Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-03

brought abous most sdvents g GU
caspge In this respect; notwithstanding
there may yet remain much TO be accom-
plished in the same direction.
l caDnot refrain from rsmarking on hi
t1RdequacY Of the salaries generally psit
to these officers. The government Seems
to have marked by this mesns it's expec
tstfon, almost its scq1iescerce In the ex
pectstion, thst the agent, remote from the
power OF government and the restraining
irfaerces Of lsIs and society, woulC
reimburse himself for bis exile and lsboI
from the means 1t placed in his hands
and by lis lack OF consideration for him
has invited his lsck Of mercy to its ward:
In the administration OF their afiS!rs
The condition almost su,horizss accep
lance Of the common bfuit whic sscribed
so manv delir quincIes and populations to
these fisers.
| But the circumstances have changed In
every way, and the condition Of the agent
is far different. WHAT is better, the ov-
erEment now expects, IS manifested by
every II inence which conveys 10 the
agent lis wish more powerfully than
words, thst he shall aim in his admins
trstion for vastly higher objects and st.
tainments, AMI, necessarily, that he him.
self must oe Of superior character snd
ability. So long as the Indian seemed to
be but an upruly animal In the hands CT
| the agent as his keeper principally to
| prevent outbreaks and disturbances Of
white population. less In personal char.
scter sid less in performance were do {.
msndsble. The scale CT compensation
which WAS fixed during such condition
| Of the service ought no longer to obi in.
So far ss mere personal agency is con-
| cerned, more hinges upon the personality
OF the agents than upon any other fficials
who are concerned with the Indians. The
| lever Of civil ition fnds It's prop in the
agent, and the lifting Of the people under
dis charge depends upon his value as An
iii lent support to the measures Of COWS
eminent. There are demanded high
personal qualities, physical and mental;
personal dignity and courage; ability,
sact, wisdom; besides q missionary zsel
and philsnthrop.c self sacrifice.
1t WAS recommended by my pradecess
sor, in his annual report for 1886, that
existing law should be so modified as to
"zllow the prope: officers of the military
, posts on or near Indian reservations to
purchase from the Indiens, In open mar
ket, at fair and reasonable rates, not ex-
ceeding the market price In the localities,
any grain, hay or other produce they may
have for sale, and viii, h may be II CURED
for the military service st esid posrs."
This has been recommended ty the quar-
.ermsster general OF The army, who has
recsntly had the matter before him for
consideration; and the secretary Of
| war, concurriug in his y;ewa, pre-
lad hp N tn
| last, urging the enactment Of such legis-
lstion. Nothing has yet been done By
| congress in the matter. The Iadisns, In
general, have not Sc fflcient business ca.
pecity or education to compete for con-
tracts to furnish such supplies to the
army, and conseq uentlY are often forced
to part with their nay and grain at rates
below local market prices to those con-
tractors who supply the military posts,
which are situated in many instances or
the very lands owned by or reserved for
The Indians; and the just fruits and re-
wards OF the labor OF the Indians go TO
make profits for the contractor or sub
| contractor, rather thus Encouraging than
irciting to renewed Industry in the COM
ing s3sson.
| concur in the recommendations al.
ready made to congress for proper legis
Istion on this sut sct, under which the
Indians may receive the announcement
in their industrial pursuits which may In
this way properly be tfiorded through
the needs Cf tie military service. Such
9 law will not only be generally helpful,
but is fairly II aired by cur tresty obi.
gstons with Certain bands Of the Sioux,
ratified by the set OF February 20, 1877,
whereby it WAS stipulated that the ".he
government will aid said Indians as far Is
practicable in fading Q make. for their
surplus productions "
The entire extent Of territory now in q
state ct reservation for Indian purposes,
incluting ansportioBs Of the Indian Ter
ritoly, whether in fact occupieda or up-
occupied by Indians, is liz, 41S 40; being
equivalent to an average OF 1856 acres
for each IndiSn, computed on the
last reported number Of the total pcpu.
lation, including thote estimated as
outside TIE rssaJvatons. OF this ares,
about 81, 02O,l29 acres are within the
scope CT the general allotment law OF
| 1887, and afford an average tor the DO ou-
letion residing upon such lands, amount.
ing to Il, 1856, OF Roous 465 acres to each.
II via ue seen this, by the execution CT
the general 8. lotment law and breaking
up OF the ressIvations, vile area of the
public d0msin will be opened up to get
| tiemen;.
The Cherokees, Creeks, ChcctaHs,
Clickasavs and Se1linoles, constituting
the five civil zad tribes, the Ossges, MI
amies, Peoriss snd Sscs and Foxes Of the
Iadlsn Territory and the Seneca nation
in New York, are except d from the pro.
visions OF the allotment act. The terri
( tory occupied by them embraces 81 ,e69,
695 acres, not counting Herewith the
6,024. 239 acres OF the Cherokee Outlet,
The l 1857 801 acres known as Ozlshoms,
snd the l.5ll. SIC sores lying in the In
dian Territory south of the North Fork
OF The Red river. The number of these
excepted Indians is shown oy the reports
to be u, lilo in all,
Not including the five civil zsd tribes
Of the Indian Territory aud the New York
Indians, there are q, 1894 engaged more
or less In civilized pursuits; 1898
houses sre occupied; &c. 1928 Indians
speak the English laI gusge; 62,G25 wear
the dress Ct cur civil zation wholly; 25l,-
S58 sores Of land have been cultivassd /;
242. 647 rods Ct fencing buiif; 1854. 900
feet OF lumber sawed; 93,GS2 cords of
wood cut; SO. 1926 pounds OF butter made,
snd that there have been harvested 727,-
1 n = a