president’s latest instruction in regard to the captured Cheyennes seems to indicate that Stone Calf and Medicine Water, the two chiefs who led the party which attacked the German family, murdered the father, mother, a son, and one daughter, and carried off the other four into horrible captivity, are to be sent to the Indian department at their agencies; and we are soothed and supported by the belief that within a reasonable period they will both be hung. Such ought to be the fate of every Indian murderer. Indians ought not to be recognized or treated as belligerents. The great Kiowa nation or the Cheyenne nation are not sovereignties to be treated with as France or England would be in time of war, but simply gangs of thieves and murderers, to be punished when caught, just as white thieves and murderers are punished under similar circumstances. This was substantially the plan followed when the Sioux insurrection in Minnesota was suppressed. If then, the president’s order means that Stone Calf and Medicine Water are to be hung, it is a very good order indeed.

The instructions of the president seem to indicate that only the ringleaders and such Indians as are found to be guilty of crimes are to be sent to military posts, and that they are not to be accompanied by their families. We trust that this means that there is no truth in the report that a species of Indian reservations are to be re-established in Kansas. The proximity of one, two, or three thousand dirty, lousy, howling, whistling, stamping savages can be of no advantage to any town. All the money to be extracted from the brutes, directly or indirectly, would be no compensation for the trouble their drunkenness and general meanness would create in the vicinity, or the diseases, mentionable and unmentionable, that they would breed. The policy of the government has always been to keep Indians away from the white people, and it is a policy that, until very lately, we have never heard a white man wish reversed. Ways and means can be devised to keep the Indians within bounds without moving them into the midst of densely settled civilized communities.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, March 16, 1875.

Greenville, Tennessee, boasts that the first abolition paper in America was published there, that the guerrilla Morgan was killed in the town, that it had the cholera in 1873, the crusade—the only town south of Mason and Dixon’s line that had it at all—in 1874, and that Andrew Johnson and Betsy Ward are prominent and permanent residents.

The Commonwealth, March 16, 1875.

Mrs. Myra Clarke Gaines is at last taking active measures to execute the judgments obtained by her against the city of New Orleans. One of these, involving the sum of $140,000, has just been levied, and the New Orleans Times says that “unless some arrangement can be made, a large sacrifice of the interests of the city and the public is inevitable.”

The Commonwealth, March 16, 1875.

Bessie Turner is described as a little girl of good complexion, with reddish brown hair, dropping a long, red curl behind; comely, but not striking features, and a general appearance of a poor girl somewhat uneasy in the society and prominence she has attained. She is slight and small. In court she wore eardrops of plain gold in her smallish ears, wore dogskin gloves on fairly small hands, a black, neat dress, and looked timidly out upon the audience. The general impression she conveyed was that of one detached, unawed, incidental and unfortunate, but without much consciousness of it.

[Yes! They said “dogskin” gloves.]

The Commonwealth, March 16, 1875.

General Belknap, the secretary of war, says the Army and Navy Journal, will be held in most grateful remembrance by the future historian. Since he has been in office, he has gathered from all parts of the country a most valuable collection of the private letters and papers of our military heroes of the past, some of which are none the less valuable because they serve to dispel the religious halo that has gathered around the heads of the rough-riding, hard-swearing troopers of the past. To add to his services in this line, the General has inaugurated the work of publishing the official records of our military operations during the war. No secretary of war has more justly and satisfactorily administered the affairs of that important office.

OFFICIAL.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, March 23, 1875.

Published March 23, 1875.

AN ACT

To authorize Cowley County to issue bonds to pay the indebtedness of the county.

Be it enacted by the legislature of the state of Kansas:

SECTION 1. That the board of commissioners of Cowley County, for the purpose of paying the floating indebtedness of said county, be and are hereby authorized to issue the bonds of said county not exceeding the amount of outstanding indebtedness of said county on the first day of January, A. D. 1875, in sums not less than one hundred dollars each, which bonds shall have coupons attached, and shall draw interest at the rate of ten per cent per annum, payable semi-annually on the first days of March and September of each year. Each bond shall be signed by the chairman of the board of commissioners, and countersigned by the clerk of said county, and shall specify thereon to whom the same shall be made payable.

SEC. 2. Said bonds shall be made payable at a time therein named, not less than ten years from the date thereof.

SEC. 3. The board of commissioners of said county shall levy annually such per cent on the taxable property of said county as shall be sufficient to pay the interest on all bonds issued under the provisions of this act as the same shall accrue; also to levy a tax annually to create a sinking fund for their final redemption, which sinking fund may be invested, when collected, in the purchase of the bonds hereby authorized, at a price not to exceed their par value, or in state or United States bonds, until the time at which the bonds hereby authorized shall become due, and in no other manner shall said sinking fund be invested: Provided, That no tax for the purpose of creating such sinking fund shall be levied until one-half the time such bonds shall run shall have expired.

SEC. 4. Any person holding county orders of said county bearing the date prior to the first day of January, A. D. 1875, who shall at any meeting of the board of commissioners surrender the same to said board, shall receive therefor a bond or bonds, as aforesaid, which bond or bonds shall be for the amount of principal and accrued interest shown upon said orders, and the orders so surrendered shall by said board be canceled and destroyed, the clerk of said board having made upon the journal a minute of the number, date, amount, to whom issued, and when presented and by whom surrendered: Provided, That nothing in this act shall be construed so as to permit the board of county commissioners to bargain, sell, convey, or dispose of any of the bonds provided for in this act, except in exchange for county orders, or warrants issued prior to January 1, 1875, dollar for dollar.

SEC. 5. The clerk of said board of county commissioners of said county is hereby authorized, and it is made the duty of the clerk of said county, to obtain blank bonds, with suitable devices to prevent counterfeiting, and of such suitable material as may be deemed proper.

SEC. 6. It shall be the duty of the county clerk of said county to register the bonds issued under this act, which registry shall show the date, number, amount, and to whom made payable, each of said bonds.

SEC. 7. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the Weekly Commonwealth.

Approved March 5, 1875.

I, Tom H. Cavanaugh, secretary of state of the state of Kansas, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of the original enrolled bill on file in my office.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the great seal of the state. Done at Topeka, this 5^th day of March, A. D. 1875.

[GREAT SEAL.] TOM H. CAVANAUGH, Secretary of State.

THE IRREPRESSIBLE CONFLICT.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

The telegraph announced yesterday morning the arrival of Governor Osborn in Washington, and the beginning of his efforts to have Friend Hoag removed from his position as Indian agent.

The fight is an open and square one. Governor Osborn has made no underhanded attempts to procure the removal of Friend Hoag, and proposes, we presume, to make a fair fight till the thing is settled one way or the other, and, we must say, that from any standpoint, Governor Osborn’s course seems natural and justifiable.

Governor Osborn and Friend Hoag take an entirely different view of the Indian. This difference of opinion may be, doubtless is, perfectly honest on both sides, but that only intensifies the opposition of the parties. Hoag likes Indians. Osborn don’t. Hoag thinks Indians can be coaxed, educated, and civilized into good behavior; Osborn thinks that the only really progressive Indians are those who are progressing to the happy hunting grounds. Hoag thinks an Indian’s life is of great value, Osborn thinks the extirpation of a whole tribe of Indians preferable to the massacre, torture, or outrage of a single white family. A difference like this is simply irreconcilable.

Both men act according to their convictions. Osborn calls out the militia with their guns; Hoag calls out the teachers with their spelling books. If Osborn finds a white man dead and scalped on the prairie, he says the Indians did it; if Hoag discovers the same body, he trusts the man was killed by other white men, or that his scalp came off accidentally. Osborn thinks the Indian or Indians who did the deed should be hunted down at once. Hoag thinks the matter should be “carefully investigated,” but nobody’s life taken, whatever the result of the investigation.

Of course every step that Gov. Osborn takes officially to carry out his policy, Indian Agent Hoag thinks a criminal aiding and abetting of bloodshed. Everything that Indian Agent Hoag does to carry out his policy, Gov. Osborn regards as foolish, and, indeed, criminal attempts to shield robbers and murderers from punishment. Friend Hoag believes it his duty to resist by all practicable means, everything like armed offensive operations against Indians. If the militia are called out, he protests; and when the legislature is called on to make an appropriation to pay the expenses of hostilities against the Indians, he works against the appropriation and uses, or tries to use, this political opposition in the legislature to defeat its passage. He regards the governor as a “man of blood,” and a son of Belial, and acts accordingly. The governor regards him in turn as a fraud, engaged in trying to carry out an impracticable humbug. And so it goes.

We do not see anything to prevent this conflict from going on everywhere where a frontier governor and a peace policy Indian agent “come together.” It is the natural result of the attempt to mix war and peace in an Indian policy. Kansas men and western men generally, in such conflicts, will side with the governor as against the Indian agent.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

Andy Johnson has announced his theme for the next two years—hatred of Grant.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

It is intimated that Gov. Kellogg will call an extra session of the legislature to meet about the 12^th of April.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

George N. Boker proposes to hold on to the Russian mission, and consequently Zach Chandler will not get the position.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

Andy Johnson struck the words, “the constitution of my country,” in about three-quarters of a minute after he commenced his speech.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

The legislature of California has recently passed a law preventing the payment of different salaries to school teachers on account of sex.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

The trustees of the New York Catholic schools have made a formal claim upon the board of education for a portion of the public school fund.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

King Kalakaua arrived at Honolulu Feb. 20. He delivered an address at noon on that day in which he detailed the story of his wanderings.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

The well-known Col. Barnwell Rhett, formerly editor of the New Orleans Picayune, will assume the management of a paper at Dallas, Texas.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

J. V. Farwell, W. F. Coolbaugh, W. W. Van Arsdale, S. M. Moore, Professor Swing, and that sort of men are the pride of spelling schools in Chicago.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

The report which appeared in the Georgia newspapers that General Longstreet had bought a farm in that state, and was going into the sheep raising business, is denied by the New Orleans journals.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

J. Newton Warren, of Wichita, on the 16^th inst., addressed a large audience at Cheyenne on the subject of the Black Hills, where he said he had found gold.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

The New York Tribune says that the bank examiners report several large banks in New York City as in receipt of large deposits they are unable to loan. The supply of money exceeds the demand.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

Hon. Edward McPherson, for twelve years clerk of the house of representatives, will hereafter spend his leisure moments in writing for the Gettysburg (Pa.) Star, of which he is one of the publishers.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

England’s empire in the southern hemisphere covers 3,000,000 square miles, the United States, less Alaska. The white population of Australasia, as these great islands are called, was in 1850 about 240,000. Now it is but little less than 2,000,000.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

The Prince of Wales has been formally installed grand master of the English Free Masons. The office has been held in days past, by two of his uncles, the Dukes of York and Sussex. The prince has been a Mason for seven or eight years.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, March 25, 1875.

Castelar has resigned his professorship in the university, in consequence of the government re-establishing in the schools and colleges the text-books prescribed during Isabella’s reign, and otherwise changing the manner of public instruction.

GENERAL MILES’ EXPEDITION.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, March 27, 1875.

To the Editor of the Army and Navy Journal.

SIR: In the Journal of February 27 appears an article credited to the Topeka COMMONWEALTH regarding the last movement of General Miles’ expedition. It is in most respects excellent and accurate, but the writer has given an impression that at one time prevailed in the command, and seemed to be correct, as to the number of hostile Indians driven into Fort Sill by this movement. When the trail was first found, near the western end of the Wichita mountains, as the command had been several times on the trail of a hostile party from the canon of the Tule moving in the same direction, and as the larger trail indicated rapid movement, it was presumed to be that of a hostile party driven in and going to surrender. Of a certain portion, the exact number I do not know, this presumption was correct, as they were coming in without the knowledge of the authorities, under cover of the others, who were friendly Indians, out from Fort Sill by permission to hunt and were returning. The writer of the article in question was of course unaware of these facts, and I have to request that you please make this correction, there being no desire and as little need to claim any but legitimate honors for the expedition. That movement was intended by General Miles to be the last of the active operations of the expedition, and its scope was such that he could subsequently leave it to a portion of his command in the camp established under his orders on the North of the Red River, to deal with any of the enemy who might return from the remote south-west beyond the Pecas, wither those that had not already been forced to surrender had been driven. How complete the work of the campaign has been is partly seen in the fact that of the Indians who have come in to surrender at the agency, many of them are dismounted, and at this writing they are arriving in that plight, and bringing in and delivering up the two white captives, sisters of the two who were rescued by General Miles’ command in November.

As the scouts and guides under First Lieutenant F. D. Baldwin, Fifth Infantry, are not a permanent organization, and so cannot, as a regiment or company, reap the lasting reward of good opinion which attaches to them, I think it is not unfitting to single them out, and say that so much of the article taken from the COMMONWEALTH as commends them would receive the hearty approval of every one in the expedition who was cognizant of the valuable, incessant, and perilous duties that they so cheerfully performed.

Two of them, with a detachment of four equally intrepid soldiers, have made “A new Thermopylae” on the commonplace Texas prairie. And though they are justly first in honor, they would, I believe, with the modesty of genuine courage, agree that a like occasion and necessity would have found many others of the band equally courageous and self-sacrificing.

G. W. B.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, March 27, 1875.

Vast quantities of property are being destroyed by war in Cuba. In Trinidad twelve estates, producing over 800,000 hogsheads of sugar, have been burned, and in Villa Clara and Cienfuegos, more than forty thousand hogsheads of the same commodity have been lost by inroads of the patriots. To this destruction of property must be added that in Sague la Granada, consisting of twenty-seven sugar estates, and also the sugar warehouses at Sierra Morena and Carahutas, numbering over sixty vast structures, filled with sugar waiting transmission to Havana and other ports. These are some of the effects of a war waged by Spain to prevent Cuba from achieving its separate nationality and independence.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, March 27, 1875.

The silver mining excitement at Newburyport, Mass., increases, and last Friday (19^th) was considered the greatest mining day since the silver discovery in that section. Large sales of land have been made, in all covering fully $100,000. The heaviest purchasers were from New York.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, March 27, 1875.

Farmers of Coffey County have been plowing for two weeks past.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, March 27, 1875.

A. W. Robertson, of Burlington, last year raised fourteen bushels of flax seed from twenty-two pounds of seed sown. He intends sowing again this spring.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, March 27, 1875.

Horace Whitman, of Lyndon, has purchased of the agricultural college herd, “Rob Roy,” the Galloway bull, imported from Canada. The Galloways are said to be better adapted to Kansas than any other breed.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, March 27, 1875.

Several prairie fires are reported from Marshall County. Mr. A. M. Johnson, living near Waterville, lost all his effects on Monday, of last week, and was himself so badly burned that his life is despaired of. A fire near Haddam destroyed a great amount of property, and it is reported, several lives.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, March 27, 1875.

St. Patrick’s day was celebrated at Cottonwood Falls by a procession, speeches, etc. The Leader says the procession consisted of Mr. J. O’Byrne, followed by J. O’Byrne, Esq. The rear was composed of “old” John O’Byrne, and two beautiful banners were suspended over the bridge, bearing the following inscriptions: “Any person riding or driving faster than a walk will be fined $10.”

A GAUZY STORY.

The Commonwealth, Saturday Morning, March 27, 1875.

As we explained the other day, the conflict between Gov. Osborn and Friend Hoag is very bitter, but that fact hardly justifies Friend Hoag, or any of his crowd, in sending the special to the St. Louis Globe, which also appeared in the associated press dispatches yesterday morning, to the effect that Gov. Osborn was in the east negotiating $500,000 or $600,000 of fraudulent bonds issued by sundry fraudulent counties in southwestern Kansas.

It is decidedly “thin” to solicit our credence, or that of an intelligent people, to the story that the Governor is arduously engaged in the effort to negotiate fraudulent bonds of the fraudulent southwestern counties, in view of his outspoken denunciation of those frauds in his annual message. More than that, we have been shown in the executive office press copies of correspondence held last fall between the Governor and financial gentlemen in New York and St. Louis, in which the former repeatedly stigmatized these bond issues as fraudulent, and as being steeped in perjury, forgery, and all manner of rascality.

There may be men in the world idiotic enough to go east for the purpose of negotiating such securities after having given them such a reputation in advance; but if there be, they are most assuredly ensconced in Indian agencies, asylums, or other hospitals for the feeble-minded.

BENDER.

The Old Man’s Story.

His Identity Established Beyond a Doubt.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, March 30, 1875.

As the public have been informed by previous dispatches to the Union from Arizona, a man supposed to be old John Bender was arrested in Arizona by two officers who had traced him through New Mexico. Escaping from his captors near the crossing of the San Pedro river, he wandered about in the mountains until driven by starvation to come into the town of Florence, where he was rearrested, and where he is now confined, awaiting the arrival of the requisition of Governor Osborn, of Kansas. We presume that the reading public will need little information as to the crimes which have caused unceasing pursuit of Bender and his family for nearly two years. John Bender, his wife, and a grown up son and daughter lived at a small settlement called Cherryvale, in southern Kansas, where they kept a roadside house. Many travelers were known to have stopped there, but were never traced further. Among these was a Dr. York, a brother of that Senator York in the Kansas legislature, who exposed Pomeroy’s attempt at bribery. Suddenly the Benders fled, none knew whither. An examination of the deserted premises revealed a most horrible sight.

