234 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



[Aran. 11, 1889. 



within the Park limits, but claimed that their hunting 

 had been done outside. The attitude, of the party was 

 saucy and aggressive, and, of course, Wilson's little party 

 was powerless to do more than warn them out of the 

 Park, Fortunately, the copious rainfall of that season 

 prevented the destructive spread of the fires started by 

 these hunting parties. 



In the early spring of 1888 Captain Harris, the .Super- 

 intendent of the Park, invited the attention of the Depart- 

 ment of the Interior to this subject, and was assured 

 that such instructions would be given to the various In- 

 dian agents as would keep the Indians away from the 

 vicinity of the Park. But with the month of August 

 last came reports that a band of at least 100 Bannock 

 Indians were traveling westward aloug the southern 

 boundary of the Park. This band was subsequently 

 located on Pacific Creek, about ten miles south of the 

 Park line, where they hunted for several weeks. A band 

 of seven lodges of Bannocks from Fort Hall and Lemhi 

 located themselves on Snake River, some three or four 

 miles south of the Park line, toward the last of August, 

 and continued to hunt in that region, with the usual con- 

 comitant of forest fires, until the latter part of October. 

 Fortunately the (ires started by these Indians last sum- 

 mer did not reach the Parle. 



The facts concerning the operations of these Indians 

 during the summer and fall of 1888 have been recently 

 testified to in the form of affidavits by several gentlemen 

 acquainted with the circumstances. These affidavits were 

 made at the request of the Park Superintendent, presum- 

 ably with the intention of bringing the matter officially 

 before the Interior Department. But I will not at this 

 time occupy more of your valuable space. I have de- 

 sired only to invite attention to this subject, the import- 

 ance of which would appear to render it worthy of the 

 interest and attention of the readers of the Forest and 

 Stream, and all others who believe that the forests and 

 game of the Great West are worth protecting. Certainly 

 if the protection of the game in the Yellowstone National 

 Park is to have no better object than to contribute to the 

 support of the surrounding Indian tribes, it does not 

 appear to be absolutely essential that a portion of the 

 United States Army should be used for that purpose. 



Montana. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



Ever since this Park has been a reservation set apart for 

 a pleasure ground and for a timber and game preserve, 

 it has annually been invaded by bands of Indians from 

 the Lemhi and Fort Hall agencies, in parties of from ope 

 to twenty lodges. For the past three years they have 

 been removed from the limits of the Park, when found 

 inside the boundary, only to camp just outside, where 

 they hunt and slaughter the Park game, besides destroy- 

 ing the timber by fire. 



Their principal hunting ground has been in the southern 

 part of the Park, on the headwaters of the Snake River, 

 on the headwaters of the Gallatin and Madison rivers in 

 and immediately about the northern and western portions 

 of the Park. Occasionally small parties of Shoshones 

 from the Washiki agency have ranged through here. 

 They usually confine themselves to the headwaters of 

 Buffalo Fork of Snake River, to Wind River and the 

 mountains south and east of this reservation. 



These Indians, besides killing great quantities of game 

 and burning vast tracts of forest- setting out fires pur- 

 posely to aid in their hunting expeditions, fires that often 

 extend into the Park — meet the whisky traders, to whom 

 they pay or trade anything that they may possess to ob- 

 tain the vilest kind of liquors. Every summer since 

 white men have been in the Park, great clouds of smoke 

 have been seen rising in the south and west, telling but 

 too plainly that the Indians were out on their annual 

 hunts. Since there has been considerable travel here, 

 and since scouting parties have been regularly sent out, 

 it has been possible to trace all these fires to Indians. 

 The fires have started either from camps from which 

 they had lately moved, or the Indian hunters ha ve fired 

 the country purposely to assist them in their hunts. It 

 is a well-known fact that Indians use. these fires for hold- 

 ing or driving the game, cutting off their retreat in one 

 direction or driving it from a section difficult to hunt in. 



Since the disappearance of the buffalo the Bannocks 

 have hunted in the mountains about the Park, and since 

 the game has been protected here it has increased to 

 such an extent that to-day these mountains are the finest 

 and best-stocked hunting grounds in the whole coun- 

 try, a fact the Indians have not been slow to learn. 

 They flock about the reservation in greatly increasing 

 numbers every year, often extending their hunts into the 

 Park or passing through portions of it in moving from one 

 game range to another, as the animals they are in pur- 

 suit of become scarce or arc driven off. They kill and 

 dry great quantities of meat. I will give them credit 

 for not wasting much, for they dry hides, meat, paunch 

 and some of the intestines for winter use. 



