Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-13
PRoeREss AMONG REDsKNs.
Sitting Bull Found Hoeing on Farm
and sioux Braves Running Many Mills.

Sitting Bull Found HoeiDg on arm
and sioux Braves Running Many Mills.
In the annual report Of W. II. II.
Llewellyn. agent for the Mescalero Apache
Indians, says a Washington letter to the
New York Sun, there is a reference to
some curious customs. SIT is a fixed law
with them,, he says, "lhat the mother-in-
law and son-in-law never visit each other,
and never see each other except when it
cannot possibly be avoided. | am not
prepared to say whether this is a step in
the direction of civilization or not.
ssThey are firm believers in witchcraft.
Shortly after my first coming among them
these people burned an old woman who
was accused of practising the black art;
but | did not learn of it until last spring.
''In May last great preparations were
made to burn another Witch. visited
their camp with the agency physician and
told them how they would be held respOn-
sible if their intentions were carried out.
Up to the present time they have refrained
from committing this terrible crime.
Many people viii doubtless be shocked,
but when we reflect that these Indians
are but a little more than a century be-
hind our Puritan fOrefathers we should
not regard the custom which she savages
still retain as so strange after ALP
James Mclaughlin, the agent at Stand
ing Rock, Dakota. in his report, knocks
out good deal Of the popular romance
about Sitting Bull. Mclaughlin says he
is san Indian of very mediocre ability,
rather dull, and much the inferior of Gaul
and others of his lieutenants in intelli-
gence. / cannot understand how he held
such sway over and controlled men so
much his superior in every respect, unless
it was by his obstinacy and stubborn
e in, nj
boastful, and considers himself very
important person; but as he has been
pampered and lioniZed so much by the
whites since the battle of the Little Big
Horn. do not wonder that he has an in
tiated opinion of himself.o
Describing Sitting Bulls attempt at
farming, Agent Mclaughlin says that he
finally convinced the old man that his
war record would give him no standing at
the agency, but that the Great Father re-
cognized as the Big Chief the most indus
triOus Indian and the one who did the
most good and set the best example
among his people. Then Sitting Bull, who
is ambitious, decided to go to work, and,
taking a hoe, began to help some of the
other Indians plant corn. Il visited him
in the teld,v reports Agent Mclaughlin,
land he seemed pleased that found him
lab0ring, and in reply to my question
answered no. think he has now de-
termined to become farmer"
Mr.. McGillycuddy, the agent of the
Sioux at Pine Ridge, Dakota, says:
''What earthly inducement or reason can
be advanced why an Indian should go to
work and earn his own living by the sweat
of has brow when an indulgent government
furnishes him with more than he wants to
eat and clothes him!
''Select 5000 whites of the pauper class,
or send 5000 of the assisted emigrants to
this reservation. feed them as you do
these Indians, and they would hold eau
Gus and vote to assasInate- the first one
| of their number who became selfsupport-
ing.
"What we require are less supplies and
more skilled labor and employees. What
can do as an agent in teaching 5000 In
dams agriculture with only one farmer?
1t is simply a burlesque. Our Indians
are scattered along five creeks over 100
miles. There should be at least five farm
ers. The same is true of all the other en-
ployes. One blacksmith is all we have,
one wheelwright and one carpenter for
! 5000 Indians, and yet we are told that
the Indians must be instructed how to be-
come self supporting.
''When l assumed charge of this agency
in 1879 the entire duty of the agent was
to act as a sort of national poormaster
and deal out rations. Since then the In
dians have begun farming, erected 625
! houses, engaged 500 wagons in freighting,
| built 1875 miles of telegraph line, raised
/ 1900 head of cattle, employed 40 moving
machines in putting up hay, kept a saw,
shingle, planning and corn mill going, and
! advanced in every respect in civilization,
thereby necessitating an increased force
Of skilled white employees and instructors,
and vet we are limited to $4,000 to pay
them all. Without change in legislation
and system in apprOpriating the funds
for these Indians; without a change, CIV
ing them less food and more instruction,
they will not become self-supporting until
the angel Gabriel sounds his call, and
/ these poor heathens awake in the dim and
uncertain hereafter, when, subsisting
upon light diet of air, there will be no
necessity for the selfsupporting scheme"