A cellar was found filled with the bodies of murdered men—travelers who had been robbed and butchered by this family of fiends. The relatives of Dr. York offered a large reward for the apprehension of the murderers; other sums were added by private individuals and by the state and local authorities. The search by detectives has been unceasing; several times parties have been arrested and as often discharged, being able to prove the mistake of the officers. On one occasion it was declared with absolute certainty that the real John Bender had been arrested, but on bringing him to Kansas, he was pronounced “not the man.” At last the case began to ceased to be talked about, and it has until very lately been believed that the search for the Benders has been abandoned as hopeless. But there is no doubt about the arrest that has now been made. Our correspondent at Florence, who is a German by birth, some time ago interviewed the prisoner in his own language, and at the time telegraphed us his belief that the right man had been found. On Monday another and protracted interview was held with the old man. The result of this important interview establishes the identity of the prisoner beyond a doubt, and the Union’s correspondent telegraphs as follows, the

CONFESSION OF OLD JOHN BENDER.

Florence, Arizona, March 16.—Yesterday your correspondent held another interview with old John Bender, the Kansas murderer, who is soon to be taken to that state under a requisition from Governor Osborn. The result is of sufficient importance to justify the transmission of my report in full to the Union. The old man was apparently in good health and spirits, notwithstanding the trying ordeal that awaits him.

The object of our visit was not made known to him, as we were well informed that he would not reply to direct questions. We trusted by a chance conversation with him on general topics, to touch, as circumstances would permit, upon the prisoner’s case. Our conversation was in the German language, and we translate the notes taken at the time, omitting preliminary conversation.

Reporter. Mr. Bender, should you consider it a proper question, what is your age?

A. My name is Henry Deutchmiller; I was born in Saxony, Germany, in the year 1820, and am now fifty-four years of age.

R. How long have you been a resident of the United States?

A. I came to this country and landed in New York City in 1846.

R. How long did you reside in New York?

A. About three years, and then removed to York, Pennsylvania.

A BAD MEMORY.

R. After leaving Kansas City what portion of Kansas did you move to?

A. My dear sir, I never lived in Kansas; I only journeyed through it.

R. In journeying through Kansas, can you name any of the towns you passed through?

A. No, I do not remember any.

R. Did you pass through Leavenworth, Lawrence, Topeka, or Fort Scott?

A. Yes, I bought a team at Kansas City, and stopped one night at Fort Scott.

R. What might be the distance between Fort Scott and Kansas City?

A. About seventy-five miles.

R. What direction did you take after leaving Fort Scott?

A. I don’t know. I think I went west; at night I stopped at farmers’ houses; you see I was a poor man and could not afford to stop in town.

R. Don’t you remember the names of any of the towns you passed after leaving Fort Scott?

A. No, I do not. I never lived in Kansas.

R. Did you go toward Baxter Springs, Chetopa, or Oswego?

A. [Hesitatingly.] I don’t remember. I can’t tell which way I went, for I did not stop in Kansas.

THOSE HORRIBLE MURDERS.

Reporter. Mr. Bender, what in the name of humanity possessed you to carry on the butchery business in the style it was performed in Kansas?

A. Well, the fact is the boy and girl never joined the church, nor would they work or assist to till the soil, but would like in idleness constantly, studying devilish works; it was they that first suggested the idea of taking life, and they were the instigators of all the crimes.

Reporter. Were you present when Dr. York was murdered?

[No answer came to this question.] Bender sat on a mattress, his head waving to and fro, overcome with his emotions. He at last muttered, “You know it all!” and then fell over backward on the bed, apparently in an exhausted or swooning condition.

Considering that rest was needed, Bender was left a few hours to meditate over what he had said. After a lapse of three hours, we paid him another visit, and were somewhat surprised to see his refreshed appearance, and his willingness to continue the conversation, which he began himself, follows.

ANXIOUS ABOUT HIS FATE.

Bender. When I arrive in Kansas do you think the authorities will immediately hang me?

Reporter. No sir, I do not. I think they will give you a fair trial.

Bender. I expect Mr. Harris, my keeper, who has treated me kindly, will start with me in a day or two; if you possibly can do me the favor, I wish you would ask him to take me to Topeka. I do not want to go to Independence. I have certain reasons. You see the people there would not deal fairly with me, and I would have a poor show for my life. I want a trial, and I want a Methodist preacher and a lawyer, and I will prove to the world that I have never done anything wrong in my life. [He seemed greatly agitated, shedding tears freely.]

I promised to speak to Mr. Harris as he requested, and took my leave after a few words of cheer and giving him some oranges and a few pounds of tobacco.

In every respect as to personal appearance, the old man assumes the description given of him by the Kansas authorities. His remarkably small hands, peculiar dialect, monotonous and drawling speech, sluggish appearance; and his acknowledgments in yesterday’s interview, leave no longer a doubt that the veritable John Bender will at last be brought to justice.

San Diego (California) Union: March 17.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, March 30, 1875.

Private letters received from Arkansas show there is already a split among the adherents of the Garland government. Garland has always been a national Whig, and a considerable number of his supporters were Whigs; but the rank and file are Bourbons; and now that the general government has recognized Garland, and the trouble with Brooks’ party is ended, the old traditional feud between Bourbons and Whigs is revived. The Bourbons claim the right of absolute control, which the Whigs refuse to recognize.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, March 30, 1875.

Last Friday upon an agreed case presented to Judge Bassett, in the district court for Anderson County, he decided the issuing of county warrants under one of the relief laws of last winter to be constitutional, declaring that he had not a shadow of doubt upon the subject. The same principles are applicable to all the “seed and feed laws” of last winter. If this one, upon which Judge Bassett has given his decision, is not unconstitutional, none of these acts are. Lawrence Journal.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, March 30, 1875.

“He struck out for the wild west, and rung the bells in the forest glades,” remarked General Tracy in his eloquent description of his client. This is very beautiful and poetical, General, but it is rather rough on Indianapolis. These glades are mostly made up of forests of spires and chimneys, and they are worth about $1,000 per foot.

STATE ITEMS.

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

Catfish are ripe at Neosho Falls.

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

The spring crop of dogs has been harvested at Wichita.

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

Mr. Sweat has been elected mayor of Sedgwick City. He will make it warm for them.

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

The Humboldt Union remarks that “now is a good time to plant spring advertisements.”

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

A large number of Russians are still at Florence, about three hundred occupying three houses. Over thirty of the number, since last fall, have died.

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

The Rice County Herald wants the citizens of Pence to incorporate the place, and change the name to “Sterling, or some other high sounding appellation.”

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

The editor of the Arkansas City Traveler has been made the recipient of a scalp lock of a Cheyenne Indian, taken, and presented by an Osage brave who has killed his eleven.

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

Last Saturday Miss Sarah Campbell, a young lady living with her parents near Peru, Howard County, took a large dose of arsenic, from the effects of which she was a corpse the next day.

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

John Varnum, who has been on trial for the murder of Anthony Perry, in August last, whom he killed while city marshal of Coffeyville, was acquitted last week. It was the second trial of the case.

The Commonwealth, April 10, 1875.

Last Sunday afternoon F. J. Kaufman, who lives about four miles southeast of Newton, had a stable, Marsh harvester, corn cultivator, and about three hundred bushels of oats burned up by a prairie fire. A set of harness belonging to a man stopping there was also burned.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, April 17, 1875.

The Emporia News says Prof. H. B. Norton, of the state normal school, has been elected to a position in the normal school at San Jose, California, and will leave Kansas at the end of the present school year. We do not know, but we suppose this is the result, mainly, of the idiotic action of the last legislature in reducing the salaries of tried and competent men.

The Commonwealth, April 17, 1875.

Four families of Bohemians, consisting of eighteen grown people and several children, arrived at Salina from New York on Friday evening. On Saturday they took a view of the city and adjacent country and the leader started on Sunday morning for New York, and is expected to return in a few weeks with thirty families more. So says the Advocate.

The Commonwealth, April 17, 1875.

The Wichita Beacon says that John Huff, a deaf and dumb printer of whom the up country papers made mention a short time since as coming down the Santa Fe road to start a paper, says that after a survey of the field, he thinks there are too many papers already. The Beacon is advised that if he sinks his capital at all, it will probably be for grub, and he will then have the satisfaction of owning the hole it went into.

The Commonwealth, April 17, 1875.

The Manhattan Nationalist says the scurvy has made its appearance on Deep and Wild Cat creeks and other places in Riley, and on McIntyre creek and Blue Bottom in Pottawatomie County. It is doubtless the consequence of a lack of nourishing food and sufficient clothing during the winter. We are informed that one of the sufferers had no meat during the winter, and lately had for dinner nothing but some very wishy-washy tea.

NO BENDER.

The Commonwealth, April 17, 1875.

The mystery of mysteries is still the Bender business. That a family of the low grade of intelligence universally accorded to the Benders should so long have escaped detection is very singular, and it is also singular that while nobody can catch old Bender, it is trick at all to catch men who look like him. Still another mysterious circumstance is that the last Bender is not forthcoming. The readers of the COMMONWEALTH will remember it was announced in February last that John Bender, Sr., had been captured at Florence, Arizona. The requisition was issued by Gov. Osborn and sent to Gov. Safford, February 27^th; a dispatch was received by the Governor, dated March 4^th, from the parties having the reputed Bender in charge, asking who had been appointed agent to convey the prisoner to Kansas. This is the last information our authorities have received. The COMMONWEALTH, has, however, copied from the San Diego (California) Union, what purported to be an interview with Bender in the Florence jail on the 15^th of March, but more than a month, since then, has elapsed, and no Bender real or bogus, has made his appearance at Topeka. Where is Bender?

STATE ITEMS.

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

A pelican “six feet square” has been shot near Beloit.

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

The courthouse at Fredonia has been removed to the middle of the square.

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

The Italian organ grinder has penetrated the interior as far as Washington, Republic County.

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

Mr. W. H. Johnson retires from the Beloit Gazette, and Mr. J. J. Johnson goes to the helm.

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

Marion Center has a pleasurer ground in a bend of the Cottonwood River and called it “Billings Park.”

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

W. P. Hackney has left Cowley County for San Francisco in search of a new location. His family will remain at Winfield until fall.

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

The Wilson County Citizen was five years old last Wednesday, the first number of the paper having been issued on the 21^st day of April, 1870.

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

A Kansas man, writing from Iowa to the Wilson County Citizen, says: “The fact is there is more dissatisfaction among the people here than among us.”

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

The chinch bugs passed over Parsons on their way to Texas on Tuesday of last week. The grasshoppers are marching in the same direction.

The Commonwealth, April 28, 1875.

The high-toned thieves of Lawrence steal flower. Somebody ought to start a “flower mission” there, the missionary to be armed with a big dog and a shot gun.

BY TELEGRAPH.

FROM WICHITA.

Thirty-Two Cheyenne Indians En Route to Military Prison.

Osages Preparing to Go on a Buffalo Hunt.

The Commonwealth, April 30, 1875.

WICHITA, April 29^th, 1875.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

We have just received a letter from the Cheyenne Agency, dated the 24^th inst., stating that thirty-two Cheyenne Indians had left there in chains, via Fort Sill. The balance of the hostile Cheyennes now at the Agency moved the same day. They were turned over to the Indian Agent by the military.

We also had reliable information that a small band of Osages were out with a party of hostile Cheyennes above the Salt Plains on the Cimarron. The Osages are preparing to go on a buffalo hunt. BEACON.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, April 30, 1875.

INDIANS EN ROUTE TO LEAVENWORTH.

Leavenworth, Kan., April 29. The Leavenworth Times of Friday morning will contain the following Indian news, obtained from military headquarters at Ft. Leavenworth: One hundred and twenty-five Indians, consisting of thirty-two Cheyennes, two Arapahos, and ninety-one Kiowas and Comanches, will arrive here, as prisoners, on Saturday, from the Indian Territory. They are in the charge of Company D, 11^th Infantry, commanded by Major Sanderson. Among them are the famous chief, Medicine Water, who commanded the band that murdered a portion of the German family and took the four girls prisoners; also the Arapaho chief, White Bear. They are to be encamped on the reservation between this city and Fort Leavenworth, known as the Blue Grass, and will be guarded by a company of soldiers.

VICE PRESIDENT WILSON.

Cincinnati, April 29. Vice President Henry Wilson arrived today, and after staying a few hours, departed for Louisville, whence he will go to St. Louis and Denver.

THE BLACK HILLS EXPEDITION.

St. Paul, April 29. General Custer is here. He does not expect to start upon the expedition ordered by General Sheridan for the exploration of the regions far beyond the Black Hills, before about the 1^st of June. A cavalry and infantry force is to start from Fort Lincoln at about that time. Before the expedition can move, reinforcements must arrive from the south.

STEAMBOAT NAVIGATION.

The Missouri, above Bismarck, is active. Steamboats are leaving Bismarck frequently, for the upper waters, on the Red river of the north; and immense freightage is going forward. Two lines of steamboats are in operation, instead of one, last year, and freight rates are greatly reduced, notwithstanding the large increase of traffic.

RETURNED MINERS.

Omaha, April 29. The party of miners who were brought from the Black Hills by the military passed through here today. They were generously furnished free transportation by the Chicago & Northwestern road to Missouri Valley, Iowa. They were penniless.

EMIGRANTS RETURNING.

Seven hundred returned California emigrants have arrived here within the last two days, and hundreds are en route east.

SMITH - GREELEY.

New York, April 29. Miss Ida Greeley, eldest daughter of the late Horace Greeley, will shortly be married, in this city, to Col. Nicholas Smith, of Kansas.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, May 1, 1875.

Major Bingham, agent at Cheyenne, reports having seen gold specimens, during the winter, in possession of Indians, who refuse to tell where they got them. He thinks the movement by miners for occupying the hills has complicated mattes, and will delay the treaty, and says the whites underestimate the number and fighting qualities of the Sioux.

The Commonwealth, May 1, 1875.

The Leavenworth Times has a rather fishy story about the escape of Bender. It publishes a dispatch from Tucson, Arizona, to the Arizona Citizen, as follows: “John Bender, senior, escaped from his prison Sunday night.” This we take it, was April 5^th. The requisition for him left Topeka February 27^th. The whole thing is a muddle, which we hope to see cleared up soon.

The Commonwealth, May 1, 1875.

The Missouri River is higher than it has been known at this season of the year for a great length of time. Great destruction of property is going on. The Leavenworth Times says that some fine farms have been reduced in size between that city and Weston, while near Conner Station and Pomeroy on the Missouri Pacific, whole farms have been engulfed, one farmer losing 210 acres from a tract of 280.

The Commonwealth, May 1, 1875.

Judge Brown informs the Hutchinson News that he has the appointment of a Cadet at West Point, from the third Congressional District, and that in accordance with a suggestion from the War Department, the said appointment will be made by means of a competitive examination, which will be held probably at Emporia about the last of May. The Cadet appointed must report at West Point on June 9^th, 1875.

WASHINGTON.

The Cause of Destitution Among the Indians Explained.

The Commonwealth, May 5, 1875.

THE INDIAN HUNGER BUSINESS.

Washington, May 4. The Indian bureau has information today from Special Commissioner Shanks [?], and also from unofficial sources, that the supplies so greatly needed for the Indians near Fort Sill, and at Wichita Agency, have all gone forward from Caddo station. Within the past few days the insufficiency of provisions, and consequent suffering among the Indians there, have been caused by the failure of the contractor to convey supplies from Caddo to the reservations. He claims that their transportation, heretofore, has been rendered impossible by the extraordinary state of the roads and by bad weather.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, May 7, 1875.

RETURNING.

The Republican’s special from Kansas City says that Gen. Neil, commander of the troops at the Cheyenne Indian agency, passed through there today en route for Fort Riley, where he will preside over the court martial. He reports that a large number of Cheyennes, who revolted and escaped from the agency last month, had returned, and are now receiving Government supplies and accommodations as though they never had fired a shot or provoked a fight, in which two soldiers were killed. He also reports that fifty-seven of the Indians that were tried at Fort Sill had been convicted and sentenced to the Dry Tortugas.

WHERE BENDER WENT.

The Commonwealth, May 7, 1875.

FLORENCE, ARIZONA, April 20, 1875.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

If so disposed, please insert these few lines in the COMMONWEALTH for the benefit of its readers in reference to the capture and escape of John Bender, Sr., the Kansas murderer.

Two weeks previous to his capture here, he made his escape from certain officials, who had him in custody near Silver City, New Mexico.

He was captured near Florence, Arizona, in the latter portion of February last, shackled and guarded in an adobe building, by his keeper, John Harris. His contradictory reports and his recent escape from the New Mexican lines, together with the description of Bender as given by the Fort Scott Monitor, were sufficient evidence to satisfy his keeper and the community that he was the long sought for John Bender, Sr.

The writer, having some knowledge of the German language, at once set about to interview the said Bender, and gained certain facts from him—“which were given in detail and published in the San Diego Union on the 16^th ult.”—and considered by the community as conclusive evidence that he was no other than the notorious old man Bender.

