----- Original Message -----
From: "LaVerne Andreessen" <LWAndreessen@f...>
To: <BRHSlist@Y...>
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 10:17 PM
Subject: Re: [BRHSlist] Gold
>
>
> qutlx1@a... wrote:
>
> > Just for something a little lighter than the BRT files I've been reading
> > "Son
> > of the Morning Star" which is a partial biography of G.A. Custer.
>
>
>
> Not in the BRT files, but as an aside I submit the following
> story. Twenty five years ago, it was my good fortune to receive
> many letters from and spend many hours with a retired Milwaukee
> agent/telegrapher. He told how his grandfather worked on "the
> government telegraph line" in South Dakota territory, and how he
> personally knew General Custer. He also knew General Sully, who
> was his Grandad's favorite. Many evenings General Custer would
> come in and dictate a long winded report which Grandad had to send
> on to Washington DC. My friend also wrote "this happened before
> General Custer moved out for his final hair-do."
>
> lwa
>
>
>
The mention of Custer reminds me that the Crow tribe, which fought on
Custer's side (based on "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" principle)
against the Sioux and Cheyenne. When the CB&Q wanted to build a line
through the Crow reservation, the tribe agreed, providing the railroad
would let the Crow people ride the train without cost. When the
railroad petitioned to discontinue the Omaha-Billings train, the tribe
objected, on the grounds that dropping the train would be a treaty violation.
The railroad got to drop the train anyway, and as I recall, it stopped the
train in mid-route, leaving passengers (including a congressman) stranded. The
case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the
railroad. Personally, I thought the tribe had a good case. (But then I thought
Al Gore had a good case two years ago!)
Steve Wylder
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