Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-11-29
OUR INDIANS.

COMMISSIONER OF Indian Affairs has
been placed on our liable, u appears
that pany changes have been ln"dp
during the plat year IN the manage
mrnt III the Indian Office, md partirn'
larly the Agency lunineHH, which has
hitherto been such fruitful source ol
corruption. Tho Agents have nyS'e"'
atically cheated with one hand the GOV
eminent and with the other the In
dams. There have been, according Ia
this report, ihiriy'tyc removals hnd
now appointments 81 Agents, AMI II
general enforcement ii the rules "l Tho
office. Efforts ARE making 10 bring the
Indians Ia self support ut IN early day,
aud to educate their children. Tho In
suing oi sugar, coffee, tobacco, nhd
other luxufics haS been generally Tor
bildcn, except In return Tor labor The
reduction III the Agencies anu
tho consolidation oi' tho Indiana
up0n reservations where they can
better be- protected, hnH been attempted !;
also the lands vacated have been offered
inr sale, the price al which han been al
proprIatcd for the dclrnying oi ih" OK
pcusca of their removal, Instead al
thirty nix reservations IN heretofore,
occupying 2l,D22,5O7 acres, they VIII,
when the removal IN completed, occupy
but nine reservations with d,?W 62
acres. The Commissioner recommends
ain further reductions by removing the
major part Of The Indians "i New Mex
leo. Colorado aud Arizona int" the IN
dian Territory, ANIL the klamath ln-
dinns III Oregon Int" the Yakima li'S'f
Walton ia Washington Territory. Tie
recommends also that the Indiana, "iIrn
consolidated In one or II lew territories,
be- given their land IN parcels OF 80 az
100 acres, and that they have II secuted
Ia them hy the government, Without
power W. r'llI HI'h'FhE't w ''"''' ~ ~
prcsrnt hc claims that they are cheated
out III il when drunk by the white
people, or through small mort
pnues which tho latter cruelty i"iccl"s,'
Out III ,7bb Indians, he myT Ia whom
patents we're issued about the year lSIL
on the ChippcNuy Reservation, ~
Michigan, fully iiyo.slXllIH hay" sold ~
In some manner been cheated "nl III
their land The report shows steady
increase Ia the number III Indians rn.
gngcd Ia ciyIiihiuH rurHuIiS, IN the mum
her hrought under religious lnHlru'l'"n
aud IN The number 81 children attend
ing mhuuln. II prrs'nt there are
boarding sohonlS provided l"r 2,W"
children. and day Srliu"ls i"r Lux, ~
elusive 81 those provided i"r the hN"
ciyili1rdlrhcH 81 ll.imn Territory
There nro u" valid mnrrlnpcH among
the Indians, except when Ia II lew ~.
stances, u mnrriugc ceremony " per
formed hy the agent, The custom
among the DHlp,s IN about the HhIno ~
among all other tribes not lullY rINl-
lied and h somewhat ~ l"ll"Wr. ~
\ mann whu drHirn a. marry goes I" tli"
lodge III tho woman lac rI"I'"H"H I" thh"
and rita down outside 81 TIA" door,
awaiting IN invitation 4" y" III VI
FIRST hu sends u present "i "n" pony,
and II IN response Ia the gu
there In no invitation Ia como within
the lodge, hr sends another pony nh u
urrgrul. ii the second duCH not HnHwut
the purpose, u ihiId, fourth, llll,, ~
even II tenth IL sent When the NUM-
icr 81 ponies iH satisfactory L" ih" ihllrrI
II the woman. the donor IH Invited int"
the lu,igc nnd tho bargain h completed,
II II 80 hnppcnH that hc tnkrH tlr oldest
girl IN the family. he h cniitl"d I" tax"
lll her younger Histcm I" himHrll, or
II hr durn mol take them lor himself, he
bargains with any after applicant l"I
their puaAcHsion, The whole proceed
lnv h. mcrr matter II bargain und Hnlc,
IN which women nrr disp"Srd 81 with
out their consent. aud very much lik"
cnlIIr Ia the market. There H. "whcrc
nuy limit H. the number at wNrH tnH
they arr callc,D which nu Indian may
have, and hy their custom hc run change
the occupants ni hiH l"dpc ns often ~ ho
chooses D. 2H.