Mr. Harris, the appointed agent in requisition, a sober and industrious man, although in poor pecuniary circumstances, at once repaired to collect the required funds for transportation, on the first day after the receipt of the requisition, for himself and prisoner to Kansas. During the following night Bender mysteriously disappeared, leaving his shackles. Interested parties at daybreak started out in different directions. One man traced him into Sonora, but lost all traces of Bender when near the Chihuahua Mountains of Mexico. G.

FROM COUNCIL GROVE.

The Commonwealth, May 11, 1875.

COUNCIL GROVE, May 8, 1875.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

This city still bears the impress of the olden time, that is, old for Kansas, and on the hill to the west, the wooden tower surmounted by the bell placed there to warn the people of an Indian invasion, still remains; but the Indians have gone, not one of the Kaw tribe, whose reservation surrounded this place, and extends up and down the beautiful valley of the Neosho, remains. The council fires are extinguished, and in place of the smoke of the signal fires, that once called the braves to war, the smoke from manufactories and farm houses and homesteads rises to tell of the disappearance of one race and the habitations of another.

The citizens of Council Grove, like those of all other cities in this State, are dependent for their prosperity on the agricultural interests; and consequently they, like the rest of the State, are just now looking forward with hope to the coming season. They have good reason for indulging in the highest expectations, for everywhere the prospects for a most bountiful crop of wheat are far beyond anything ever before; not only has a larger area been sown, but the crop looks well in every respect, and it is no extravagant hope that leads the people to expect thirty-five or more bushels to the acre. The farmers are all busy in putting in large breadths of corn; and in marked contrast to previous years, they are laboring this spring and appear determined that if good honest work can produce crops, they will have them this year.

Within the last year an enterprise has been developed here that promises a rich return to those who are interested in it; this is the manufacture of salt. A well has been dug 560 feet deep, and an apparently inexhaustible vein of salt water struck, from which is made a quality of salt equal to any seen in the market. This water yields twenty per cent of salt, and a company with ample capital has been organized who propose to work it to its utmost capacity, and in the course of a few weeks, they will be manufacturing over fifty barrels per day. This will prove of immense benefit to the city and to the whole State. The company as at present formed consists of the Carbon Coal Company of Topeka, Mrs. McCollum and Strible & Stein, and the officers are W. Ewing, of Topeka, President; Mr. McCollum, of this place, treasurer; Mr. Stein, also of this place, Secretary. This company have also found a vein of excellent gypsum, nine feet thick, which they propose to work. This gypsum has been tested, and it makes a very superior quality of plaster. Of course, the people here are naturally elated over their prospects, and John Maloy, the Mayor, already begins to look forward to the time when he can drive his blooded bays with gold mounted harness, as becomes the chief officer of a metropolitan city.

Council Grove is well supplied with newspapers, two most excellent ones being published here, the Republican, by P. Moriarty, and the Democrat, by J. Maloy; there is also a good list of subscribers to the daily COMMONWEALTH. A good hotel has long been needed here, and that want is now supplied by Messrs. Finnoy & Columbia, who are running the Commercial House, as neat and cosy a hotel as there is in the State. S.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, May 11, 1875.

The praise meeting at Rev. Mr. Blakesley’s church, last Sunday evening, was enjoyed by a large assembly. We have often said, and believe, that Topeka has more musical talent than any city in the West. In proof of this we cite the high order of music rendered at this “service of song;” and only two rehearsals were held before the music was sung at the praise meeting. One selection was from Mozart’s twelfth mass, which is seldom heard outside of the large cities. One strong feature was the Orchestra accompaniment.

The Commonwealth, May 11, 1875.

The Indian captives arrived at Fort Leavenworth on Saturday last. There were seventy-three braves and one squaw in the party. The braves are Cheyennes, Comanches, and Kiowas. They were captured in the fight at Staked Plains and the Sand Hills. It is believed they will be court martialed in Leavenworth, and that those who are spared the rope will be sent to St. Augustine, Florida. They are now incarcerated in the military guard house at Leavenworth. They were conveyed to Leavenworth by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas and Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Railroads, taking the cars of the former road at Caddo.

The Commonwealth, May 11, 1875.

H. D. McMeekin, Esq., the oldest and one of the most popular landlords of them all, was busily engaged yesterday in transferring his hotel effects from the McMeekin House, in the Adams’ building, North Topeka, to the Tefft House. At the same time Col. Adams was moving his household goods into the McMeekin House, which he proposes conducting as a public house of entertainment. It will be a novel sight to see Dan Adams dealing out meat and good cheer to the hungry multitude. And it certainly will seem natural and appropriate to see the venerable and paternal Mac pulling his beard again behind the counting room counter of the Tefft. Both parties have the best wishes of the COMMONWEALTH.

[Note: There was a lot of confusion about the name of the Caddo Chief. He was named for a river in Mexico. Generally his name was given as “Wah-loo-pe.” The next article refers to him as “Warloupe” and“Wauloupe.” During this time span the plural was spelled “Caddoes.” MAW]

WARLOUPE’S OPINION.

The Commonwealth, May 18, 1875.

It is a generally accepted opinion that the “Peace Policy” is acceptable to the Indians; and it is opposed, as a rule because it is believed to be a dangerous policy for the whites. It appears, however, that it is not always “good medicine” for the Indians, as witness the following statement made by Warloupe, Chief of the Caddoes, to the General Council at Okmulgee.

OKMULGEE, INDIAN TERRITORY, May 10, 1875.

To the General Council of the Indian Territory:

FRIENDS AND BROTHERS: The Caddoes, on the False Washita, in this Territory, would, with a little encouragement from the United States agent, get along finely. They are trying to do something for themselves, and if the proper means were used, with the present appropriations made by the Congress of the United States our people in a few years would be self-sustaining and need no help from the people of the United States. Our people have started a good many houses, had a considerable quantity of rails made, land broken up and all fenced and under cultivation. They have about (68) sixty-eight houses up, and have made improvements upon their farms. They have employed Seminoles and paid them for their labor on their farms with horses. They apply to their agent for lumber to aid them in building but they cannot get it, except cottonwood and slabs. These can be used only for hog pens and fire wood. There is no reason for a scarcity of lumber. Our people want but little; we have good timber, but it is sawed for the benefit and use of the agent and his employees; they have plenty of walnut, cedar and oak, but the Indians get but little of it for building purposes; it is used by mechanics employed by the United States to work for the Indians, in making furniture for the agent and employees and we do not know what becomes of it. The Indians have a blacksmith paid by the United States. If an Indian takes his plow to have it sharpened he has to wait from two days to two weeks before he gets it; if he wants his wagon repaired he has to leave it for a month or two, and one wagon has been there near two years before it could be repaired. If he goes for his wagon or plow the reply is, “It is not done;” that is the way they do at our agency. Should the agent want any work done he does not have to wait for months, as do our people, but it is finished immediately. Our people have about 500 hogs left, having lost about 2,000 head last August during the fight between the wild bands and the United States troops at the Wichita agency. They also lost some horses, a good many cattle, their fences were destroyed, and some houses were burned in that fight. They had good corn, the drought damaging it but little. The Indians engaged in the fight destroyed it because we would not assist them in their fight against the United States. This caused considerable suffering from hunger. Our people had nothing to eat but some poor beef, no flour, coffee or bacon. The beef was so poor that the animal could scarcely stand upon its feet, and the meat was not fit to eat. One year old steers were issued at about three times their real weight; consequently, our people eat up in two days what was issued for seven, nor were our people permitted to go to the buffalo. We are not like the Creeks, Cherokees, and our other brothers in the eastern portion of this Territory; have not the same protection and are more exposed to thieves and the lawless. As soon as we get a start in property, the wild Indians steal our corn and other produce, and kill our cattle and hogs. While we lived upon the Brazos reserve, our people had a good many horses, hogs and cattle, and were living like the Creeks. We had houses and farms, raised wheat, oats and corn, and several kinds of vegetable. We had a good agent, a Mr. Ross, who was faithful and honest, and gave us all the plows, wagons, work oxen, harness and axes our people needed. If we had that agent now, we would improve much faster than we do. When we had a good start there and were doing well, a Col. Baylor and some of the citizens of Palo Pinto and Erath counties, who wanted our reserve, came upon us and made war upon us, causing us to lose the greatest portion of the property we had. Our people then moved to Fort Cobb, where they took another good start, had farms, had plenty of horses, cattle and hogs, but the United States war broke out between the North and the South. Some of our people went south, and some of us went north to the Arkansas near Ft. Doge, where we stayed four years, losing many of our number by small pox. After returning to the False Washita again, we settled fifteen miles below old Fort Cobb. Our people commenced a large farm, and again made a new beginning. Previously to this, when the Shawnees and Delawares, during the war, fought the Tonkaways, our people lost a considerable amount of property.

They moved to their present location and commenced again, and for five years succeeded very well. Then Gen. Davidson and three companies of soldiers came upon the wild Indians at the Wichita agency, while our people were among them drawing our rations, without giving us notice to get out from among them as we would have done. In that fight we again lost our property, but we will not give it up. This spring our people started their farms again, and if a favorable season, we intend to raise good crops. The young men are plowing. Our people are purchasing a better class of hogs—Berkshire and Chester White. They prefer the Berkshire to all others. They are trying to improve their cattle also, by purchasing a finer stock, and hope soon to present some at the fair at Muskogee. Our rations have been delayed—always “coming,” but never reaching us.

We have but one trader. It is very hard for us to procure sufficient food, and there being no competition, the prices are very high. We want more traders.

Our people need wheat and oats for seed. Our country is drouthy. Small grain requires less labor to raise it, and matures before the drouth sets in. Our present farming consists in corn, beans, peas, melons, and a few vegetables.

We have a good school at the agency, of about one hundred pupils, including those from all the bands. The greater portion of these pupils can read and write. There is yet about sixty more, but the buildings are not sufficiently large to accommodate them. An addition is now in course of construction. When it is completed, all our children will be sent.

Gen. Hazen, U. S. Army, while ex-officio Superintendent of Indian Affairs had broke for our people a considerable quantity of land. They were doing well. He was a good man and aided us all he could. Our present agent has had some more broke for us, but not so much.

The policy of the President of the United States we think the true one for the Indians, that of peace, if honestly and faithfully carried out by honest and faithful servants; but we must say he has been unfortunate in his selections for our people and the wild Indians.

The advice our brethren has given us will not be forgotten. Another thing I would like to say to my brothers here. We do not know how long we may be together here. It was but last year that the white chief, Micco Hatkee, told us he would meet us here at this Council. But he has passed outside of his own country? Our agents and their clerks say not. Our own international law gives them free trade everywhere, and wherever they are they are subject to and under the protection of the laws and customs of the tribes among whom they are. This should be understood.

While General Hazen was Superintendent he had broken up with plows for our people about 240 acres of land, our present agent about 125, 365 acres in all. The United States sent our people wagons, but they have been kept out of the use of them by the agent’s clerk, a Capt. Connell, who has had them for his own use sending beef hides into Kansas.

WAULOUPE, Chief of Caddoes.

WASHINGTON.

The Delegation of Sioux Chiefs Call on the President.

They Express Themselves as Pleased to Talk With Their Great Father.

The Commonwealth, May 20, 1875.

THE SIOUX CALL ON THE PRESIDENT.

Washington, May 19. The Sioux Indians are now here to negotiate with the Government for the sale of the Black Hills, in their reservation, and called on the President today, accompanied by Assistant Secretary Cowan and Commissioner Smith. The President received them in his office, and after shaking hands with each one, said he could not talk with them to day on the subject of their visit, but desired them to talk freely with the Secretary of the Interior and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and that if any disagreement arose, he would endeavor to right them. He desired them to accept the statements of these officers, regardless of any statement made to them by others.

Lone Horn said he was glad to see the great father. He then said he did own some of this great country, but white people wanted to take it away from him. My great-grandfather, my father, and myself were chiefs. I am a chief. I never claimed I owned all the country before today, but now I claim it. I own it alone. These men you see, alluding to the Indians around him, are soldiers and will fight. At this juncture the President interrupted the chief by stating that he did not wish to have discussed the object of their visit today.

Spotted Tail said he was glad to see the Great Father and wanted to have a great talk with him soon.

Red Cloud said if the President did not appoint a day to see himself and the other chiefs, he would be very sorry. The Indians then withdrew.

As Secretary Delano is absent from the city and is not expected to return till Friday or Saturday, the grand council will not probably take place before Monday next.

MISCELLANEOUS.

More Colored People Coming to Kansas.

Distillery Men Held in Heavy Bail for Defrauding Government.

The Commonwealth, May 20, 1875.

BENEVOLENT SOCIETIES CONVENTION.

Cincinnati, May 19. In the Catholic Benevolent Societies Convention this morning, the new constitution was adopted and the societies were instructed to acknowledge, in their next credentials, the authority of the constitution as a fundamental law. Resolutions were passed denouncing Bismarck and his war against the church in Prussia, and expressing sympathy for the Pope.

O’LEARY, THE PEDESTRIAN.

Chicago, May 19. The pedestrian, O’Leary, at noon today, had made 252 miles in sixty-seven hours and a half, being then nearly thirty hours ahead of time.

HELD TO BAIL.

The distillery men, who were brought before United States Commissioner Hayne, this morning, on the charge of defrauding the Government, were held over in bonds of $5,000 each, to await the action of the grand jury.

LIFE ASSOCIATION.

St. Louis, May 19. Early in April last certain persons, representing themselves as policy holders of the Life Association of America presented affidavits to the State Superintendent of Insurance reflecting on the integrity of the officers of the association, charging that the association was unsound, and asking that its condition be examined and a receiver appointed. This was refused, and the Circuit Court was then petitioned for a mandamus to compel the State Superintendent to make an examination, and this also was refused. The association then requested the State Superintendent to make an examination under the law, which he did, and today certified that the association, on a six per cent valuation as required by the State law, has a surplus of $906,994.

COLORED PEOPLE PREPARING TO MOVE.

Nashville, Tenn., May 19. The colored people assembled in convention in this city today, for the purpose of considering and adopting measures for emigration to some other state. The convention is composed of citizens of this and Davidson counties, and a few from Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Macon, and Sumner counties. After the introduction of voluminous resolutions, and their reference to committees, the convention adjourned until tomorrow. During the sitting of the convention, placards, maps, and posters of western railroads were freely distributed.

Many colored people of the State have been informed that they could get free transportation to Kansas and forty acres of land and a year’s rations on their arrival at their destination.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, May 20, 1875.

Corporal Allen and private Hennessey of Company K, Fifth United States Infantry, who were stabbed this morning, near this city, by the Cheyenne chief, Wichita, together with the assassin, were conveyed to Ash Barracks and placed in the hospital. Private Hennessey was able to proceed on his journey this afternoon. Corporal Allen’s wounds are not considered dangerous. The Indian is much improved and it is believed he will recover. He is anxious for someone to shoot him or cut his throat.

The Commonwealth, May 20, 1875.

FIRE AT WACO.

New Orleans, May 19. A Galveston dispatch says a fire at Waco burned out Burgheim & Reissner, the Sawyer House, Rageland & Friedlander, Downs building, Examiner office, and other buildings. Losses are estimated at $125,000, insurance $50,000.

BROKEN DAMS.

Menden, Ont., May 19. The Government dams at Eagle’s and Hall’s lakes, on the upper Gall River, have broken away, flooding the village of Menden. The water is now over two feet above the floors of the houses and is still rising. The damage will be very great.

EXPLOSION OF A POWDER MILL.

Hartford, Conn., May 19. By the explosion of the Hazardsville Power Works, in Hazardsville, this morning, Moses Babcock, John Lewis, and George Richardson were instantly killed. All leave large families.

ASSAULTED AND ROBBED.

St. Paul, Minn., May 19. Late last evening, an old man named George Lockwood, from Dallas, Ill, was assaulted by two highwaymen, in a lonely spot on the outskirts of West St. Paul, who knocked him down and robbed him of $430, the proceeds of a lot of apples brought here for sale. The robbers are not identified.

FOREIGN.

The Commonwealth, May 20, 1875.

THE WRECKED SCHILLER.

London, May 19. The sides of the wrecked Schiller have fallen in, covering the specie, the best part of the cargo, and probably a number of bodies. Blasting operations will be commenced as soon as practicable.

SERIOUS CONFLAGRATION.

A dispatch from Lancaster, Cornwall, says a terrible conflagration is raging in that town.

WHO DID THE STEALING?

The Commonwealth, May 23, 1875.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

Two or three weeks since a number of horses were stolen from different parties in the Indian Territory, south of Sumner County, by Indians. In one or two instances the Indians were seen, and were supposed to be Osages—it could have been no others, it was thought, in the locality in which the stealing occurred. But now it transpires that the thieves were Cheyennes.