When hunting about the Park they are in the Territories 

 of Montana, Idaho or Wyoming, where game is protected 

 by law for most of the summer, but these Indians hunt 

 at all seasons, knowing no law nor regarding any. A 

 white man acting as they do would be subject to fine or 

 imprisonment, or both. These Indians have large reser- 

 vations on which they are supposed to stay, where they 

 are fed and clothed at the expense of the Government; 

 reservations from which a white man is expelled if there 

 without a permit. 



A great portion of the southern part of the Park, and 

 nearly all that country to the south, of it which has been 

 frequented by Indian hunting parties, has been burned 

 over within comparatively a few years. What little 

 green timber there is is small second growth, or timber so 

 favorably located that fires could not spread in it. The 

 Indian does not have a thought for the morrow, as by the 

 fires he sets out he often blockades the trail he wishes to 

 travel the next year, and renders the country about im- 

 passable for himself or any one else. No particular 

 attention has been paid to the work or movements of the 

 Indians in or about the Park Reservation except in a 

 general way, until within the past three years. 



In 1886, during the month of September-, from seven to 

 ten lodges of Bannocks came into the Park on the north 

 and camped on the Gallatin, where they commenced their 

 summer hunt, killing a great many elk. The officers in 

 command of the troops here sent a detachment of men 

 under an officer who induced them to leave the Park. 

 In moving out they camped on one of the forks of the 

 Madison. From this camp a fire started that burned over ! 



thousands of acres of green timber wholly within the 

 Park. The fire swept over on to the Gallatin and burned 

 for weeks. The clouds of smoke could be seen for 

 hundreds of miles, and was noticed by many of the 

 tourists who visited the Park at this time. 



There was another party of Indians on the southern 

 borders of the Park, and another fire there. These 

 Indians lingered about the reservation until they had 

 killed all the meat they wanted, and the fires burned 

 without being checked until the storms of Oct. 8 and 9. 



In 1887 the Park was again visited by Bannocks, They 

 were removed, but continued to hunt until they had ob- 

 tained all- the meat they wanted. Fortunately this was 

 a very rainy season, the frequent showers extinguishing 

 the fires as soon as started. The Indians about the Gal- 

 latin and Madison Mountains were from Lemhi. Those 

 on the south were from Fort Hall reservation. Some- 

 times parties went from one reservation to another, 

 crossing the southwest corner of the Park at the head of 

 Falls River. 



In 1888 the Indians confined their operations more to 

 the south and west. In July there was a party of four- 

 teen lodges of Bannocks on Pacific Creek, within ton 

 miles of the Park; they camped there several weeks, 

 hunting from their camp in all directions; as the best 



round to hunt over and the most game was in the 



irection of the Park, it is supposed they killed most of 

 their game there. 



In September the. Government scout and soldiers saw 

 several lodges of Indians moving toward the Park and 

 but a few miles from it. They had great quantities of 

 meat, A few days later a gentleman from Portland, Me. 

 with his party of guide and packer, saw what was sup- 

 posed to be the same Indians, Bannocks. Four lodges 

 were camped on Polecat Creek, where the trail crosses, 

 and twelve lodges were camped on the other side of Snake 

 River, a little further down. The first party was a mile 

 and a half from the Park, the second about three, On 

 about the 26th of October a band of seven lodges of Ban- 

 nocks were camped on the Snake five miles above Jack- 

 son's Lake. These had been to the Wind River Reserva- 

 tion, had been hunting all the way up without killing 

 much. At the Snake River camp they killed a great 

 many elk, loading most of their pack horses. From here 

 they moved to the Falls River Basin, which lies mostly in 

 the Park, where they were going to continue their hunt. 



At Jackson's Lake it was learned that Indians had been 

 camped about there most of the summer, one party hav- 

 ing remained there from some time in July to the first of 

 October. It was by this party without a doubt that the 

 extensi ve fire was started on the north end of the Teton 

 Range. This fire did not reach the Park, but destroyed 

 a vast extent of very heavy timber and was not entirely 

 extinguished until the last of October. It is impossible to 

 estimate the amount of damage done by these roving 

 bands of redskins. No one can form an idea of it until 

 he attempts to travel through the country where these 

 fires have burned. 



Captain Harris has done everything he could to keep 

 these Indians away, sending out scouting parties and 

 moving them off the reservation when they are found 

 on it. H. 

 Yellowstone National Paris, March 4. 



Editor Forest and Stream: 



The time has come to call attention to a growing evil, 

 which, if not checked promptly and effectually, will tend 

 to nullify the efforts of the United States Government in 

 the National Park in protecting what is left of the 

 American big game, and saving from destruction the 

 great tracts of forest which cover this portion of the 

 country. 



