The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-01-17
From the Salem Statesman, Jan. 7
THE OTHER SIDE.
TOLEDO, Dec. 81, 1878.

DEAR SIR:-Severaf articles hav,
lately appeared in your paper Owe
the assumed name Americus, which
contain so many unreasonable false
hoods. concerning the condition o
affairs at this agency as to render
them incapable of belief by any sen
sible person..
1t is sufficient for me to say that
Tho author of such stuff is either g
discharged employe, a disappointed
aspirant for place, or a squaw mar
who by the vigilance of our police
force has been prevented from secur
ing mistress from among the female
aborigines.
u Notwithstanding the lack of busi
ness capacity reported by Americus
(should he sorry instead of merry
the work Of bringing the Indians
into state of Christian civilization
is progressing just. i'm proportion to
our abilitE lst to keep bad white
men from among them; Cd, to fnrn.
ish them with teams, tools, ETC., with
which to work, and Sd, to give their
children a common school education
and teach them the arts of civiliza-
tion-in shortto work for their living.
When truly converted to Chris
itianity they will choose good asso-
ciates and are themselves anxious to
learn and adopt the customs of civil
zation, hence our first efforts are TO
teach and persuade them to become
Christians.
Daring the past year more than
half million feet of lumber has been
manufactured at the department saw
mill, the only white men working in
the mill or yard being an engineer
and head sawyer. The greater part
OF this lumber has been used by the
Indians in the construction Of houses,
barns and fences and for themselves
on their own farms.
All who are provided with teams,
tools, etc., to work with are improv-
ing their farms or working for the
government OIL the improvements
being made at the agncy.
AT the day school at the agency
there is daily average attendance
of more than fifty pupils, seven Of
whom are whites s-children Of the
government employees and the
agents.
The Indian Department have allot
ed two thousand five hundred dollars
(S2,5OO) to be expended in the con-
struction of a boarding ard manual
labor school, where fifty Indian boys
and girls may find a home and be
instructed to read, write and work
By the most careful and economical
expenditure of this sum, we hope
before the close of the present fiscal
year to have this house completed
and ready for occupancy.
The department has also furnished
US with % mot sO) boxes of crackers
for noon lunch for the Indian pupils
attending the day school, and small
quantity of cloth with which to
clothe pupils.
By actual count there are over
1850 Indians who belong to the
agency. though onlu from six to seven
hundred are now on the reserve.
From the monthly official reports
OF our former agency physician, f.
M. Carter, find that during his last
years services here, he treated and
cured over twelve hundred (l,20O) |
Indians beside those who died under
his treatment.
Without rejecting on the energy
OF our present resident physician,
Rev. DIR. John Boswell, (who is so
well known in Oregon, that will not
attempt to add to his reputation as |
physician and honorable Christian
gentleman), will here state that
since he commenced his labors here
there has been great falling off in
the number of eases reported as
treated by himself
Now, in conclusion, Mr.. Editor,
let me extend cordial invitation to
you, and all fairmmded, disinterested |
persons, to visit this agency and see
for yourselves what is being done by
the agent, employees and Indians, and
Judge us according to our'works.
Do not accept for truth the state
ments Of Americus," who is asham
ed or too cowardly to subscribe his
own name to his falsehoods. Very
respectfully your obedient servant.
WIN. BAeLEx. I