The five horses stolen from the stable at Skeleton Ranche were tracked by Mr. Gilchrist and John Maher to within a short distance of a Cheyenne Indian camp. While following the trail, at a point about twenty-five miles west of the above-named ranche, suddenly twenty-seven Indians arose as it were from the ground and dashed up to the two trailers. Maher, who is a thorough frontiersman, at once recognized the Indians to be Cheyennes, whereupon the pulses of the white men increased to 130 per minute, and certain cold chills ran through them. However, the scalp hunters seemed to be in a friendly mood on this occasion, and after the customary “How-ing,” invited their white brothers to camp. The Indian camp was not far off, and presented the usual appearance. Mr. Gilchrist noticed a large number of very fine American horses, most of them with halters still on them. With the pulse galloping at the rate of 130 a minute, one cannot take very correct observations; however, Mr. Gilchrist says he did not recognize his horses in the herd. Our two adventurers remained in the Indian camp all night, and were allowed to depart in the morning unmolested. Still, before leaving a little swapping was done. John Maher exchanged a fine, large sorrel pony for an old played-out mule. Of course, it is not to be inferred that Mr. Maher proposed this exchange without boot or that he consented to it. But under the circumstances the value of said mule was increased ten fold, and he was rejoiced at the opportunity of taking leave mounted upon anything. In the same way, Mr. Gilchrist exchanged a fine bridle for a piece of raw hide. With a sickly smile he suggested that this little transaction verified the old saying: “A fair exchange is no robbery.”

Without unnecessary delay the two traitors returned to Skeleton and at once sent an account of their adventure to Cheyenne Agency. Two or three days afterwards two companies of the 4^th Cavalry came up the trail as far as Buffalo Springs and were piloted by Mr. Gilchrist to the Cheyenne camp. Of course the Cheyennes were gone, but the trail was found and followed.

This party of Cheyennes is probably a portion of those who took part in the fight at the Agency on the 6^th of April. The mule which was given to Maher turns out to be the property of Romeo, the scout, and disappeared from the agency the day after the fight. The party is also thought to be a portion of those followed by Capt. Rafferty. Undoubtedly they have been in the neighborhood of the trail, watching it to note the movement of troops, and laughing in their sleeves (shirt sleeves). Everyone expresses wonder at the inconceivable escape of Gilchrist and Maher. The pulse of the former is still beating rapidly.

KANSAS CHURCHES.

The Commonwealth, May 23, 1875.

The Presbyterian Church of Fort Scott is out of debt.

The Commonwealth, May 23, 1875.

The Coffey County Sunday School Convention was held at Burlington, on the 18^th.

The Commonwealth, May 23, 1875.

Prof. H. B. Norton, of Emporia, preached a farewell sermon to a crowded house, on Sunday, the 16^th inst.

The Commonwealth, May 23, 1875.

Gov. Robinson occupied the pulpit of the Free Congregational Church at Lawrence, on Sunday, the 16^th inst.

The Commonwealth, May 23, 1875.

Work on the Presbyterian parsonage at Hays City is going forward. The stone for the building is being delivered.

The Commonwealth, May 23, 1875.

E. W. Hoch, editor of the Marion County Record, was licensed as an exhorter by the M. E. Conference at Hutchinson, last week.

INDIANS AT WASHINGTON.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

The Eastern papers are making the usual amount of fuss over the visit of Red Cloud, Spotted Tail, and other Indian chiefs to Washington, and some of the more tender-hearted journals are mourning because the President informed some of the Indians that Secretary Delano and Commissioner Smith were the gentlemen with whom they were to transact their business.

It seems to us that these pilgrimages of greasy, ignorant savages to Washington are unnecessary and even harmful. If the stories we have heard of the course taken by interpreters and others having charge of the Indians when traveling are true, the Indian’s moral character is anything but improved by the society he is introduced to in Washington. The Indian “talks” in Washington amount to nothing. He is simply an expense while he remains at the capital, and he goes back to his country or his reservation the same stupid, stolid brute he was when he left it. The Indian has a genius for robbery, torture, and murder, but none for diplomacy.

Messrs. Red Cloud and Spotted Tail might as well have remained at home. If any considerable number of white men wish to go to the Black Hills, they will go there, treaty or no treaty. The rule has always worked that way, and it always will. The Indian is determined to die, and visits to Washington will not long postpone the result. Suffer him to run at large and he will rob and murder, and will in return be hunted down and killed. Shut him up on a reservation and he will die from the effects of his vices. He is a thoroughly bad subject.

It is no favor to the Indian to endeavor to protect him; to hold out promises to him. He cannot be saved, for he insists upon his own destruction. There is no future for him, and it is a lie to tell him there is. Treaties are things of a day; made to be annulled. Let the Indian alone. Let him go to the happy hunting grounds without any more idle talk, or useless visits to the Capital of the nation.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

The Indianapolis Journal pertinently asks whether there is no way to forgive rebels except by electing them to office.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

The Philadelphia Bulletin thinks Secretary Bristow is entitled to the credit of being the champion of “Seizure-ism” about these days.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

Gilmore has secured Levy, the great cornet player, for his band, which is to play this summer at the Fourth Avenue concert gardens, New York.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

Gen. Frank P. Blair has been so much benefitted by the transfusion of healthy blood into his veins that he was able to ride out twice last week.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

Mr. Volney V. Smith, formerly Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas, under Gov. Baxter, says the Republican party of Arkansas will never make another canvass.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

Mrs. Lincoln, though insane, will continue to draw the pension of $150 per month from the Government. Sympathy and regret on account of her sorrowful condition are being expressed in all parts of the Union.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

At the celebration at Charlotte, N. C., on the 20^th inst., one of the exercises was raising the American flag on a pole 115 feet high, which was crowned with the largest hornet’s nest which could be found in the State.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

The funeral of Gen. John C. Breckenridge, which took place from the First Presbyterian Church of Lexington, Kentucky, on the 19^th instant, is said to have been the largest ever seen at Lexington since that of Henry Clay.

The Commonwealth, Tuesday Morning, May 25, 1875.

The Herald, the New York organ of the Pope, says that there is an impression that Archbishop Bayley, of Baltimore, will receive a red hat. Archbishop Bayley, like Cardinal McClosky, is an American by birth.

WASHINGTON.

The Sioux Chiefs and the President Have a “Big Talk.”

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, May 27, 1875.

Washington, May 26. The Sioux Indian delegation called on the President today, accompanied by Gen. Cowan, acting Secretary of the Interior, and Smith, Commander of Indian Affairs. They were received by the President in his private office. As each Indian entered he advanced to the President, and being presented by the interpreter, shook hands with him. The Indians then arranged themselves in a semi-circle around the table, Spotted Tail and Red Cloud having prominent positions. A large number of ladies and gentlemen were present, including Gov. Pennington of Dakota, Gov. Thayer of Wyoming, and ex-Gov. McCormick of Arizona. The President, through Wm. Fielder, an interpreter, then addressed the Indians as follows.

“I want to say to the Indians today something about the object of bringing them here and a few words for them to think about, but nothing for them to reply to for the present. I have always been a friend to the Indians, and am very anxious to do what I think best for their good. The country where they now live, as they must be well aware, is entirely incapable of supporting them should the Government cease to give them aid. By the treaty of 1868, clothing was granted to them for thirty years and provisions for only five years. The food and provisions, therefore, which have been given to them for the last two years has been gratuitously on the part of Congress. These may be taken from them at any time without any violation of the treaty. My intention is to make some arrangement with them by which they and their children will be secure for the future.”

Several of the Indians expressed their approval of these sentiments by exclaiming “ugh ugh.”

The President resumed: “As I said in the beginning, it must be evident to them if the supplies of food should be withheld by the Government, it would be impossible for the Indians to live where they are. Another thing I would call their attention to—is this: They must see the white people outnumber the Indians two hundred to one, taking all Indians within the Territories owned by the United States; the number of whites is increasing so very rapidly that before many years it will be impossible to fix any point within the limits of our territory where you can prevent them going. It will become necessary that white people shall go from one place to another, whether occupied by Indians or not, the same as they go from one State to another. For this reason it is very desirable that while they have friends here to look after their interests, they should be situated where they would be able to get support beyond any contingency. I do not propose to ask them about their consent to leave their homes where they were born and raised, but I want to point out the advantages to them and their children, and if they will accept such arrangements as may be proposed to them, the territory south of where they now live, where the climate is better, where the grass is much better, and where game is more abundant, such as buffalo, where there is good pasturage for animals, and where teachers can be sent among the Indians to instruct them in the arts of civilization, and the means of self-preservation and support. This year we have had great difficulty in keeping white people from going to the Black Hills in search of gold, but we have so far prevented them from going. Every year this same difficulty will be encountered, unless the right of white people to go to that country is granted by the Indians, and may in the end lead to hostilities between the whites and Indians without special fault on either side. If such trouble should occur and become general, it would necessarily lead to the withholding, for the time being at least, of the supplies which the Government has been sending to them. All this trouble I want to avoid. I want to see them well provided for in such a way that arrangements will have to be accepted by my successor and other administrations in the future. I want the Indians to think of what I have said. I do not want them to answer today; I want them to talk among themselves and be prepared to hear from the Secretary of the Interior and Commissioner of Indian Affairs, who are authorized to speak for me, and will be governed by my advice. This is all I want to say to them.”

Spotted Tail then advanced toward the President, and looking toward the representatives of the press, who were taking notes, made a short explanation in relation to the published statement, to the effect that the Indians had stigmatized the Secretary of the Interior and Commissioner of Indian Affairs as liars. He said such charges were not made by him, and whoever put this in the papers, made them up themselves. He did not call his strongest friends liars. The Indians then withdrew, evidently disappointed in not having had an opportunity to reply to the President. They were in full costume, with a plentiful supply of paint and feathers.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, May 27, 1875.

When one of these three-story and basement female bonnets gets out West, the fellow who sits behind it at the theater feels justified in getting his money’s worth of the performance by standing up in his seat or roosting on the back.

P. O. BUILDING BURNED.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, May 27, 1875.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, May 26. At 12:30 today a fire broke out in the block adjacent to the new postoffice, which was entirely destroyed. Four stores were consumed, involving a lost of $20,000. Loss on postoffice building, $5,000 to $6,000. One fireman was badly injured by jumping from a ladder, several others by falling walls. There was no insurance.

MURDERED.—RAVISHED.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, May 27, 1875.

St. Louis, May 26. Phillip Farr, a German, living on what is known as Skinner’s road, several miles from this city, was murdered about 9:30 last night by a negro, name unknown, and his wife, who was about to become a mother, ravished. It appears that a negro man about twenty-five years old, called at Farr’s house about 5 o’clock last night and asked for work. Mrs. Farr told him they wanted no help. He called again about 7 o’clock, after Mr. Farr had returned from his labor in the field, and was again told that no help was wanted. About half-past nine at night Farr and his family were aroused by a noise in the yard and by the barking of the dog. Mr. Farr went out to see what was the matter and was met by the negro who visited the house in the evening, who struck him a violent blow on the head, apparently with some blunt instrument, and his skull fractured. Mrs. Farr, who followed her husband to the door, was then savagely seized by the negro and forced to give up what money there was in the house, and afterwards brutally ravished. After the negro had fled, Mrs. Farr dragged her insensible husband to the house and aroused the neighbors, and everything possible was done for him, but he remained unconscious till noon today when he died. Intense excitement prevails in the neighborhood and twenty mounted police have been scouring the woods and fields all day, but at last accounts had found no trace of the fiendish murderer.

FIRE IN HARTFORD.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, May 27, 1875.

Hartford, May 26. The cotton mill of D. B. Smith, on the corner of Pine and Meadow streets, was burned this morning. Loss $100,000, insured for $40,000. Two hundred hands are thrown out of employment.

DEFAULTER ARRESTED.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, May 27, 1875.

Whitehall, N. Y., May 26. Detective Wood, from Boston, arrested Abram Jackson, a defaulter, at the Au Sable House, in Keesville, N. Y., this evening, and will proceed to Houston with him at once.

FATAL ACCIDENT.

The Commonwealth, Thursday Morning, May 27, 1875.

Columbus, May 26. By the falling of a scaffold at the Central Ohio Hospital for the Insane here today, George Bowers, Jerry Ryan, Albert Gotleib, and William Harmon were killed, and Fred Kuntz and Ben Smith fatally injured. They fell a distance of eighty-five feet. One man on the scaffold made a descending jump of thirty feet, alighting on a wall, and escaped uninjured. During the excitement which prevailed, the tinners on one of the towers quit their work and left a soldering pot behind, from which fire was communicated to the roof and set fire to the tower, damaging it to the amount of $5,000.

WASHINGTON.

Secretary Delano Holds a Council With the Sioux.

Spotted Tail Replies, Without Indicating What Course They Would Pursue.

The Papal Envoys Call on the President and Members of the Cabinet.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, May 28, 1875.

INDIAN POW-WOW.

Washington, May 21. Secretary Delano reached Washington this morning and held a counsel with the Sioux Indians. Having stated the object in bringing them to Washington, Spotted Tail replied, but did not indicate what course the delegation would pursue.

APPOINTED.

Ansel McAlbert and M. K. McFadden have been appointed internal revenue storekeepers for the First Missouri district.

THE PAPAL ENVOYS

who came to this country with the beretta for Cardinal McClosky, called on the President and the various members of the cabinet today, by all of whom they were cordially received and with all of whom they had a long and interesting social interview.

WASHINGTON.

The Indians Witness the Decoration Ceremonies at Arlington.

The Commonwealth, Friday Morning, May 28, 1875.

CONSUL TO CANTON.

Washington, May 29. The President has appointed Charles P. Levy, of Massachusetts, consul to Canton, China.

“HOW!” “HOW!” “HOW!”

Washington, May 29. About one-half of the Indians were taken to Arlington Cemetery today, to witness the decoration ceremonies. The remainder lounged about their rooms, half naked, sleeping and playing cards.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, May 30, 1875.

The vestibule and steeple to the new Presbyterian church in Newton is to be eighty feet high when completed.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, May 30, 1875.

Eighty-five communicants, fifty girls and thirty-five boys, were confirmed at the Leavenworth Cathedral Sunday evening last.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, May 30, 1875.

The Second Adventists have pitched their tents and commenced a series of meetings in the neighborhood of Geneva.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, May 30, 1875.

Rev. Mr. Creath, of Neosho Falls, will supply the pulpit of the Presbyterian Church, at Iowa, until a regular pastor can be secured.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, May 30, 1875.

Father Ponziglione, of Osage Mission, is going to Oxford, to minister to the people of his faith there, while the resident priest goes East to solicit aid for their needy.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, May 30, 1875.

Rev. Mr. Peyton, of Princeton, N. J., and formerly of Atchison, has arrived in Beloit. He will remain about three months, filling the pastorate of the Presbyterian church of Beloit.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, May 30, 1875.

The Arkansas City Traveler says: “It was odd to learn of the Methodist Episcopal church occupying the saloon building for religious worship, but still odder to gaze on the Government license tacked upon the wall, authorizing the retailing of spirituous liquors during the hours of service.”

THE INDIAN QUESTION.

The Commonwealth, June 1, 1875.

Washington, May 31. The Indians have been holding councils among themselves today, and although they are not fully agreed on their policy, they have decided to meet the Secretary of the Interior tomorrow and reply to his propositions. Prof. Marsh called on the President this morning and had a long conversation with him on Indian affairs. The Professor showed the President some statements from army officers, confirming former reports of the bad character of the supplies furnished the Indians at the Sioux agencies. The President expressed an interest in the welfare of the Indians, and a firm disposition to correct any abuses in their management. He seemed to think that the best way to secure honest delivery of supplies to the Indians was to have them sent through the commissary department of the army. He expressed a determination to keep all intruders out of the Black Hills till the Indian title is extinguished.

CRIMES.—CASUALTIES.

Sioux, Cheyennes and Arapaho Warriors on the War Path.

Damaging Storms in Kentucky and Indiana.

The Commonwealth, June 3, 1875.

ON THE WAR PATH.

Omaha, June 2. The following has been received from Camp Stambaugh, W. T., and is official: Two half breed Sioux and one white man arrived here today from Fetterman, report that a large body of Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors are now on their way up the Sweetwater, for the purpose of attacking the Shoshone Agency and doing damage to the settlers in that locality.

FREIGHT TRAIN WRECKED.

Indianapolis, June 2. A freight train on the Bellefontaine road ran into a culvert near Oakland this morning, wrecking seven or eight cars. The conductor, engineer, fireman, and one brakeman are reported drowned.

DAMAGE BY STORM.

Louisville, June 2. A terrific storm passed over this city about 7:30 tonight, doing great damage at various points. The middle portion of the large Masonic Widows’ and Orphans’ Home, just completed, but unoccupied, was leveled to the ground, leaving the north and south wings uninjured. No one hurt. Many houses were unroofed, and large trees blown down. It is reported that several buildings were demolished in the extreme southern portion of the city, including the new Catholic hospital.

PROTECTION AGAINST INDIAN “COLONISTS.”

The Commonwealth, June 4, 1875.

The following is an assurance that the Government will keep an eye on our friend Red, wherever he is located.

WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON CITY, May 27, 1875.

