New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-30


really bad The Professor said that the sample must
determine that He had seen -four Of similar appear
ance certainly equally dark in color fall ont OF n
sack that was distributed on that occasion ut that
Agency The sack burst ms n squaw was lifting 1t on
her back and the Professor saw the Hour IA 1t
spilled. In connection with this subject he men
toned an instance of which he had heard
on good authority, but could not certify
10 as of his own knowledge where
honesty would seem to have been impossible Flour
was delivered ut one Of the Sioux agencies several
hundred miles from Omaha at "A lower price than 1t
sold for at Omaha, whence 1t was brought. IhO
facts of this case we're well known at the West, ana
names could b. given if wanted to verify the facts
no honest delivery of the flour could have been
made. since the whole cost of transportation from
Omaha wOud in that case have been an absolute
loss 70 the contractor
The Professor, replying to other inquiries, de-
scribed the mode of issue OF beef cattle TO the In
dams This was new to the members of Board
only one of them seemed to be familiar with the pro-
cedurc. The cattle are Turned out between long
rows of Indians each lot being announced Win the
band il belongs 10. The Indians, on horseback,
start in pursuit OF their animals; few arrows goad
the eat tie TO their highest speed and pretty soon the
whole pIain is dotted with flying figures, pursuing
and pursued while the rattle of muskctry resembles
q battle The beeves are at last shot down ana
elaughtercd III the open field. the hides
and most Il the meat are carried of by the JOINT
efforts OF Indians and squaws. The Professor had
never seen so much actual work done by Indians III
one day as al the beef at the Red Cloud Agency
"What was the quality OF the cattle !" aSdcd n
Commissioner. "IcNas cattle, large boned and lean
nj that" replied the Professor. "Ihcy Ought to
have been fat in the Fall if ever" said one of the
Board The Professor is a pretty good Indigo OF AMI
mails Int after stating that he shoud jndge thor
weight 10 he considerably under loco pounds each,
he gave to the BoaId tue names of two trustworthy
| and competent persons who had carefully examined
| the cattle and pronounced them under weight.
| TIL, Professor had not brought the samples With
! him to the meeting At the request of the Board he
went TO his hotel and obtained them. They were
! very closely inspected. The sugar was tolerahlc;
| the -four very inferior; the coffee, mostly lot 0i
little, black, worthless beans the tobacco rotten.
| No member Of the Board would admit that he was
good judge of tobacco As Ia the general inienorty
of the samples to the goods sent ont. there could be
10 doubt There was not much SAID on The theory
! that the samples bad been picked OIt of old or
| prrvions lois and laid aside for this purpose.
! "Thcsc are rot the goods purchased said one oi
! the members and none seemed disposed 10 take adj
vantage Of the suggestion made at Washington, that
in some previous years inferior ratons had been sent
out. Something must be done To reform this bust
ness even if it is necessary for US to put special
agent on every barrel of -four said one Of the more
impulsive Commissioners" "Yon forget" said an
other, THAT he would eat M the flour on the way"
There was only one Of the Board who really
seemed TO doubt whether there were great
abuses of which these were only surface indications.
lie objected on general grounds, and harangued The
Board in the nearest approach 10 a speech that was
I made by any of the members H. stated that be
had himself Travelled much among the Indians and
brco le familiar with The condition Of Indian affairs
about thirty years ago. recent t'ur of inspection
showed such immonse Improvement That II we
looked at tine advantages gained, the matters before
us would seem insignificant. Nineteen ont Of twenty
of Indian wrongs had been rigItcd. 1t was not now
/ a universal scene of corruption and mSinanage-
ncnt. He especially instancod the improved condi-
ton of things in tho Indian Territory, W hic he de
clared was in several respects far ahead OF other
Territories; notably in the number of children at
tending school. On being asked whether the total
number of children in indian Territory exceeded
those in Utah. tho Commissioner said he had not eX-
anned that point, but ho felt that l.dlan Tor
ritOry was ahead III Otnar respects.
III response to questions Prof. Marsh spoke good
word for the indian traders class. He thought
they were not Is bad IS they had been represented
He named as an instance Of the best sort, MI j. W.
Dear, a trader al the Red Cloud Agency. Mr.. Dear
seemed to him not only straightforward, honest
man, but one of marked ability, who had clear and
last comprehension Of Indian character lie the
only man at the Agency who aid not lose his head
during the exciting scenes that preceded Prof.
Mar,h's departure for thu bone district. In
answer further inquiries, the Professor stated that
his acquaintance with Indian pecuartles aud Affairs
was not derived from this trip alone, but from Sc
res Of exp liiions during several successive years
and extending from the Missouri River To California
ic had taken great interest in Indian, from an eth
biological point of view. One of the Commissioners
expressed the opinion that the Sioux, if not the
worst, were among the worst Indians with whom
they had to deal. TO this view, Prof. Marsh took
grave exception. lie regarded them as Of IA higher
order of intellectual development than the other
tribes; among their chiefs there were many of
marked intelligence; a whole, he considered the
Sioux a. belonging To Il much higher type than tho
average Indian-the highest that he had met with
in his experience. Gen. Siblcy of the Commits
soncrs, fully agreed with the Professor in this
opinion.
Another question brought ont a remarkable state
ment respecting the asceTtained distance from Chey
emo to the Red Cloud Agency. There has been
considerable discussion this point, on the ground
that the contractors had overstatcd the distance in
charging by the mile for Transportation between
those points. Prof. Marsh said it would be an
| easy matter TO decide this controversy by
reference to an official measurement by
means of the odoneter; survey which
is now on record at Cheyenne. in the Office of the
Suryeyor-Gencral of Wyoming There was q rIn-
ming discussion after this statement As to whether
the large difference might not be referred to the