The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-28
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Views Of Secretary Teller on the Much
Discussed Indian Question.
Statistics Concerning Pensions and Their
Payment - Advantages Accruing from
the Operation of the Civil-Service Law.


therefor and then proceeds to lengthy consid-
Grafton of Indian affairs. The Secretary says:
elm my last annual report gave it as my
opinion that it is quite possible, with wise and
judicious treatment of the Indian question, to
prevent the recurrence of hostihtes between the
Indian and his white neighbor that has marked
nearly every year of our history. 1t affords rue
great satisfaction in my third and last report to
be able to say that the past year has been one of
peace among the Indians, and that no outbreaks
have occurred. All the tribes are at peace with
each other and with their white neighbors. In
my former reports have at somo length DIS
cussed the Indian question. / do not think it
necessary to repeat what have said IN former
reports concerning the duty of the government
in dealing with the Indians. or with reference to
the necessities of the Indian service. / adhere
to the opinions heretofore expressed, which were
formed after much study, thought, deliberation,
and experience in the immediate vicinity of
Indian tribes.
During the pastyear new buildings have been
erected at several of the agencies for the accom-
mediation of the children in the boarding schools.
Five new Neutrality-suspicious. and twelve new day
schools have been added to the list of schools in
successful operation. There are now eighty one
boarding schools, seventy-six day-schOols, and
six industrial manual labor-schoos under
government control Fourteen boarding and
four day schools are supplied with teachers and
other employees, by some one of the various re-
igious denominations the government paying a
children therein. This course has been necessl-
taued by lack of sufficient appropriations to pro
vide for all the children willing to ceive ed
ucation. The amount paid is somewhat less
than the average cost per capita of children
maintained in government schools. There are
also twenty-three schools maintained by churches
and associations without expense to the govern
ment, and to the support of which the govern
ment contributes nothing. Three new industri-
al schools have been completed and put in sue
tha ast at
Chilocco, l. T., with o capacity for $50
children; one at Lawrence Kan, with a ca
pacity for 300 hildren, and one at Genoa, Neb.,
with capacity for $50
THE Chilocco school was opened January last
and although its capacity was rated at $50 chill
dren, the average attendance has been 1863 The
capacity of the school should be increased, for
there is no lack of children who are ready and
willing to attend it. The location of the school
was by act of Congress. The act provided for
the selection of GAO acres only. This amount
was thought to be altogether too small and l.,
200 acres was at first selected Afterwards thir
teen sections more were selected by executive
order, in order that farming and stock raising
might be carried on by the scholars During
the last summer the boys broke 275 acres of sod,
put in fifty acres Of milet, cultivated fifteen
acres of vegetables, made several miles of fence,
cut and put up over 400 tons of hay, besides car
ing for stock and doing work about the building
A herd of 425 cows has been purchased for the
school. 1t is expected that this herd will be
cared for by the boys in attendance, and will
prove not only an advantage to them in teach
ing them to care for stock, but prove source of
financial profit to the school
IAN additional appropriation should be made
for shops ETC., for the school.
THE Genoa school, situated on the old Paw
nee reservation, in Nebraska, was opened in Feb
ruary last with attendance of 40 Sioux. The
boys have cultivated six acres of potatoes. sew
eral acres in garden truck, 40 acres of corn and
sixty acres Of oats, and assisted in making brick
o,,A Off,a OH kl,a Yn1o
buildings are necessary for shops and other pur-
poses. Suitable appropriations should be made
therefor.
THE completion of the buildings at Lawrence
Kan, was delayed by the cold weather as we'll
as delay in the payment of the contractor, the
First Comptroller holding that the money in
tended for that purpose was not available. Con
gress authorized the use of the appropriation as
first intended, and the work was then resumed
The buildings, however, were not completed I'M
til in July, too late to commence school for the
season. Seven boys, transferred from Chiloceo
to Lawrence, and under the direction of the SUI
perintendent of farming, and one white laborer,
cultivated about 120 acres of corn, oats, milet
several acres of potatoes, Sc. and have helped
to erect barn and other buildings The school
was opened for the fall term with an attendance
of one hundred, which will be increased to three
hundred.
"A new school building has been erected at
Albuquerque, N. NJ, intended to accommo-
date about $50 children. The superintendent
has found it necessary to erect some other build
ings, which he is now doing, with funds furn-
ished by charitable people in the East through
the agency of the Presbyterian Church.
Port Berthold and Fort Hall have been turned
over to the department for Indian schools. 1t
is hoped that by the close of the fiscal year
schools will be in operation in both of these
forts
Under the provisions for the placing of Indian
children in industrial schools in States at an ex-
pense not to exceed $l67 per capita, 565 children
have been placed in schools in the following States
Kansas. Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Penn
sylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin
and Minnesota, Quite number of Indian chill
dren who have had some training in manual
labor schools have been placed in private fam-
lies, mainly from Carlisle and Hampton 1t is
believed that hereafter quite number may be
placed in private families from Genoa and Law
renee. The Osages have taken an advanced po-
sition in educational matters, having enacted a
law through their council requiring eight
months attendance at school of each child of
school age, the forfeiture of years annuity
amounting to about 800 per capita. Besides the
children in the agency schools they have about
one hundred children at other 1rAools away from
the agency. These Indians are quite willing to
pay for the schooling of their children out of
their tribal funds"
Concerning the school work among the In
dams, exclusive of the five civilized tribes. a
table is given showing that eighty-three schools
have an enrolment of 5 lsG pupils. The object
of the Department in dealing with the Indian is
to make him selfsupporting and a great diff
Guilty encountered is the lack of suitable employ.
ment for Indian youth after they have acquired
education or learned trades. In this connection
the Secretary says:
"It is as necessary that some employment
should be secured for them as it is to teach them
to labor. An Indian educated at government ex-
pense should not be allowed rations, but should
receive encouragement to labor by donations of
stock, implements of agriculture etc, and then
be compelled to take care of himself. He has
the knowledge that enables him to make his liv.
ing Give him an opportunity and if he fails.
let him give way to those Of his race who will
work and live. If, however, the Indian boy or
girl prefer to go out among the whites as la
borers, the government should encourage and aid
them so to do. little money expended in that