To the Governor of the State of Kansas, Topeka:

SIR: Acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 27^th ultimo, inclosing and commending the petition of citizens of Baxter Springs, requesting, in the event of the location of some three thousand Indians of the Comanche, Kiowa and Cheyenne tribes in that vicinity, that a sufficient military force be furnished for the protection of settlers, and that headquarters be located at Baxter Springs, I have the honor to inform you that upon reference of your letter to Gen. Pope, commanding Department of the Missouri, that officer reports as follows:

“I presume it to be the fact, as I was informed by the Hon. J. P. C. Shanks, Special Commissioner of the Interior Department, that it is the purpose of the Interior Department to move the number of Indians and of the tribes mentioned in this petition to some point in the region referred to. He did not know at what point the Indians were to be established, and went down to the Indian Territory to select a place for them.

“Whenever they are finally located it will be judicious to post a sufficient military force, perhaps four companies, to keep them in order for a time at least.

“When I am informed where these Indians are to be placed, which I will ascertain as soon as it is settled, I shall be able to state definitely what force is needed to keep the peace, and where it is best to station it.”

Very respectfully, your obedient servant, WM. W. BELKNAP, Secretary of War.

WASHINGTON.

Spotted Tale [Tail] Refuses to Sign the Treaty.

Notwithstanding All the Logic Delano Can Command.

The Commonwealth, June 5, 1875.

PHOTOGRAPHED.

Washington, June 4. The Indians were photographed today in groups. Red Cloud, however, declined, saying his picture could be had for $25.

SIOUX STILL PERSISTENT.

The Indians and Secretary Delano had a short conference. The Secretary said if they did not believe him, and do as he advised, he was afraid they would hereafter believe him to their sorrow. If they would take the $25,000 he would try and get $25,000 more for them next winter. If they did not, he would refuse to let them have the privilege of hunting on the Smoky Hill Fork any longer. He could not afford to have the peace of the country disturbed and the danger of murder being committed. A commissioner had been sent to the Black Hills to see if there was any gold there. Neither he nor the President knew whether there was any there or not. If there was, it would be impossible to keep the people out. The Indians cannot always restrain their young men, neither can we always restrain our people. If gold was found there, the government would pay them liberally for the lands. There were portions of the Big Horn country that the Indians did not use and the government would buy that at a fair price. He desired them to take all that had been said to them home to their people and obtain an answer and send word back to him as soon as possible.

Spotted Tail said the Great Spirit had told him never to steal anybody’s country without paying for it. If you had some sense of right, we could get along well enough.

The Secretary upheld that he had not accused him, or his people, of stealing, and did not want Spotted Tail to accuse the government of stealing from him. We don’t expect to steal their country, and we are not going to send an army up there to take it from them. They don’t give us credit for our desire to do them good.

Spotted Tail said he wanted to talk about his agency matters before he went home, and he would like to go home tomorrow after breakfast.

The Secretary here withdrew, telling the Indians that they might talk all night with the Commissioner about their agencies if they wanted to.

THEY ABANDON THE GREAT FATHER AND PROCEED

TOWARD THE SETTING SUN.

The Commonwealth, June 6, 1875.

LO’S CHARACTERISTIC MODESTY.

Washington, June 5. The Indians called at the Interior Department this morning, to say good-bye to the Commissioner, when a short interview took place. They expect to start for their homes tonight. The Cheyenne River Indians will stop for a few days in New York. The agents return with them, though it is understood the resignation of Agent Saville is at the disposal of the Department. As the Indians entered the Interior Department, the Commissioner said: “I understand that some of you want to speak. I would be glad to hear anything you have to say.” Red Cloud: “My friend, we are going home today and the young men you see here want to shake hands with you and bid you good bye. We call also to ask about something we have not heard about. I would like to ask about the pay for those who came with me, the interpreter and all.”

Indian Commissioner: “There is something to be said about those men who have come along that I would rather not be obliged to say to you. They have not come by the wish of anybody but themselves, so far as I know, and they have been sources of mischief and trouble ever since they came here. They got you to insist on going to the Washington House, and they got some of you to go there after I told you that it was not a proper place for you. They have led you into bad practices since you have been here, and now they have the impudence to come and ask me to pay them for that sort of service, and I leave it to you to judge whether I had better do it or not. That is all that is to be said on that subject. I have told your agent for you, in getting such presents as you want, to spend twenty-five dollars apiece; this is in addition to what you have already received in suits and clothes and other things that your agent has bought for you. I wish I could make it more, and do for you what you ask in that respect, to furnish each of you a horse with saddle and equipments, but that I am not able to do, because I have not money to make purchases.”

Little Wound. “You tell the truth when you say that you did not invite the interpreters to come along with the Indians. We have heard that before, but had we come with only three interpreters belonging to our delegation, these three interpreters would have disputed as to what we said; we invited these others there to come in order to be witnesses on our return as to what was done. As to myself, I am not influenced by these men. They wanted to come with us, and now say we have deceived them. They blame us for not getting paid. We came here at the invitation of the President, and we expressed a desire to go home with horses, equipments, and guns so that our people would receive us gladly. If we go home without anything of the kind, when we arrive there the people will laugh at us.”

The Cheyennes called on Commissioner Smith this afternoon, and complained considerably about the failure of the Government to do anything for them since their arrival here, saying that the Indians that did the best got treated the worst by the government.

Tall Man said if he learned to lie like Spotted Tail and Red Cloud, he would have fared better from the government.

Lone Horn pointed to Mrs. Kelly, saying, “That lady that sits over there our people once did a wrong to her that we can never pay her for. If you can pay her for us, I wish you would.”

Mrs. Kelly’s husband and little daughter were killed by the Sioux and herself taken capture a few years ago.

After handshaking the Indians left and will return home by way of New York.

The President presented Sitting Bull with a fine rifle, nicely mounted and enclosed in a case. On the brass mountings surrounding the lock is engraved: “Sitting Bull, from the President, for bravery and friendship.”

The Cheyenne Indians request the Commissioner to appoint Rev. S. D. Hinman and Rev. J. P. Newman commissioners to go out and aid in negotiating the Black Hills matter.

MISCELLANEOUS.

THE QUAHADA AND APACHES EXPECTED TO SURRENDER.

The Commonwealth, June 8, 1875.

QUAHADA AND APACHES.

Louisville, May 7. The Courier Journal’s letter from Fort Sill, Indian Territory, under date of May 21^st, says the Quahada tribe of wild Comanches are expected at Fort Sill today, to surrender, agreeing to turn over to the military authorities all their arms, horses, and mules. The horses number about 4,000 head and 200 mules. The band has been raiding Texas for the past five years.

The authorities have always failed to induce them to come on the reservation. They have been anxiously looked for, almost every year, by the Fourth United States Cavalry, on the Staked Plains, under command of General McKenzie, but seldom were they, or any portion of them, found. Texas will be rid of a troublesome enemy. But one small band of Apaches are now out, and it is rumored that they will follow the example of their Quahada friends, which would leave the Southern Staked Plains free from hostile Indians.

THE BLOODY RED SKINS MUM.

The Commonwealth, June 8, 1875.

New York, June 7. Spotted Tail, Red Cloud, and the other Indians connected with that party have been in the city today. They say little in regard to their future action, and express no opinion as to the course of the government in the business which took them to Washington. They leave tomorrow morning for Omaha.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Gen. Sheridan Says that White Men Must Not Invade the Black Hills Country.

The Commonwealth, June 10, 1875.

PROVISIONS OF A TREATY OF 1869.

Chicago, June 9. The following instructions were given today by Gen. Sheridan, on a request made to enter the Big Horn country, by a party of Cheyenne, on the 24^th of May: According to the provisions of a treaty of 1869, with the Sioux Indians, white men are prohibited from entering the country referred to in the enclosed telegram to the Secretary of War. Notification will, therefore, be given to all parties contemplating entering the country named, that they will be prevented from doing so by the military authorities, until orders, under which the latter are acting, are revoked.

WEBSTER’S LIBRARY SOLD.

The Commonwealth, June 10, 1875.

Boston, June 9. The sale of Daniel Webster’s private library began today. Although competition was not brisk, the books brought a fair price.

ITEMS FROM THE TERRITORY.

The Commonwealth, June 15, 1875.

It takes 150 head of beeves per week to feed the Cheyennes and Arapahos, that is to say, that number is issued to them. Double that number would not be too much.

At the Kiowa and Comanche, Wichita, and Cheyenne and Arapaho agencies, all persons not employed by the military or Indian Department, have been ordered out of the Territory. This action of the authorities is in obedience to a well-known law that has not been heretofore rigidly enforced.

There are four companies of troops at Cheyenne agency, two companies of the Fourth Cavalry and two of the Fifth Infantry.

Congressman Shanks is overhauling the accounts of the Indian Agents at the Kiowa and Comanche and the Wichita Agencies, and it is rumored that in consequence thereof, the chief clerks of said agencies have been rendered unhappy.

Horse thieves are busy in the western part of the Indian Territory. Recently, nineteen head of horses were stolen from the Cheyennes, who are encamped within a quarter of a mile of the Agency.

HUMOR.

The Commonwealth, June 15, 1875.

“This butter was very high,” lamented John Henry’s wife, the other day. “Yes, my dear,” said John, “but its strong constitution will stand it.”

WASHINGTON.

The Sioux Indians Agree to Relinquish Their Rights in Nebraska.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

RELINQUISHED.

Washington, June 26. The following dispatch was received at the Indian Bureau this morning.

RED CLOUD AGENCY, June 26.

To Hon. E. P. Smith: Red Cloud and Spotted Tail’s Indians have signed an agreement to relinquish their rights in Nebraska. They want $11,000 in horses, $9,000 in cows, $2,100 in harness, and $2,200 in wagons. All are well pleased.

(Signed) J. W. DANIELS, U. S. Indian Inspector.

NOTES OF TRAVEL.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

I have spent several days in traveling through that portion of the Arkansas Valley lying between Wichita and the Indian Territory. My route was mainly down the valley on the west side of the river, through Oxford, Belle Plain, and Salt City; into the Territory, and crossing the river below Arkansas City and going up on the east side, through Arkansas City, Winfield, and El Paso. This route, with some digressions along the Walnut, the Little Arkansas, and the Ninnescah, embracing over one hundred and fifty miles traveled with horses and wagon, gives me some definite knowledge of the counties of Sedgwick, Sumner, and Cowley.

Last winter, in the Relief rooms, the question was often pressed upon us by residents of the older portions of the State, and by persons living in the East, “Why do people go down to a frontier where they are liable to suffer so many privations? Why have they not sense enough to keep out of such a country?” I was in the habit of replying, “So far as the valley of the Arkansas is concerned, people go into it because the lands are fertile and cheap, because the country is exceeding fair to look upon, and because it is certain to become populous and rich, in due time.” I was also accustomed to say, “The frontier people happen to need our help just now, on account of a special calamity which might befall the inhabitants of any country, but the next cry we shall hear from them will be that they are not able to gather and save their immense wheat crop.” I had visited the region referred to, especially the counties mentioned above, and I knew whereof I affirmed.

Well, we all like to find that we have been true prophets. That which was predicted in January and February is more than fulfilled by the facts in June. No region of country is more beautiful than that which I have just traveled. The wheat fields extend mile after mile almost without interruption. On every hand the hardy frontiersmen are gathering the fruit of their labor—they are reaping a harvest which is in more sense than one a golden harvest to them and to their families. The area of wheat sown is very large, the yield is heavy, and the quality of the grain is excellent.

The people are using all the machinery that they can command, and generally of the most modern and improved kinds, but the crop is so large that it will require all their industry to secure it.

There is a fine prospect for oats, corn, potatoes, and all kinds of vegetables. In short, nothing could be more encouraging than the present situation, and the promise for the future in the region to which my personal exploration has extended.

LET JUSTICE BE DONE.

It is a favorite saying in some quarters that the people of this State are not industrious, that if they would use more enterprise and energy, they would not be compelled to ask help from abroad, etc. Such remarks grow out of ignorance or a willingness to be unjust.

For now more than six years I have been acquainted with the valley of the Kansas from Kansas City to Abilene and beyond, and have had some opportunities for learning the habits of the farmers living in this valley. I have had similar opportunities as regards those who live along the line or in the vicinity of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, say as far west as Reno County, and including the counties heretofore mentioned in this letter. I know what the country was when a large portion of the present occupants began their operations, and what it is now. And I can say emphatically that I believe that nowhere has a greater amount of hard work been done, and effectively done, in proportion to the means controlled, in the same period of time, than by the farmers of the State of Kansas. Our agricultural community as a class are not indolent and shiftless—they are enterprising and industrious. No doubt there are frauds and dead beats among farmers. It is even said that such creatures sometimes make their way into cities and towns, though that is hardly credible. But it is bad policy for us to discredit ourselves abroad by disparaging any class of our people on account of the faults of its neighbors. In this instance the disparagement is clearly against justice and the facts in the case. My own conviction is that the people of Kansas, of all pursuits and avocations, though laboring under a succession of misfortunes, are showing a high degree of patience and courage. These qualities ought to bring success and they will bring it as surely as there is One in whose hands we all are.

If there be cowards among us, let them go to the rear. Let all brave and honest men hold fast to their faith in God, and (what is next in importance) to their faith in themselves and in each other. F. S. M.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

English manufacturers are getting American iron at $35 per ton.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

About forty thousand visitors arrived at Jacksonville, Florida, last winter.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

One sweet young girl at Vassar College buys $40 worth of candy at a time.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

The death of Mr. Mason, the inventor of the locomotive headlight, is announced.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

The Wyandotte Gazette favors George A. Crawford for next Governor of Kansas.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

One of the finest fields of wheat in the neighborhood of Richmond belongs to Fitz Hugh Lee.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

Gen. Harlan, Republican candidate for Governor of Kentucky, is making a lively fight.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

Hon. Hester Clymer is suggested by a Baltimore paper as Democratic candidate for the vice-presidency.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

Louisiana will be blessed with fine crops. The most strenuous opponents of the Kellogg government admit this.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

Three hundred new money order offices have been created by the Post Office Department, to go into effect on the first of July.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

The amenities of the campaign have already begun in Ohio. The Columbus Journal calls William Allen “a paralytic old drab.”

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

The Columbus Journal, describing an Ohio politician, says: “He is an honest man by profession, and he earns his bred by the sweat of his jaw.”

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

Sails, a Trenton (Mo.) murderer, tried to kill himself the other day by severing his windpipe. It is seldom a man tries to take the wind out of his own sails.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

The Albany Argus says James Gordon Bennett was a great journalist; Horace Greeley a great thinker; Henry T. Raymond a great writer; and Thurlow Weed a great man.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

Mrs. Tilton publishes a sworn statement in the New York Herald to the effect that the affidavits of Leis, Loder, and Price are false. In conclusion, Mrs. Tilton calls on God to witness her innocence.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

A lot of fellows in the Missouri constitutional convention wanted to have the people vote viva voce, the way they did long ago in “old Kaintuck,” but this middle age idea was voted down by twenty-two majority.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

The people along the Rio Grande border clamor for war with Mexico, and then annoy and harass the United States troops engaged in hunting Mexican raiders. Some of the troops are niggers, and that may have something to do with the case.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

This is the way that the Chicago Tribune puts it: “There are just three financial planks in the Ohio platform. Mr. Thurman has been carried off on one and laid out; Gov. Allen has been carried off on one and shelved; Mr. Pendleton has been carried off on the third and buried.”

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

The Chicago Tribune, which bought and published the Tilton family correspondence, complains that for over a year the press had been filled with special and Associated Press dispatches and correspondence, to the exclusion of important and decent news, and news and instructive reading matter.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

Shanks and Hennessy, city editors respectively of the Tribune and Times, had a fight the other day. Shanks had an affidavit made by Mrs. Tilton, and refused to allow Hennessy to copy it. Blows were struck, and both were arrested, but subsequently released. That Beecher business will be the death of somebody yet.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

The Chicago Times says that no newspaper that spells its name with a hyphen will go to heaven. Six months from now, suggests the Courier-Journal, when the Times is consolidated with the Inter-Ocean, becoming the Chicago Inter-O’Times, and the writer of the above assertion is a fugitive and on his way to St. Louis, he will remember how rashly he expressed himself.

The Commonwealth, Sunday Morning, June 27, 1875.

The Pacific Mail Company has struck a bonanza at last. An agent of the Company has arranged with Central American Governments for the annual subsidies amounting to $107,000 in gold, and with Mexico for a subsidy of 40,000 in gold. The Australian Government also has agreed to pay $450,000 per annum for a monthly mail service between Sydney and San Francisco.

THE INDIAN TERRITORY.

Governor Osborn to the President.

The Commonwealth, July 8, 1875.

Governor Osborn has addressed the following communication to President Grant, with reference to the policy of settling wild tribes in the Indian Territory.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, TOPEKA, July 6, 1875.

I have the honor to signify my concurrence with the remonstrances which, I am informed, have been forwarded to you, against the policy of locating the Sioux tribes of Indians in the Indian Territory. I do this in the name of the people of this State, of whose views upon the subject I am thoroughly cognizant, and who would ratify a respectful protest against the policy in question with a marked approach to unanimity.

While the people of Kansas are far from believing that the wild Indian tribes upon our frontiers have no claims upon the justice and humanity of the white race, they do believe that there are no interests of such transcendent importance associated with the future of those tribes as to justify the arrest of civilization by locating them permanently in its pathway.