The injury to both game and forest is largely, and I 

 may say almost entirely, due to the Indians who leave 

 their reservations in the summer and early fall to hunt 

 along the eastern, western and southern boundaries of the 

 Park. It is probable that the Indians from the following- 

 four agencies are the ones who should be restrained: 

 Northeast of the Park there is the large and fertile Crow 

 reservation, the Indians from which hunt down along the 

 mountains which lie to the east of the Park. To the 

 southeast lies the Wind River agency of Shoshones and 

 Arapahoes, the Indians from which, by passing up the 

 head of Wind River, easily reach fine hunting grounds 

 immediately south of the Park. These Indians also hunt 

 north along the mountains to the eastward of the Park. 

 Some distance to the southwest is the Fort Hall reserva- 

 tion of Shoshones and Bannocks. These Indians travel 

 northeasterly, and, by working around the head of the 

 Teton range of mountains, reach and hunt the same 

 country that the Indians from the Wind River agency do. 

 To the northwest is the Lemhi agency, the Indians from 

 which probably hunt along the western side of the Park. 



Within the Park the most stringent regulations con- 

 cerning camp-fires are enforced, and very properly, to 

 provide against forest fires: and it is absolutely prohib- 

 ited that any game whatsoever shall be killed. To see 

 that the law is enforced annually costs the Government 

 a certain amount of money, and a certain number of 

 men to carry out the existing laws; but it is absolutely 

 impossible for a handful of men to perf ectlyguard and pro- 

 tect 3.600 square miles of wild mountainous country. Is it 

 not folly then for the Government to permit the Indians 

 to lay in thsir winter supply of meat from the very bands 

 of game they are trying to protect, especially as the 

 methods employed by the Indians to capture their game 

 embraces ruthless and indiscriminate slaughter, in and 

 out of season, of either sex at any age, and a serious 

 destruction of standing timber by the fires they build to 

 confuse game and keep the animals from going in any 

 certain direction to escape their foes? 



I think I can safely say that these hunting parties of 

 Indians do more damage than all the white men put 

 together, with the exception of that abominable type of 

 English pot-hunter, who desecrates the name of sports- 

 man. This type is probably growing scarce, and I am 

 inclined to think a much better and more unselfish class 

 of sportsmen than formerly annually visit us from 

 abroad. In any event, the white hunter can be dealt 

 with whether he be a professional hunter, hunting for 

 meat, horns or hide, to sell to him too lazy to get them 

 for himself, or the contemptible pot-hunter that kills 

 every animal unfortunate enough to come within the 

 utmost range of his rifle. 



The game laws of Wyoming are, upon the whole, ex» ( 

 oellent, and they give us control over the above-men- 1 



tioned white offenders. They can be and are deterred 

 from carrying out their murderous proclivities. But alas! 

 Who can control the Indians? The white man, be he 

 settler, game constable or philanthropist, cannot, their 

 agents say they cannot, and the laws do not seem to. 

 The Government, therefore, should be urged to take 

 proper measures to restrain their charges within proper 

 bounds; especially as the reservations are large and fully 

 adapted to the roving disposition of the Indians that in- 

 habit them. 



But do the Indians cause all this damage to the forest 

 and inflict such slaughter of game? The truth of this 

 would seem to he an easy matter to determine, and, in 

 fact, it is not difficult; so much testimony from so many 

 sources is available that it can no longer be doubted that 

 the Indians do incalculable damage every year. Capt. 

 Moses Harris, the very efficient acting Superintendent 

 of the National Park, has already called attention to the 

 damage done by the Indians from the Fort Hall and 

 Lemhi agencies, and he should be warmly supported in 

 his efforts to control the movements of the Indians and 

 keep them from the immediate vicinity of the Park. 



Probably I have said too much, and I will close with a 

 little personal testimony, and a request to any brother 

 sportsman who may read this to come forward and tell 

 what he knows about the subject, and there must be 

 many such whose testimony would aid very materially. 



In September, 1886, while exploring and hunting in the 

 Teton Mountains, I saw six lodges of Bannock Indians 

 from the Fort Hall reservation. These Indians had 

 pitched their camp on the northeast end of Jackson's 

 Lake, about ten miles south of the Park. I had a talk 

 with these Indians and watched them start off on their 

 daily hunt. I visited their camp and saw literally tons 

 of meat drying on the scaffolds. The Indians had killed 

 all the meat they wanted for their winter supply and 

 were then daily hunting Virginia or white-tailed deer for 

 buckskin. I saw a great many small fires that they had 

 built and there was then much smoke in the atmosphere. 

