Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-11-17


and benjamin. Chase, Committee on In
dian Affairs, from the Society of Friends.
-, - =. oMAHAs.
Tbjss Reservation is located directly
sonth Of the Winnebagoes. containing
105 600 acres. In quality ana enaracter
II is much the same as that OF the WIN
nabayoes. This tribe numbers i,UItT
ssi families, about 40lof whom are living
in houses. The remainder i've mostly
in dirt lodges, constructed by setting up
IN :. + sticks about six feet long, and |
s',att9in,, them together with wikiow
snrouts and bark; then another course
,gaced on the topzof these, the upper
ends supported by poles and posts, ana
them one more length reaching TO the
ton leaving hoiesome two and q hail
or three feet in diameter for the smoke
to nass thro1gh and to give light IN the
lodge no windows being used. Ihe en-
traf,ea 10 the lodge is about SIX feet hign
and the .same width, built in the same
,yays Ali of which iscoyered with prairie
grsss and then dirt TO form roof. There
being no apartments. & they1iyea number
offamilies in one lodge, in a very un,
Comfortable, unhealthy and demorailzeo
condition
able to procure for themselves anything
more costly and better We ss W many
of the boys up to ten or twelve years OF
age naked. or nearly so, only wearing q
Snort shirt or slip-a scene lamentaole
To behold. one that language would fail
to describe. Fine, healthy, intelligent
Iookina men. women and children as
we woiiId see in any circle, compelled
to live in this waysin . land boosting It's
tb3osa,Tds of advantages-a people pro-
cla;minp to the world their ever readl-
nsss 10 contribute to the poor anu SUI.
ferirp1of their fellow beings! Yes, ana
we are willing to believe, that, couIG
they see them as they are, they woqiu
Gladly divide with these suffering IN
dians. who have been compelled oy tne
force OF circumstances to be shut OIL
from the advantages OF civillzatioh.
This tribe may be considered as peace
abfe and intelligent. They are fine in
form and of intelligent appearance, be-
.peaking that they may be elevated to
the ENJOYMENT of the noble rights OF
citizens. -
Agent DR.: Edward Painter was the
first to complete the survey and allot-
ments of their lands in severalty. They
now express their anxiety to have as
s;stance to buiId for themselves houses,
fbat theymay move from their most
miserable habitations and live like the
white man. Each head of family re-
ceiyes 100 acres, and each single person
of eighteen, years and oser, ~ acres.
phisstribe receives S20,0O0 IN money
annuity. but which, before it is divided,
is so reduced by the Agent, employees,
and many expenses, that each person,
we are told receives only about thirteen
dollars. : Will yoil- wonder why this
neopIe do not dress and live different?
ON this Reservation is q line lake,
from which the Indians catch a large
amount of Fish, weighing probably
twelve to, fifteen pounds. They have a
seine.sent them by the Government,
which is of much use to them- .l..
The farmer reports 600 acres planted
TO corn. los soWn to wheat at 90 TO po-
tatoes and OATS The planting, we un-
derstand, was Il done by the Indians.
Afterthe ground was prepared each
family took their patch and were TO cui
tivate it for their Individual. use. They
have fortyr yoke of oxen, about forty
head of other. cattle, seven huhuTeO
ponies. about fifty hogs, forty lumber
wagons, sixty plows, five mowers ano
someEother small agriculturai impie-
meflts.H .s.,.,.,- .7,.r-. --.r-.. -a-r =
The white employees are a farmer
two carpenters, engineer, assistant en-
eineer. : miIer,i blacksmith and brick
maker. Under the direction and with
the assistance Of these employees, the
Indians do all the werk- k-ef raising the
crops, building, &c. Wesaw company
OF Indians building post and pole fence,
which they were hired to do by the
panel. IL was wei done, aud the. farm
er saidtiiat they worked very expertly
at it. This tribe usually went on the
buffalo hunt once a year. .1.hefi Agent
told us that he thought it was disad-
vantage to them, as they were too far
TIere we're eng aged With the car
penfer 1--WE Indian apprentices, whom
he reported as working well--fully
equal to white young men. Agent
Painter informed US that he should soon
start another company OF J 'ung uen al
carpentering, who would be mainly en-
gagged in builiing hou es for the Indi-
ans. He had one nearly finished, built
by the present company. We examined
the work; it did them much credit. The
Agent informed US that he was about to
build school house near the Agency,
and one further off on the prairie.
We visited the spot where Agent
Painter was arranging for the manufac'
ture of brick, which was on the side Of
a
with bed of good moulding sand, suf
teiently slevated to admit of its being
brought to the place of using by cars
whose weight would run them down.
There was also fine spring OF watel
equally convenient and OF superior
quality. not often found there 1t is saIo
that this is the only knowE bed OF good
brick cIay for many miles around, either
in Nebraska or Iowa, which lies JUS
across the Missouri, River.
We went to the Presbyterian Mission
School, which was formerly boarding
school. under the care of William ii
Hapiilton. pastor. of the Mission, VINO
said he had been engaged thirty three
years in the education of the Indians
aud expected to spend the remainder o
his days among, them. The school i:
now taught by Joel Warner, son-in-law
of Hamilton, as a day school. The
nimber of scholars, having been very
smoil. was now about thirty-five.
We also visited the steam FIGURING
mill and saw mill, both in running orGer
We then passed over a fine and produc
tive bottom to where the Indians hat
cut and drawn out large number o
cotton wood sawlogs, to take 10 the mil
to have cut into lumber to build then
houses of. We were told that the Indi
ans had, cut about 2,0O0l logs 1or ina
purposesosAfter the first of 7th month
we were informed, that an InGian woult
occupy the position of head farmer, th'
Agent claiming that he was competen
for the position. ,l
On the first day, the 9Th of the month
we held meeting with the Indians a
me of their villages, in the open air.
We had the company of several of th'
employees, and DR.. Hamilton and fam
ily DR.. Hamilton. addressed the meet
ing. We expeetedto have met larg'
number of the Indians, but from SOM