Such is the ardor of American enterprise, and so rapidly is the theatre of its exercise extended, that to the people—those of the West especially—the proposition to set apart that magnificent domain known as the Indian Territory, to the exclusive occupancy of the savages forever, savors almost of sacrilege. It is idle to discuss an abstraction. The practical question is:

Are the interests which demand that, within a reasonable period, the Territory shall be opened to settlement, upon terms just and equitable to the tribes already located there, superior to those of the roving and troublesome barbarians whom it is proposed to concentrate there? To this question I think there can be but one answer. Indeed, the generosity of the government will scarcely be appreciated by those in whose behalf it is exercised. To them the arid wastes and mountain fastnesses, with the facilities which they offer for the chase and for the primitive occupations of a nomadic life, are superior in attractiveness to the unexcelled fertility of the region to which it is proposed to transport them.

It is useless to anticipate profitable intercourse with the Gulf ports, through the Indian Territory, while the resources of that territory remain undeveloped. If it were not so, I very much doubt whether, upon grounds of natural right and justice, the Government would be justified in dooming that land to perpetual barrenness. The interests of the Indians are clearly subordinate to those of the white race, indeed, are of but trifling consequence in the comparison; and in determining questions respecting the future welfare of both, this vast disparity should not be lost sight of.

I think I know the sentiment of the West on this subject, and I hazard the prediction that the day is not distant when the states west of the Mississippi will demand that this obstacle to the progress of industry, of development, and of civilization be removed. But for the fact that, heretofore, by solemn treaty, lands were patented to some of the Indian tribes, the barrier would have been broken down ere this. But it is of the first importance that the difficulties in the way of such a consummation shall not be increased by the Government itself, as would be the case were the Sioux or other uncivilized tribes located there.

I cannot forbear to add that the policy of dealing with the scattered and roving tribes through the medium of treaties is one that, in my judgment, ought to be discontinued. With all its sanctions of history and precedent, it can scarcely be claimed, at this day, to comport with the dignity of the nation or the spirit of the people. The government ought to exercise complete authority over the Indians within its territorial jurisdiction, and—the relative interests of the races being considered—should so exercise it as to insure the largest measure of usefulness. Conventions with the Indians are now a very general subject of derision throughout the country.

A scarcely less important objection to the location of any more wild tribes in the Indian Territory, is the danger which it will occasion to the neighboring States. Upon this subject Kansas feels deeply, and I would be derelict in my duty to this people were I to withhold my protest against such a project.

Their mere removal to the Indian Territory will not change the nature of the savage and treacherous tribes whose barbarities have disfigured almost every page of our history. More than one hundred and fifty thousand of our people have made their homes upon territory subject to the encroachments of those tribes, and which has been the scene of their frequent depredations. Since the organization of Kansas hundreds of citizens have been ruthlessly murdered and their property destroyed. During the very last year twenty-seven citizens of this State were butchered, within the State, by savages who had no shadow of right to be upon our soil, but who had roamed from their reservations in defiance of the authority of the government.

Since Kansas became a State, considerably more than $300,000 has been expended in defending the people against Indian hostilities, an indebtedness of about $40,000 having been incurred during the last year, and paid by authority of the Legislature at its last session. Claims to the amount of upwards of $350,000, for property stolen and destroyed by hostile Indians, have been properly investigated and verified by authority of the State. This amount, it is believed, represents but a small part of the total loss and damage to which our people have been subjected. In Texas the loss of life and property has been vastly greater than in Kansas.

Is it a matter of wonder that people who have been thus harassed and afflicted should betray apprehension at the idea of massing upon their very border all, or at least the worst, of their savage enemies? Is it proposed to increase the dangers of settlement on the frontier to such an extent as to compel those States, in self-defense to enter upon a line of policy which can only result in the complete annihilation of the wild tribes?

At this time crime is alarmingly prevalent in the Territory. That region has become a convenient skulking-place for the thieves and outlaws of the surrounding States, and it is difficult, if not impossible, to compel their surrender for trial and punishment. Congress should, in its wisdom, erect there some sort of a political government, in order that crime may be adequately punished; and the Territory prevented from becoming a secure asylum for fugitives from the justice of the several States.

In conclusion, Mr. President, I beg to assure you of my profound conviction that your course with reference to the Indian policy of the country has been inspired by a sincere desire to do the best that could be done, under the circumstances, for the welfare both of the Indians and of the country at large. Many features of that policy I believe to have been mistakes; and I am impressed with the belief that the massing of the Indian tribes in the Territory south of Kansas would be a greater mistake than any that have preceded it. Therefore, for reasons hastily and imperfectly set forth in the foregoing, I respectfully, but earnestly, remonstrate against the prosecution of such an enterprise.

I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant.

THOMAS A. OSBORN.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, July 8, 1875.

The new system of pre-payment of postage on newspapers by stamp seems to promise satisfactory results in the way of revenue. The weight of this class of matter from the New York Postoffice during the first quarter of the present year aggregated 3,745,359 pounds. The postage collected amounted to $82,353.43. At this rate New York City alone will pay during the year much more than it has ever paid before, or about one-quarter of the entire receipts throughout the United States from this source.

The Commonwealth, July 8, 1875.

“Old Orator Redivivus” is what the Albany Evening Journal calls Sam F. Cary, the Democratic candidate for Lieut. Governor of Ohio, and says they are glad he appears on the surface again.

The Commonwealth, July 8, 1875.

In Mexico the vices are attributed to “the bad influence of American example.”

DODGE CITY HAPPY.

The Cattle Drive.—Military Matters.—Indians.—Thieves.

The Commonwealth, July 11, 1875.

DODGE CITY, KS., July 8, 1875.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

DEAR SIR: Within the last ten days we have had considerable rainfall, which makes the Arkansas valley look splendid and the weather delightfully cool. The grass was never better, and the cattlemen are happy. There is no use talking, the Arkansas valley cannot be beaten for cattle raising, and Dodge City is bound to be the great cattle mart of the West.

Steps are being taken to mark out a cattle trail from Texas through the Pan-Handle, and we have assurance that most of the cattle driven from Texas next season will be by the new trail, and shipped from Dodge City.

Business in Dodge City is good, with prospects of it continuing so. The garrison now at Fort Dodge consists of two companies of the 19^th Infantry, two companies of the 6^th Cavalry, and one company of the 5^th Cavalry. The latter company has just arrived from Arizona, having marched the whole distance, and have been over two months on the road. One company of the 5^th is now at Dodge, en route to Camp Supply, to relieve a company of the 6^th Cavalry now there, who, upon being relieved, will march to Dodge and there take post, which will increase the garrison to four companies of cavalry.

The troops, now that the Indians are quiet, are having an easy time compared with what they have had for the past five years. We don’t anticipate any trouble from Mr. Lo this summer, but the country is infested by a gang of horse thieves that are about as bad.

E. B. KIRK.

CAPTURE OF HORSE-THIEVES.

Jail Delivery at Wichita, Ks.

The Commonwealth, July 14, 1875.

WICHITA, Ks., July 12^th.

Four horse thieves, S. N. Deitrich, J. L. Jones, D. Campbell, and Taylor, and six buffalo hunters, T. L. Causey, C. A. Carp, John McNeill, John Heisler, Willis McCarthy, and Ben. Gates, were brought in here this morning in charge of Deputy U. S. Marshal Ben Williams, assisted by an escort of ten soldiers, and lodged in jail. The buffalo hunters were captured on the 22^nd of June by Deputy Williams and a party of soldiers, about 70 or 80 miles southwest of the Cheyenne Agency, and south of the main Canadian river. At the time of the capture, Williams was out with the Cheyennes, hunting buffalo. On their return home, they ran across the first four named above, who had some twenty head of ponies in their possession, belonging to White Bead, a Caddo Chief. They were taken in and the horses returned to their owner. The examination of the entire batch will be commenced tomorrow before U. S. Commissioner H. C. Sluss. Mr. Peck, our active U. S. Attorney, will be here tonight, to prosecute. The evidence against all these culprits, especially the horse thieves, is such as to insure their conviction. The hunters were captured within the limits of the Wichita reservation, and were engaged in killing buffalo for their hides alone. There is but a very short step from a horse thief to a buffalo hide hunter. Very often the former play off as hunters, and it is difficult to distinguish one from the other.

During Sunday night the prisoners confined in the elegant and most substantial jail at this place, quietly spilled themselves out through a hole they had pierced in a sixteen inch brick wall. There were but three prisoners confined in the jail at the time, among whom was Wallace Bennett, the noted desperado and horse thief, who was recently brought up from the Territory by Deputy Marshal LeFevre. It is safe to say that Bennett planned and executed the bold coup de main. Deputy LeFevre had cautioned the sheriff that Bennett would try to get out, and would get out if not carefully watched. The sheriff had confidence in his fine, strong jail, and could not conceive how anyone could escape from it. One of the prisoners brought in today is familiarly known as Prairie Dog Dave, or the Phantom of Adobe Walls.

L.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, July 14, 1875.

Senator Ingalls celebrated his 20^th anniversary as a graduate of Williams College, with the rest of his class at that institution, at the last commencement. Afterwards he visited his parents in Massachusetts.

The Commonwealth, July 14, 1875.

Louisville has secured the National Grange.

VENTILATION OF THE RED CLOUD AGENCY AFFAIRS.

If There Is Any Fraud Existing, It Must Be Brought To the Surface.

The Commonwealth, July 18, 1875.

RED CLOUD AGENCY.

Washington, July 17. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs says the inquiries into Red Cloud Agency affairs is in the hands of competent gentlemen, with instructions to take the freest range and find whatever wrong exists. The statement that alleged frauds have been frequently reported to him without receive attention, he pronounces false. Charges similar to those now made, quite as serious, and rather more bitter, were made against the agency, seventeen months ago, when the Secretary of the Interior immediately required an investigation through the commission, of which Bishop Hare was chairman.

It would be monstrous to suppose that such a commission would desire to cover up any fraud. Their full report not only completely exonerates Agent Saville from any wrong intent, but declares that the charges against the agent were false, both in origin and spirit. The report says that some of the affidavits, which seemed to reflect most on the character of the agents, were such partial statements that they amounted to a suppression; and some of the testimony on which were based most of the attacks on the administration, were the testimony of well-known deserters and thieves, much to the discredit of agents, which were gleaned at the agencies during their absence, and which they had no opportunity to account for when brought to their notice. Satisfactory explanations of practices, which were irregular, were shown to have been unavoidable in the peculiar circumstances in which agents were placed, and the transactions, which at first sight seemed suspicious and to which criminal intent had been imputed, were shown to have been characterized by good faith, and have been carried on in broad daylight; and where not justifiable, to have been not wrong doing, but mistakes.

This report by the persons whose judgment and finding he had a right to deem competent, were in every way reliable. Respecting the Paxton contract for beef, at Red Cloud Agency, which the Commissioner is charged to have fraudulently made in March last. He states it was made by him in conformity with law, and, as the record shows, advice and recommendation of law. If the Board of Indian Commissioners, after inquiry by that board into the facts of the case, as to the other indefinite charges of fraud or connivance with wrong doing, in any way, on his part, Commissioner Smith makes the most positive and comprehensive denial, and says he desires nothing so much just now as the severest scrutiny of his official acts by fair minded men. Respecting the charge against Secretary Delano of complicity with frauds at Red Cloud agency, the Commissioner says it is but the simplest act of fairness for him to state that he has no knowledge of any such complicity on the part of that officer, and knows of nothing tending to show it; but on the contrary, so far as he knows, the action of the Secretary, in all matters pertaining to Red Cloud agency during the past year, has been only official routine, left upon matters submitted by Indian officers, generally approving of suggestions, and never, in any way, dictating, or even making suggestions as to the purchases of contractors or pecuniary transactions of any sort.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, July 18, 1875.

RECEPTION.

New York, July 17. The Rifle Association of this city have adopted a programme for the reception of the American Team, which includes a trip down the bay to meet the steamer on the return of the Team, a procession up Broadway in carriages, and a banquet in the evening. A suitable testimonial will be presented to each member of the Team.

The Commonwealth, July 18, 1875.

FAILURE.

New York, July 17. The Daily Bulletin announces the failure of T. J. Dally & Co., tea merchants. The creditors are mostly bankers.

The Commonwealth, July 18, 1875.

POSTAL SUIT.

New York, July 17. A case involving the constitutionality of the new postage law has been brought in the United States Circuit Court for this district. A gentleman offered a book for mail transmission to Philadelphia from this city, the postage, at the old rates, being offered. Being refused, he applies for a mandamus to compel the Postmaster to receive the package. The argument of the applicant is that the sundry civil appropriation bill, into which the amendment increasing the rate on third-class mail matter was inserted, was not a bill for raising the revenue; that the amendment did provide ways and means for raising the revenue. The Senate has no constitutional authority to originate measures for that purpose, that being the prerogative of the House, and that the postal amendment having originated with the Senate, and having been grafted on a bill which was not one for revenue purposes, is unconstitutional.

The Commonwealth, July 18, 1875.

CROOKED WHISKEY CASES.

St. Louis, July 17. The following persons have been brought before the United States District Court today on capias, issued under indictments just found in certain whiskey cases by the grand jury: F. W. Ballman, Edward O’Harra, H. A. Thisser, B. Fraser, and G. Bernsburg, for failing to remove the stamps from empty liquor casks; Alfred Bevis, E. B. Fraser, Wm. R. Jewett, for illicit distilling; Wm. R. Jewett for removing and concealing liquors.

The Commonwealth, July 18, 1875.

BOND FORFEITED.

Memphis, July 17. Waddy Thompson, who has figured so extensively in several habeas corpus cases, in Missouri, arrived here this evening in charge of Sheriff Anderson. Owing to the illness of Thompson, Sheriff Anderson permitted him to remain at the house of a friend, in charge of an officer, until Monday, when he will be brought before the criminal court for trial, he having forfeited his bond of $10,000 for his appearance here some weeks since.

The Commonwealth, July 18, 1875.

HEAVY DAMAGES.

Baltimore, July 17. In the court of common pleas yesterday, orders for three suits, in the names of Gov. James Black; W. Groome, State Treasurer; Barnes; Compton; and State Comptroller Levi N. Woolford, who compose the Board of Public Works, were filed against the proprietors of the Baltimore American. Damages laid at $70,000.

The Commonwealth, July 18, 1875.

TO PROSECUTE.

Milwaukee, Wis., July 17. Ex-Senator Carpenter has been retained by the city of New York to assist in the prosecution of Tweed.

WASHINGTON.

From the Special Sioux Commissioner.

The President Recalls His Request For the Resignation of Judge Fisher.

The Commonwealth, July 20, 1875.

THE SIOUX.

Washington, July 19. The following dispatches were received today at the Indian Bureau from the special Sioux Commissioner.

Red Cloud Agency, July 14. We met Boules and Ogalolla in council today. They desire a general council to be held at Shadron Creek, midway between Spotted Tail and Red Cloud agencies, September 1^st. They positively refuse to go to the Missouri river. They will aid in bringing in the Northern Sioux and Cheyennes, and have even assented to the time and place designated by them, subject to your approval.

[Note: The tendency to get the spelling wrong of Indian names prevailed in the newspapers during this era. The word “Boules” refers to the Brulé Sioux. The word “Ogalolla” refers to the Ogala (sometimes spelled “Ogallala”) Sioux.]

Camp on Shadron, July 15. The young chief Afraid-of-his-horse [horses], with five of his men, went to bring in the Northern Sioux today. Red Day and others accompany us, to influence the Indians there.

RECALLED.

Washington, July 19. The Evening Star learns, on what it regards as good authority, that the President has recalled his request for the resignation of Judge Fisher, as U. S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. It is admitted that objection exists in regard to persons, but Judge Fisher proposes to remove all grounds of complaint by a complete reorganization and appointment of an assistant or assistants who shall be entirely acceptable to the public.

FIRE.

The Commonwealth, July 20, 1875.

Chicago, July 19. A fire at Grand Rapids, Michigan, yesterday, destroyed the building and stock of the Berky & Gay Furniture Co. The loss was $25,000. Insurance $14,000.

EVEN CONTRACTORS OF INDIAN SUPPLIES

HAVE THEIR LITTLE TROUBLES.

The Commonwealth, July 21, 1875.

THE LETTING OF CONTRACTS FOR INDIAN SUPPLIES.

Leavenworth, July 20. The Commercial of this city will contain the following tomorrow morning: At the May letting of contracts for Indian supplies, etc., Mr. A. D. Havens, of this city, had the lowest bid of 1,100,000 pounds of flour, to be delivered at Sioux City, at $2 74 per hundred. Not being one of the elect, he was not favored with the award, although he strictly complied with the law in all respects. But J. H. Charles was more fortunate, and obtained the contract at $2 97 per hundred. Perhaps those, in authority with the aid of John Delano, can explain why the government was thus wronged of twenty-three cents on each hundred weight of over a million pounds of flour, but to consider this transaction looks much like the crooked doings of the whiskey ring. The correspondence between Mr. Havens and Commissioner Smith and Secretary Delano, we hope soon to lay before our readers, but at present restrict ourselves to the following telegram, which was sent from here last evening.