 Subsequently the fires increased and could be seen burn- 

 ing for many days. Evidences of Indians in other local- 

 ities were not wanting, and I was told by a trapper whom 

 I met on Snake River that a considerable number of Sho- 

 shones from the Wind River agency were hunting up 

 Buffalo Fork. Personally, I did not see these Indians, 

 but I have no reason to doubt the word of those that did 

 see them. 



During the fall of 1887 my father and Col. J. H. Jones 

 met Indians hunting not far from the north end of Jack- 

 son's Lake, pretty much where I met them the year 

 before. Last fall my father again saw Indians south of 

 the Park, near Two Ocean Pass, and later near the head- 

 waters of Wind River. During the fall of the year 1885 

 a hunting party of Crows came down from their reserva- 

 tion and in two days killed over 110 elk on Stinking 

 Water River where it comes out of th e mountains. During 

 the years 1886, '87 and '88, I know, from personal obser- 

 vation and other reliable sources, that Indians from both 

 the Crow and Wind River agencies were hunting along 

 the mountains that bound the Park on the east, killing 

 what they could find. During the last two years, however, 

 I will say there has been very much less hunting done by 

 these Indians to the eastward of the Park; due somewhat, 

 I suppose, to the scarcity of the game, but probably more 

 to the persistent efforts of some three or four right- 

 minded ranchmen trying to protect the game— I refer to 

 Mr. Otto Franc, Col. Pickett and Capt. Belknap, to whom 

 great credit is due for the stand they have taken. 



Now, Mr. Editor, in with your testimony. The Depart- 

 ment of the Interior is probably ready and willing to 

 move in the matter, and will certainly do all they can; 

 but they must have absolute proof of the facts that I have 

 called attention to. Archibald Rogers. 



Hyde Park, N. Y., April t». 



Captain Harris's last report to the Secretary of the In- 

 terior on this subject leads us to believe that the matter 

 has now assumed the form of a controversy between 

 the Superintendent on the one hand and the agents of 

 the Indians at Fort Hall and Lemhi, in which the Indian 

 Bureau seems disposed to sustain its agents. This is an 

 unfortunate condition of things. The Superintendent's 

 report is fortified by a number of affidavits made by men 

 of experience, and whose reliability will be vouched for 

 by many well-known gentlemen who have long been 

 familiar with the Park. These sworn statements cannot 

 be ignored and they establish Captain Harris's case. 

 Here are some of them: 



Countt of Park, i 

 TERRnouY of Montana. \ 6S ' 



Personalty appeared before me, R. T. Smith, a notary public, 

 one Elwood Hofer, who being duJy sworn according to law de- 

 posed and says: That for the past ten years he has been engaged 

 in the business of outfitting hunting and tourist parties, at and 

 in the vicinity of the Yellowstone National Park: that he is well 

 acquainted with the country surrounding said Park and the 

 boundaries of the same as far as determined; that during the 

 month of August 1888, he was in the region of country imme- 

 diately south of the Yellowstone Park in company with* Mr. W. 

 Hallett Phillips of Washington, D. C, and that while in camp on 

 Pacific Creek some Indians came into his camp and stated that 

 fourteen lodges of Bannock Indians were then in camp on the 

 same creek, about ten miles south of the Park line and ensraged 

 in hunting in a direction toward the National Park; and that 

 subsequently during the month of September 1888, he heing then 

 in company with Mr. Lewis A. Eldridge of Brooklyn, New York, 

 he visited the locality where these Indians had been in camp and 

 saw by the remains of camp-fires and other evidences that a 

 large number of Indians had been in camp at that place and had 

 beeu engaged in drying meat. 



And further that about the 24th day of October, 1889, he was 

 with the above named Mr. Lowis A. Eldridge on Snake River 

 about nine miles south of the southern boundary of the Yellow- 

 stone National Park, and at that place he found a camp of Ban- 

 nock Indians consisting of seven lodges, numbering probably 

 fifty people; that these Indians stated that they were from the 

 Fort Hall and Lemhi Agencies, and that they were then about to 

 return to their agencies, having had a successful hunt; that thoy 

 had a large quantity of dried meat aud hides in their possession; 

 and that upon the following day they started upon their return 

 with a large number of animals packed with dried meat going 

 toward the southwest corner of the Yellowstone National :Park, 

 paying that they were going to hunt on Fall River, which is 

 within the Park limits. 



The deponent further swears that at this time a forest fire was 

 raging in the country immediately south of the Park line, which 

 had destroyed the forest over an extent of many miles, and that 

 in his opinion this fire had. been started by Indian hunting par- 

 ties for the purpose of facilitating their hunting operations, or 

 through the careless use of fire. 



And further the deponent sayeth not, Elwooe* Hqjter, 



Subscribed and sworn to before 

 me this 3d day of "February, 

 1889. R. T. smvtjj. Notary Public. 



