National Republican., 1880-11-22
OUR INDIAN SERVICE.
Gratifying Results Of It's Operation for
the Past Year.
Advancement of rCivilization--lndians - Vast
Improvement Upon White Con-
trnctors-Stoct Raising.
Ronor

Annual Report of Commissioners Marble.
The annual report OF the commissioner Of In.
dian affairs (HOn. t. NJ Marble, acting commits
sioner) has been transmitted TO the secretary, and
Is moro than usually interesting. These reports,
giving they do history of The operations OF tho
bureau and incidentally a review of the move
ments Of tho different tribes Of Indians, their ad.
vance In the arts Of civilization their hostile move
mens, II any progress in agricultural pursuits and
large amount Of statistical information are
among the few Official reports that hnd their way
Into private libraries interesting and Instructive
books. According to tho present report tho total
number Of Indians in tho United States, exclusive
Of Alaska, arc 255,03S, OF which $3.50 are IN the
Indian territory 0O5GJ being GlUsscd as civilized.
Dakota has 25,20s New Mexico % 9J2 Montann
2lG50, Arizona lbOi6, Washington territory l44j7,
Michlson lOlii, WISCONSIN 1887, Nevada Gs0O,
Minnesota 6lgS. New York has 1923, which Is u
luigcr number than there is in California, Colo
rndo, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oregon.
Wyoming or Utah. The Indians arc under tho
charge ofO7 agencies, of which 10 arc in Dakota
and but In the Indian territory.
The policy Of the bureau 10 teach the Indians TO
care for their STOCK, to till tho soil to do nechani-
cal work, etc, has been earnestly pursued during
the year and with tho most gratifying results. The
desire of the Indians to labor is steadily growing.
and large majority Of them are willing 9nd anx-
provement in their manner OF putting In aud
caring for the crops raised shows That The efforts of
the past few years are gradually bringing them to
u self supporting condition.
A comparative table showing the work accomp.
lished by the Indians during the past year shows
an increase iu every production. The experiment
Of lntrustlng wild Indians with the transportation
OF their own supplies and annuity goods from the
railroad terminus to the agency was undertaken
first Ut the Cheyenne and Arapaho agency IN the
summer aud fall of 1877. Wagons and harness
were supplied by the government, and ponies
were furnished by the Indians. For the whole
distance, lb5 miles, they were paid Sl60 per lUO
pounds In cash, Ur were credited at Tie rate OF
Sl7j per 100 pounds OH tile purchase of the
wagons, harness, etc, which they had undertaken
to earn, In this way 100 wagons have
become the property of the CheyemnGs and Ara
pahoea. Three hundred thousand pounds were
transported the inst year. five hundred thousand
the second, aud during the past year over one
million pounds of supplies have beOn hauled by
tlior teams. During the present year the flour
and corn, which last season was delivered at the
agency by the contractor, willalso be taken by the
Indians from the railroad and will add nearly II
million more pounds 10 the quantity to be lreighed
by them, thus enabling the agent TO give employ
ment 10 others of the tribe VINO are now eager Ia
engage Ia the enterprise.
At The Devll's Lake, Sisseton, Fort Hall osnge
Kaw, Pawnee, Ponca Oakland, Sac and Fox, Pot
| tuwatomie, White Earth, Great Nemahd, Western
Shoshone Grand Ronde, SilGlz, Warm Springs,
Green Bay and ShoShons agencies, freightmg is
monopolized by Indian tOamslers. Even the Utes
have fallen Into line and will this fall undertake
to transfer the goods and supplies purchased foi
the Uintah Valley, agency,
| BY this method not only Is the amount paid
| them for transportation SO much really saved tC
the Indians themselves, but the difference between
the rates paid Indians and those charged by white
transportation contractors results in all actual
nual saving to the government of several Thousand
dollars
Skill and care in the MANAGEMENT of thei
teams, dispatch In tho handling and forwarding 0
| the freight and absolute honesty and rustworhi
ness in the Of the goods b. trdnstu, have char
aoterized the Indian transportation service No
u package has been lost not case or bale broker
open or tampered WITH The success of the enter
prise has made 1t permanent feature in the polio!
of Indian civilization
The experiment naugurated a few years sine
| of furnishing Indians With stock cattle has beel
so fully developed that the question of their abil
ity and willingness to properly care for and pro
tect the same when issued 10 them is no longer Al
unsolyed problem The reports from all agencie
where issues Of stock cattle have been made RttcS
the faithlulness with which the indians hav
guarded their trust and demonstrate the wisdom
Of the project of teaching the Indians in pastora
pursuits, Tor which large majority of them are s.
| eminently lifted.
Under the head of Legislation" Commissions
Marble recommends tho enactment Of a law L
| prevent polygamy and " provide for legal maj
| riages among Indians, the amendment of tn
| law in relation to trespassers on Indian reserve
tons. and the enactment of suitable laws for III
| dian reservations.