“Leavenworth, Kan., July 20. General Clinton B. Fish, chairman of the Board of Indian Commissioners, New York: The contract for the delivery of flour at Sioux City was awarded to J. H. Charles at $2 97, as against my bid, $2 74. The attention of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs has been called to the matter before and since he made the contract, and no satisfaction can be obtained from him or from the Secretary of the Interior. Have I no remedy, or has the government none against such practices? I am now and have been since making the bid ready to furnish all supplies I bid for, and if the contracts had been properly awarded, it would have made considerable difference in favor of the government, as shown by my letter of July 10^th to Commissioner Smith.” [Signed.] “A. B. HAVENS.”

THE NAVAJOS.

The Commonwealth, July 21, 1875.

St. Louis, July 20. Hon. W. F. M. Arny, agent for the Navajo Indians, New Mexico, passed through here tonight en route for Washington, to submit a new proposition of the Navajos to the Interior Department, respecting the new limits of their reservation.

ANOTHER INDIAN TITLE.

Decision This Time by Judge Dillon.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

The opinion of Judge Morton, which we published a few days ago, is so far reaching and of such importance, that, at the request of lawyers we publish herewith an opinion of Judge Dillon, in the U. S. Circuit Court. It is thought that this will throw some light on the subject. We are indebted to Guthrie & Brown of this city for a copy of the decision.

In the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Kansas.—Matilda Hicks vs. Hiram Butrick.—June term, 1875.

By the terms of the treaty of January 21, 1855, (Statutes at large, 1159,) between the United States and the Wyandotte tribe of Indians, viewed in the light of the practical construction which it has received and of the patents to lands issued thereunder, to the competent heads of families:

HELD: That such patents conveyed to the head of the family the land in fee and not in trust for the wife and other members of his family.

Approving, Summers & Spybuck.—1st Kas, 394.

Before DILLON, Circuit Judge.

Wyandotte Treaty. Lands patented to Heads of Families. Nature of title granted.

The Wyandotte Indians, formerly numerous and powerful, while the French and English were contending for the domination of the continent, emigrated from their homes in Canada, across the Detroit river into Michigan, fought their way against all opposing forces along the southern shore of Lake Erie, and finally became permanently located under the protection of the United States in northern Ohio, January 21, 1785. The United States, by treaty of that date, conceded to the Delawares and Wyandottes a large tract of territory, embracing millions of acres, in northern Ohio. Of these lands, on the 17^th of March, 1842, there remained to the Wyandottes, in the county of Crawford, 109,144 acres, which, by treaty of that date, were ceded to the United States.

In the meantime (near 60 years), the Wyandottes made rapid progress in civilization, but had decreased in numbers and wealth.

The title of the Wyandotte Indians to the lands in question was derived as follows:

By treaty of September 24, 1829, (7 Statutes at large, 327,) it is provided that the country selected in the fork of the Kansas and Missouri rivers (in which are the lands in question), “shall be conveyed and forever secured in the said Delaware Nation by the United States as their permanent residence.” By article 2 of the compact between the Delaware and Wyandotte nations, December 4, 1843, the Delawares did “cede, grant and quit claim to the Wyandotte Nation thirty-six sections of land,” in which thirty-six sections are the lands in controversy. This contract was confirmed by act of Congress, approved July 15, 1818. (Stats. at large, vol. 9, p. 336,) with the provision that the Wyandotte Nation shall take no better right or interest in the lands than was then vested in the Delawares.

The Wyandotte Nation, by this act of Congress, had secured to it by the right to possess, occupy and reside upon these 36 sections of lands.

Within seven years was concluded the treaty of January 31, 1855, (10 Stats. at large, 1,159,) under which the present controversy arises, which requires a construction of some of its provisions.

John Hicks was a member of the Wyandotte tribe on January 31, 1855, and had a wife and five children, of whom the complainant is one, and who was then about eleven years of age.

In the allotment of lands under the treaty of 1855, John Hicks and family were entitled to 257 acres, of which the complainant claims by the present bill to be entitled to an individual one-seventh part.

The case was submitted upon bill and answer.

It appears by the pleadings that John Hicks, the competent head of a family, under the treaty between the United States and the Wyandotte Nation of the 31^st of January, 1855, received on the first day of June, 1859, a patent of 257 acres of lands assigned to him and for his family under said treaty, including the lands in suit, reciting that said lands had been allotted to John Hicks, the head of a family, naming his wife and five children, and conveying the same “unto the said John Hicks, as the head of the family aforesaid, and to his heirs and assigns forever, as an absolute and unconditional grant, in fee simple, “to have and to hold the said tract” or parcel of land, with the appurtenances, unto the said John Hicks, as the head of the family aforesaid, and to his heirs and assigns forever.”

Through divers mesne conveyances, the defendant has acquired the title of John Hicks to the land in question. The Commissioner of Indian Affairs had directed the Commissioners under the treaty to assign the land to the head of families and all the lands of families, and all the lands of families with a head competent were conveyed to the heads in the same manner as those conveyed to John Hicks.

The Wyandotte Nation, knowing of such construction, never dissented therefrom.

The Supreme Court of the State of Kansas, in the month of September, 1863, gave the same construction to the treaty, (Sec. 1, Kansas Reports, 394) and the defendant purchased on the 20^th day of April, 1865, for a full consideration, paid without notice of any adverse claim, relying on such construction, and believing he was getting a good title, made improvements, and he has ever since resided thereon.

On the 13^th day of January, 1864, John Hicks and his wife conveyed said lands thus assigned and patented to John Hicks as the head of a family, to a person under whom the defendant claims. The theory of the bill is, that John Hicks by the patent acquired the title to the land in trust as to one undivided seventh part for the complainant, one of his children, and that she is entitled to have this trust enforced against the grantees of her father.

The prayer is that the complainant’s right be declared and established and the partition be made.

J. P. USHER and L. C. SLAVENS for the Complainant.

COBE & SHANNON for the Defendant.

DILLON, Circuit Judge.

The patent issued by the United States recites the treaty of January 31, 1855, that John Hicks was a member of the competent class, that the 257 acres of land were allotted under the treaty “to John Hicks the Head of a Family consisting of” [here naming his wife and five children of whom the complainant is one,] and concluding as follows, “Now know ye; that the United States of America * * * by these presents do give and grant the tracts of land above described unto the said John Hicks as the head of the family as aforesaid—to have and to hold the said tract of land unto the said John Hicks, as the head of the family as aforesaid and to his heirs and assigns forever.

In executing the treaty of 1855 the United States construed it as dividing the competent Indians into two classes to with: 1^st, individuals or persons without families; 2^nd, heads of families, the names of the members of each separate family being arranged together.

The test of competency in the heads of the family was sufficient intelligence and prudence on the part of the head to control and manage the affairs and interest of the family. (Art. 3.) By the treaty lands were to be assigned and distributed “among all the individuals and members of the Wyandotte tribe; so that those [lands] assigned to or for each shall, as nearly as possible, be equal in quantity or value, irrespective of improvements thereon; and the divisions and assignment of lands shall be so made as to include the houses and, as far as practicable, the other improvements of each person or family * * * and includes those for each separate family all together.” The commissioners are required to make a plat and schedule “Showing the lands assigned to each family or individual.

Taking all the provisions of the treaty together, it quite satisfactorily appears to my mind that it contemplates that the competent heads of families shall take the land by patent directly from the United States, and that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the Land Department properly construed the treaty in investing John Hicks as the head of the family with the legal title to the land. It can hardly be supposed that the father of the family in his life time had no more interest in the land and improvements than his wife or any one of her children however young; or as applied to the present case that John Hicks the gather who had made the improvements had only an undivided one-seventh part of the property.

Considering the known authority and power of the head of the family according to the laws, usage, and customs of the nation, and the injustice of such a division, putting an infant child upon an equal footing with the father, I am of opinion that the theory upon which this bill is exhibited is unsound. Certain it is that the construction of the treaty was against the view maintained by the complainant; that this construction was acquiesced in both by the Government and the Wyandotte Nation; that in 1863 the precise question here made was decided by the Supreme Court of Kansas, (Summers & Spybuck, 1^st Kansas, 394,) against the principle one on which the bill in this case is founded, and that this view has since that time been accepted and acted upon by purchasers of these lands as sound and unquestioned law.

The practical construction of the treaty and the co-incident judicial constructions of it by the Supreme Court of Kansas, find much support in Wilson vs. Wall, 6 Wallace, 84, and see 9 Stats. at Large, 203, as to payments to heads of Indian families. At all events my judgment is that the practical construction of the treaty so long acquiesced in and upon the faith of which so much money has been invested in good faith should not be overturned in favor of a new construction, which to say the least is attended with grave doubts and would result in unsettling so many tribes.

Bill dismissed.

KANSAS FARMING.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

Corn in Sumner County grows five feet in six days.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

Tomatoes were ripe in Cowley County on the 10^th of July.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

One man in Lyon County has 400 peach trees, all full of peaches.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

Corn in Woodson County grew ninety inches in forty-four days from planting.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

Two hundred bushels to the acre is estimated for the potato yield in Harvey Co.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

Wheat, oats, and flax are being badly damaged by the recent rains in Wilson County.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

Neodesha is talking up a district fair, to be composed of Wilson and Montgomery counties.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

There will be several thousand bushels of flax seed raised in Allen County this year.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

There is very little difference between the corn on upland and bottom, this year; it is all wonderfully good.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

The farmers on Dry Creek, Lyon County, have sustained heavy losses from rains. Dry Creek not dry this time.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

A small quantity of wheat was offered at fifty-five cents per bushel, on the streets last Monday, says the Arkansas Traveler of the 21^st.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

The crop of wheat, rye, and oats in Sumner County is turning out heavier even than was expected. Wheat runs from 25 to 35 bushels from the thresher.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

The Hiawatha Dispatch says, “The county has been relieved of the grasshoppers, but the diminutive chinch bug, weeds, and base ball are not giving it a turn.”

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

The Newton Kansan says that the farmers say that if don’t quit raining and dry off soon, a large amount of oats in the county will be spoiled, and considerable wheat.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

Considerable wheat will be lost in many parts of Cowley County, owing to the neglect of stacking. Mr. Winton has 13,300 bushels on Grouse that are in danger of being lost.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

The Emporia News, to which, by the way, we are indebted for one-half a dozen items in this column, says that the farmers in that neighborhood are talking up the question of ditching.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

R. B. Cory, of Elm creek township, Morris County, aged seventy-five, made one of a quota of hands attending a reaper in a wheat field, the other day, and bound wheat until the day’s work was over, and kept with the machine, which cut eleven acres.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

The Fredonia Citizen says: “Wilson County has harvested, in round numbers, 15,000 acres of wheat this year. Say these acres average twenty bushels, and we have 300,000 bushels, or 30 to each man, woman, and child in the county. At an average of 15 bushels per acre, we have 225,000 bushels, 22½ per head, our population being nearly 10,000.

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

The farmers of Lyon County will not promise to furnish milk if a cheese factory is started. The News says: “We have only to repeat that we are informed by reliable parties that men of capital and skill are ready to build a cheese factory in Emporia as soon as the farmers agree to furnish the necessary supply of milk. No one is asked to take any stock, or run any risk in the factory. The money is ready to build and run it, and pay for all the milk it receives.”

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

The Emporia Ledger says: “We are informed that the Grangers of Sedgwick, Sumner, Butler and Cowley counties have combined to put up an elevator at Wichita, and have arranged with the railroad for a side track and fifteen hundred cars for the exportation of their surplus grain. This is business. It indicates, too, what an immense crop those counties have to handle this year. Fifteen hundred cars already engaged—think of it!—a carrying capacity for 500,000 bushels of wheat.”

The Commonwealth, July 24, 1875.

A correspondent of the Leavenworth Times, writing from Winfield, Cowley County, says: “An important discovery in agriculture has been made by some of our farmers. It is, that rye, sown in the fall, upon unbroken prairie, will take roots and grow as if on fallowed ground! It may be pastured during the fall and winter, and will then bear a good yield of grain. Two years of this cultivation will completely rot the sod as if broken in the first place with a plow. Some prefer to hetchel the sod with a fine tooth harrow, after sowing, but it is often not done. When first informed of this innovation in rye culture, I thought it fishy, but investigation proved the truth of it.”

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

The new elevator at Abilene will be ready to handle grain by the last of August.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

In Anderson County lice are making their appearance on the tassels of late planted corn.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

The people of Chautauqua County are beginning to quarrel over county seat matters already.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

The Emporia News says that the politicians are talking up fall elections in Lyon County already.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

The Arkansas City Traveler says: “According to promise, we mailed an Indian scalp to Hon. John J. Ingalls.”

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

Capt. Tough, United States Marshall, has bought the Crespigny and Sevier place for $16,000, says the Leavenworth Appeal.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

Hon. E. J. Jenkins has been appointed lecturer on civil government and commercial law in the State Normal School at Concordia.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

A man by the name of Banks and one by the name of Culp, were killed by lightning, in Greenwood County, a week ago yesterday.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

The flux is prevailing to a considerable extent in Doniphan County, and a number of deaths have occurred, mostly among children.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

The Hays Sentinel is in favor of dividing the State on the sixth principal meridian, and making the capital of the new State at Hays City.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

The Girard Press says that a small but pure specimen of lead has been found near Monmouth and indications are that it will be found in paying quantities.

The Commonwealth, July 25, 1875.

The Eureka Herald says: “We are having rains which are likely to damage the grain crops some. But the yield of corn, potatoes, and grass will be immense.”

FROM FORT DODGE.

Movement of Troops.—Horse Thieves.—High Water.

The Commonwealth, July 27, 1875.

DODGE CITY, July 23, 1875.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

The following movements of troops are ordered: To complete the transfer of the 6^th regiment of cavalry from this department to Arizona, and the 5^th cavalry from Arizona to this department. Companies E and I, 6^th cavalry, now at Fort Dodge, will proceed by rail to Granada, from which place they will march to Fort Lyon, so as to reach that point on or before the 8^th of August. Companies C and C, 6^th cavalry, will march from Camp Supply to Fort Dodge, so as to reach that post on or before July 28^th. They will thence proceed by rail to Granada, from which place they will march to Fort Lyon, so as to reach that post on or before August 8^th.

Companies K and M, Sixth Cavalry, are ordered to proceed by rail from Fort Hays to Fort Lyon, to reach that post the same time as the companies from Dodge. Major C. E. Campton, Sixth Cavalry, will be in command of the six companies when concentrated at Lyon, and will proceed with them to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in time to reach that post not later than August 31^st, where they will meet six companies of the Fifth cavalry, and will exchange horses and transportation. The Sixth will then proceed to Arizona and the Fifth to Lyon, from which point they will be distributed to the different posts.

Three mules were stolen from the quartermaster’s train at Las Animas on the twentieth inst. Horse and mule thieves are giving Dodge City a wide berth since the formation of a vigilance committee. If they value their necks, they had better continue to keep themselves scarce.

The Arkansas is booming, full, even with the banks, and thick with mud. Weather delightfully cool. Yours, JAMES.

MOUNTAIN MEADOW.

The Continuation of the Trial of John D. Lee.

The Commonwealth, Thursday, July 29, 1875.

LEE’S TRIAL.

Beaver, Utah, July 28. Several witnesses were sworn at Beaver today. The evidence was confirmatory of that preceding. Lee’s cell was searched today and found to contain numerous articles to assist him to escape. This afternoon the defense presented an affidavit by telegraph from Salt Lake that Brigham Young and Geo. A. Smith were in too feeble health to come to Beaver, and asked that depositions be accepted, which were refused. The defense said he should take the affidavits any way and present them, and asked till tomorrow to open the case for the defense. This afternoon one of the wives of Lee insisted on seeing him and upon refusal, assaulted the jailor and was lodged in jail therefor.

CRIMES.—CASUALTIES.

Reported Assassination of Colonel W. P. Ross, the Chief of the Cherokees.

The Commonwealth, Thursday, July 29, 1875.

DAYLIGHT THROUGH HIS HEAD.

San Francisco, July 28. S. J. Finney, late joint Senator of San Francisco and San Mateo, was found dead this morning at his residence, shot through the head by a rifle ball. Not known whether accidental or otherwise.

WASHED OUT.

Booneville, Mo., July 28. The Advertiser has the particulars of a terrible washout on the M., K. & T. R. W., between this city and Sedalia last night. Probably 12 miles of track are useless—four washouts and several feet covered by an extensive slide, but no bridges gone.

ASSASSINATION OF COL. ROSS.

St. Louis, July 28. A special to the Republican from Springfield, Mo., discredits the news received there today, that Col. Ross, chief of the Cherokee Nation, was assassinated yesterday evening.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Thursday, July 29, 1875.

COTTON MILLS BURNED.

Glasgow, July 28. Grant’s cotton mills were destroyed by fire and several girls and two firemen severely burned. Three hundred employees escaped with difficulty. Loss $500,000.

ADDERLY’S BILL.

London, July 28. In the House of Commons today Sir Charles Adderly, President of the Board of Trade, introduced a bill further to empower the Board of Trade to prevent unseaworthy vessels from sailing. In presenting it he said that the other bill was not acceptable to the government because it was based on a wrong principle. Here was interrupted by cries of no. Continuing his remarks he said the bill was also objectionable because, besides punishing offenders, it actually takes upon itself the conduct of the marine service. The act of 1872 already empowers the government to stop unseaworthy ships. Since then 945 vessels had been stopped, of which 515 were found to be unseaworthy.

