Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1873-02-27
The Indian Agents and Traders.


The Indian has no means of know
ing how much in value or how many
presents of any particular kind the
Government, the "Great Father" as
he terms it, has sent him. For knowl-
edge on this point he must accept the
statement of the agent. The goods
sent by the Government are generally
those which most please an Indians
fancy. The Indian trader usually keeps
goods of a similar character. The ira
der is most frequently particular
friend of the agent, often associated
with him in business, and in many in
stances holds his position of trader at
the instance of the agent. They are
always located near each other. The
trader IS usually present at the distri-
button of annuities. If the agent, in
stead of distributing to the Indians all
of the goods intended for them by the
Government, only distributes one half
and retains the other half, who is to be
the wiser? Not the Indian, defraud-
ed though he may be, for he Is igno-
! rant Of how much is coming to him.
The word of the agent is his only guide.
He may complain little, express some
disappointment at the limited amount
of presents, and intimate that the
NGreat Father" has dealt out the annui-
ties with sparing hand; but the agent
explains it by referring to some depre-
dations which he knows the tribe to
have been guilty of in times past; or
if he is not aware Of any particular in
stance of guilt, he charges them gener-
ally with having committed such acts,
knowing one can scarcely go amiss in
accusing tribe of occasionally Staying
a white man, and ends up his charge
by informing them that the ~:'Great
Father" learning of these little irreg-
ularities in their conduct, and being
panied greatly thereat, felt compelled
to reduce their allowance of blankets,
sugar, coffee, ETC., when at the same
time the missing portion of said allow
ance is safely secured in the storehouse
of the agent near by. Well, but how
can he enrich himself in this manner?
1t may be asked. By simply, and unr
seen by the Indians, transferring the
unissued portion of the annuities from
his government storehouse to the ira
ding establishment of his friend the
trader. There the boxes are unpacked
and their contents spread out for barter
with the Indians. The latter, in graft
flying their wants, are forced to.pur-
chase from the trader at prices which
are scores of times the value of the ar
ticle offered. 1 have seen Indians dis
pose of buffalo robes to traders, which
were worth from fifteen to twenty dol
lars each, and get in return only ten to
twenty cups of brown sugar, the entire
value of which did not exceed two or
three dollars. This one of the many
ways agents and traders have of amass-
ing sudden wealth. 1 have known the
head chiefs of a tribe to rise in coun-
ell in the presence of other chiefs and
of officers of the army, and accuse his
agent, then present, of these or similar
dishonest practices. Is it to be Won
dered at that the position of trader
among the Indians is greatly sought
after by men determined to become
rich, but not particular as to the man.
ner of doing so? Or is it to be won
dered at that army officers, who are
often made aware of the injustice done |
the Indian, yet are powerless to pre-
vent it, and who trace many of our
difficulties with the Indians to these
causes, should urge the adjustment of
a system which has proven itself so
fruitful in fraud and dishonest dealing
towards those whose interests it should |
be their duty to protect.-"LVe on the
Palms"