The present bill was intended to strengthen the executive, facilitate more rapid and more direct action, and provide a sufficient number of officers to effectually detain unseaworthy ships. It also allows a fourth of the crew to demand a survey. It was merely an earnest of fuller legislation to be had next session. Sullivan thought the head line provision for stowing grain should be engrafted into the bill. Robuck denied that the bill would satisfy the country. He advocated continuing the consideration of Plympsoll’s bill, and various other members followed, more or less censuring the bill, while wishing to extricate the government from its difficulty. Finally the bill passed its first reading. Its second reading is fixed for Friday morning.

SUGAR DEALERS FAIL.

Philadelphia, July 28. John Mason & Co., sugar dealers, suspended today. Liabilities about $200,000.

FAILED.

New York, July 28. It is reported the Commercial warehouse company have failed. The cause: a heavy advance on Cuban crops which the early rains destroyed. The house also advanced largely on railroad securities which depreciated.

The commercial warehouse company was established May 1, 1867, with a capital of two millions—Paul J. Armour is president and J. F. Navarro, vice president. The stock is owned mostly in Cuba. It has no European correspondents, nor any agency in this country.

DAMAGED BY RAINS.

Cincinnati, July 28. The Gazette’s Cambridge City, Indiana, special says the rains of the past few weeks have done great damage to crops in that vicinity. The farmers of many portions of the country are very much discouraged at the outlook.

CLOSED ITS DOORS.

Louisville, July 28. The Tobacco Exchange Banking Company of this city closed its doors yesterday. The institution has been regarded for some time in a precarious condition, and its present suspension has no connection whatever with the New York failure so far as can now be learned.

GUNS SPIKED.

Madrid, July 28. The bombardment of Audeurga continues. It is reported that the Carlists there have mutinied and spiked their guns.

THE AMERICAN TEAM.

London, July 28. The American team, with Maj. Gen. McMurdo, visited Wolwich Castle.

MOODY AND SANKEY.

will make a tour on Monday next. They will assist in laying the cornerstone of a Presbyterian Church near Uxam.

OUT OF EMPLOYMENT.

Thirty-one mills closed at Dundee, and 12,000 persons are thrown out of employment.

COMMITTEE OF DEPUTIES.

Versailles, July 28. The proposed members of the permanent committee consists of 13 deputies of the right and 12 of the left.

INDEMNITY TO FRENCH.

M. Bronte Duval intends, in the assembly, to ask the government, why indemnity due French citizens for losses sustained by them in the U. S. during the late war has not been paid, while the claims of other foreigners have been settled.

PROCLAMATION

By William P. Ross, the Chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Law and Order Must and Shall be Preserved.

The Commonwealth, Friday, July 30, 1875.

HE STILL LIVES.

Fort Scott, Kansas, July 29. The dispatches of yesterday, stating that Wm. P. Ross, chief of the Cherokee Nation, had been assassinated, is untrue. The following proclamation from him will be published in the daily Monitor, of this city, tomorrow.

PROCLAMATION.

To the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory:

A meeting of the executive council was held at Tahlequah the 14^th and 16^th inst., to take into consideration the disturbed state of affairs, growing out of the painfully large number of murders and acts of violence which have been recently committed.

These deeds demoralize the country, spread more or less apprehension among the people, endanger our most valuable rights as American citizens and bring shame upon our name and character. Believing that it is largely within the power of the officers of the nation to suppress these crimes by the exercise of energetic efforts in bringing their perpetrators to punishment under the law, it was deemed advisable that your attention should be directly called to the subject and such instructions given as would seem most calculated to accomplish the object in view; you are, therefore,

1. Urged to increased vigilance in your efforts to prevent the introduction of ardent spirits into the country, as it is the most fruitful source of crime committed.

2. To enforce fully the provisions of the act against carrying unlawful weapons.

3. Not to place on guard any person hitherto charged with crime or any known intemperate habits or overbearing and disreputable characters.

4. And especially arrest and cooperate in arresting every person at large to be found in your district who may be known to be charged with the crime of murder. For this last purpose you should summon a suitable posse to hunt up such persons, and continue in their pursuit until arrested. In view of the near approach of the general election, your attention is also called to the importance of preserving order during the entire time of its continuance, and of affording ample and sufficient protection for the quiet, peaceable and free exercise of the elective franchise, by every voter of the nation, regardless of party, color or race. In appointing guards for the different precincts on election day and the day following, at the courthouse, you will comply with the third instruction given above, respecting guards. Any drunken, intimidating or lawless deportment on the part of any person acting as guard during the period of election referred to, will be promptly and impartially charged to your account, and you will be held responsible for its occurrence by immediate suspension from office or such other procedure as law and the circumstances of the case may warrant. You will also cause this circular, which has been addressed to all other sheriffs in the nation, to be properly posted at the courthouse in your district for the information of the public, and whose co-operation in securing the ends sought to be accomplished by it is earnestly solicited.

(Signed) WM. P. ROSS, Principal Chief.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, Friday, July 30, 1875.

HEAVY TRANSFER OF REAL ESTATE.

New York, July 29. It appears that transfers of real estate have been received at the Register’s office this week, on the part of William Butler Duncan and other members of the firm, to the amount of $1,250,000. The deeds have just been recorded and date from 1824 [?] to 1874. The name of the grantor is freshly inserted in a different hand-writing from the body of the deed. [Note: Very hard to read this item.]

The Commonwealth, Friday, July 30, 1875.

RAILROAD WAR.

Kansas City, July 29. The railroad war progresses favorably for the traveling public. Tomorrow the Missouri Pacific and St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern will come down to the rates made by the H. & St. J. road, and the latter road makes a further reduction on Boston rates and three dollars on Detroit. No trouble has yet been made on freights.

The Commonwealth, Friday, July 30, 1875.

SEVEN HUNDRED THOUSAND TIED UP.

New York, July 29. The Trenton Banking Company, of Trenton, N. J., which lost by the Jay Cooke failure, loses $100,000 by the suspension of Duncan, Sherman & Co. A responsible officer of one of the largest banks in the city, yesterday stated Duncan, Sherman & Co. had nearly $700,000 tied up in securities of the M. & O. R. R. Co., of which Mr. Duncan is president, and a small amount in the Selma & Gulf R. R. It is understood also that in one of their settlements Duncan, Sherman & Co. have been obliged to take $300,000 in Alabama State bonds, which are now quoted at 35 cents on the dollar.

The Commonwealth, Friday, July 30, 1875.

DEATH OF AN EX-CONGRESSMAN.

Little Rock, Ark., July 29. Hon. J. T. Elliott, an ex-member of Congress from the Third Congressional District of the State, died at Camden, Arkansas, yesterday.

The Commonwealth, Friday, July 30, 1875.

THE TURF.

Saratoga, N. Y., July 29. As the time for the cup race approached, the interest of speculators culminated, and when the horses appeared on the track, they were greeted with applause, and money flowed into the pool box as fast as it could be taken, the betting being in the following average: Springbok, $1,000; Aaron Pennington, $850; Grimsted and Rutherford, $760; Preakness, $280; Alipita, $255; Wild Idle, $200. Rutherford and Wild Idle were leading when passing the grandstand. The first time at the furlong Wild Idle went out, Rutherford second. Wild Idle led for a mile and a quarter, when Preakness went up and took the lead. On coming the home stretch Springbok too issued with the leader and a most exciting race took place, at the stand both horses running neck and neck. A dead heat was announced amid cheers. Grimsted 3^rd. Time 3:56.—fastest on record. Aaron Pennington fourth, Alipita fifth, Rutherford sixth, Wild Idle last. The dead heat will be run off after the last race.

The Commonwealth, Friday, July 30, 1875.

Omaha, July 29. The Indian Commissioners while here made several important discoveries as to the way supplies have been furnished Indians. One miller testified to having put up 87 pounds in sacks that he knows were issued in at 100 lbs., and a beef contractor lost by freezing 100 head of cattle that the Indian agent gave receipts for.

FROM WICHITA.

Fight Between Texas Herders and Osages.

One Indian Killed and Scalped and Others Wounded.

The Commonwealth, August 1, 1875.

Special Dispatch to the Commonwealth.

WICHITA, July 2.

Jewett has just arrived from Skeleton Creek, where he participated in an Indian fight day before yesterday.

A band of Osages failing to blackmail some Texas herders bound for this point, took, forcibly, fifty head of cattle, when the herders opened on them, killing and scalping one Indian and wounding others.

A company of soldiers are in pursuit of the Indians. MURDOCK.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, August 4, 1875.

A correspondent from Houston, Kansas, enclosed two slips of paper taken from the New York Witness. They are editorials on the Indian question, and taking the usual Eastern humanitarian view. They revive the old story of “Captain Ricker, of Kansas, with forty-one citizens, attacked the Indians and killed four and carried off their entire property.” The truth about this has been told over and over again and it is hardly necessary to repeat it. The Indians were off their reservation, whites had been killed, the Indians approached Captain Ricker’s camp and before they found out that they were armed they showed acts of aggression. The militia attacked them and killed four and confiscated their property, which was sold, and the proceeds are in the State Treasury, as they should have done. We can inform our correspondent, Orin G. Nevins, the reason why this story is revived. Parties interested have got up a claim on the Government for $15,000 damages for the property destroyed by the Kansas militia, and Indian Agent Gibson wants to handle that money. Then again, Agent Gibson is now being investigated at Coffeyville, in this State, by a commission, and he revives that yarn in hopes to throw dirt in the eyes of the commission. This is why such papers at the New York Witness have been misled into publishing such statements as those sent us. We can tell Mr. Nevins and others that Agent Gibson will be removed and an honest man put in his place, and then we shall hear no more about Captain Ricker nor the $5,000 that he hopes to, but won’t handle. We say above that Agent Gibson is being investigated at Coffeyville. We suppose this to be so, as from private sources we learned last week that the commission would be there last Saturday night.

FROM THE SOUTHWEST.

The Commonwealth, August 5, 1875.

To the Editor of the Commonwealth.

Tell your readers this is no town-site advertisement. From forty miles beyond railroads and telegraphs, let me send you a word of cheer. I am glad the COMMONWEALTH has adopted the feature of giving court news, decisions and law points arising under our code in different districts of the State. This will grow to be important and interesting if persevered in. I congratulate you for having taken the right position upon the proposed amendments to the constitution. Biennial legislatures are a humbug. Give them hot shot. I cannot hope to load your pen with arguments. The desire to have the legislature meet once in two years arises from a public disgust at those that have met. But if those of the past were so bad, a one year lease was time enough to give them. Don’ make it two years, for we have no assurance that the future legislator will be any wiser. In a democratic form of government, the people’s representatives cannot meet too often. If a two years term is good, a four years term is better, and six years still better, and ten years gives a further improvement, and a hereditary monarchy the best. The exercise of authority and accountability, therefore, in representation should follow each other close.

Please don’t precipitate failure by prophetic misgivings upon our effort to establish co-operative associations in the agricultural interests. Cowley County has 25,000 acres of winter wheat and 40,000 acres of corn in her lap whose aggregated bushels number of 2,000,000; and scattered about her hands and feet are other crops and products in proportion. We are just selfish enough to want the highest market price for them exclusive of commissions. You who have nothing to sell, to eat or to wear, like Flora McFimsey, of Madison Square, should cheer us in our efforts to furnish you food from our burdensome plenty. The question of making one bushel carry several to market is what we are trying to solve. Perhaps it has not dawned upon your vision that the two southern tier of counties in Kansas embrace the best winter wheat growing region in the United States, but it nevertheless a fact. We want your railroad men to act accordingly. Why don’t Topeka push a railroad to the Walnut Valley via Eureka, thereby anticipating an outlet to Kansas City? Topeka might as well be the granary of southwestern Kansas as that Kansas City should be. I believe this is a question worthy the consideration of your capitalists. The floods you have heard of this way have not effected more than a tenth of the wheat crop and have added very largely to the other crops. The rains have enabled the farmers to break more sod this season than in any of the three preceding years together. Last year our winter wheat crop was 200,000 bushels; this year 500,000; next year 1,000,000.

Politically the Reformers here away are terribly at sea. Good crops and a promising market are terrible drawbacks to howlers.

Tell the hungry of Doniphan and other counties to call on us for food if they need it. **

Winfield, Kansas, Aug. 2^nd.

STATE ITEMS.

The Commonwealth, August 5, 1875.

The Larned Press comes out bigger and better than before.

The Commonwealth, August 5, 1875.

Col. T. W. McKinnie has been elected superintendent of schools at Fort Scott.

The Commonwealth, August 5, 1875.

The Columbus Avalanche says that Cherokee County stands debtor to the State to the amount of about $19,000.

The Commonwealth, August 5, 1875.

E. A. Skinner, formerly of the Durfee House, Lawrence, succeeds H. S. Pike as steward of the Kansas penitentiary.

The Commonwealth, August 5, 1875.

Five of the military prisoners escaped from Fort Leavenworth at about 10 o’clock Tuesday morning. Two of them were recaptured.

The Commonwealth, August 5, 1875.

The Arkansas City Traveler says that it costs $100 to freight one car load of lumber from Wichita to Arkansas City, and the experiment of rafting it down the Arkansas is to be tested soon. It is estimated it can be brought down on the river for fifteen dollars per car load.

The Commonwealth, August 5, 1875.

The Humboldt Union says: Allen County contains fifty-four schoolhouses, one of brick, four of stone, and forty-nine frame. Last year the valuation on these buildings and grounds was $46,000, on the furniture $5,700, making a total of $52,300. This speaks very well for education in the county.

The Commonwealth, August 5, 1875.

In June last a girl named Anna Pendra disappeared from her father’s house near Troy. Lately the body of a woman was found in the river a few miles away which proved to be hers. There is a mystery about it which it is hoped will be cleared up. She was 17 years old.

KANSAS CHURCHES.

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

The United Brethren in Christ have dedicated a church at Osage City.

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

The ladies of Lincoln Centre have organized a “Church Building Association.”

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

Rev. Mr. Overstreet, of Emporia, organized the first church in Pawnee County, in Larned.

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

The Sabbath Schools of Independence are increasing largely in numbers and the interest is also increasing.

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

The clergymen of Arkansas City have agreed to hold a series of union meetings for the discussion of the Sabbath question.

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

The Congregational Church of Independence is not only out of debt, but has eighty-five cents in the treasury.

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

Rev. Allen Buckner, Presiding Elder of Wichita district, wants six ministers to supply charges that have lately lost their pastors.

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

The Emporia district, South Kansas Conference, camp meeting will be held at Hartford, Lyon County, commencing Thursday, September 2, 1875.

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

Rev. F. T. Ingalls, of Atchison, has gone to New England, where he will spend his summer vacation. He will be absent about the 1^st of September.

The Commonwealth, August 8, 1875.

Rev. Mr. Wade, who has been preaching for the Presbyterian congregation at Perry, goes to Holton, having received a call from the church at that point.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Commonwealth, August 11, 1875.

THE CHOCTAWS.

Atoka, I. T., Aug. 10. Col. Boudinot addressed the Choctaws today at this place, By invitation of nearly all the prominent citizens in this vicinity, Col. Coleman, colored, occupied a seat on the stand, and at the close of the Colonel’s speech, made some remarks eulogistic of Col. Boudinot and substantially indorsing his position. At the close of the meeting the Caddo resolutions, with others of equal significance, were unanimously adopted. Many prominent citizens were present from all parts of the Choctaw Nation. The principle of free discussion is fully established, and the people are determined that the questions affecting their social and political rights shall have a patient hearing in the Territory. Col. Boudinot has invitations to speak in all the important points in the Indian Territory.

The Circuit County, Judge Loring Folsom, presiding, is in session here.

There is an important educational meeting here tonight.

Major Geo. Ingalls, the U. S. Indian Agent for all the civilized nations, is here. He is doing much good in developing the material, educational, and religious interests of the people, and is a very popular public official.

The Commonwealth, August 11, 1875.

GRASSHOPPERS.

Topeka, Aug. 10. Reports from the west will show multitudes of grasshoppers flying southward. They have appeared in Kansas City, and in some localities where they have been thick for several days past, none were found today. The damage reported is light.

The Commonwealth, August 11, 1875.

SOME LITIGATION.

Omaha, Aug. 10. The United States District Attorney, according to instructions from Washington, has begun suit—against J. C. Baker, formerly Indian Agent, and his bondsmen, to recover the sum of $16,000, the balance due the Government. The summons [?] date back to 1862. Suit is also to be brought against R. W. Tarbes, for failure on hay contract. The District Attorney is preparing to bring suits against some other citizens of the State, some of the most prominent politicians. [Item was hard to read.

The Commonwealth, August 11, 1875.

TAILOR’S UNION.

St. Louis, August 10. The tenth annual convention of the Tailor’s Protective Union met here today, J. Monteath, President, in the chair, and after transacting some routine business, adjourned till tomorrow. A large number of delegates were present, and the convention will probably be in session three or four days.