Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-09-05
THE SAC AND FOX AGENCY.
Agent Meals Report of the Condition Of
the Five Indian Tribes.

agent LOT the D6St IOur Years ana his re
port covers the period for the fiscal yea
ending June 3d. 1889. It is dated
August 81. The and Fox agency
includes the reservations of the
Sacs and Foxes of Missouri, the
Iowss, the absentee Shawnees. the Next
can kickapooS and the citizen band OF
| Pottawatomies. Their lands lie near the
center Of the Indian territory, between the
from the Cimarron river south to the
Canadian The total area is 1,476, 00t
acres. The lands are among those which
it is proposed to allot in severalty and to
include in the territory of Oklahoma, The
Cherokee commission will inquire into
| these reservations as we'll as the Others
lying west of the Five nations.
The Indian population at present is as
follows: Sacs and Foxes of Missouri, 80;
| lOwas SO; absentee Shawnees, e59; Mexican
| kickapoos, 325; citizen band of Potto-
watomies. 600 total. 2, $50. OF these 1,069
are males and LII females. More than
half of them can speak English and no
can read. There are $50 children of school
age, but school accommodations are pro-
| vided for only 900 The agent says that
| only 10 per cent Of the land is good for ag-
ricultural purposes. but Is per cent more
may be deemed second-class farming lands.
| The balance is classed as grazing lands.
| The lands are well watered, being trav-
ersed by the Deep Fork and the North
| Fork and their tributaries, besides num-
erous smaller streams, which flow into the
| Cimarron and Canadian rivers on the
northern and southern boundaries respec-
! lively. All of the Indians within the
agency, the report says, are slowly adyanc-
ing in civilization, and material progress
is noted in farming and stock growing.
About One-half of the Sacs and Foxes
receive about $50 per capita in
terest on ivested funds of the
tride and Sl2 per capita for
grazing privileges from white cattlemen.
Seventy-hve per cent Of these Indians
rely principally npon their annuity for
support, having only small patches of land
| in cultivation, which produce crops of
coru and vegetables. Four years ago some
of the tribe opened small farms in the
North Fork of the Canadian, and their
success has induced others to follow.
Thirty families are now located there up
on farms ranging from five to thirty acres
each, and they raise corn enough
to support their stock during the
winter. They have about 600 acres of corn,
which promises good crop.
The I0was. who are located between the
Deep Fork and the Cimarron, have about
250 acres under cultivation. They live
mostly i'll tepees, but some have good log
houses and wells of water. Nearly all
speak English and draw ST per capita an
nualiy from invested funds and So each
grazing tax.
The absentee Shawnees live in
the southern part OF the reser-
walton near the Choctaw county.
They are described by the agent as
industrious and thrifty Indians. All live
in log houses and raise cattle. horses and
hogs. White Turkeys band is the most
,,rps iva, nf f.,ya oil LOT
ment o land in seyeralty, and l75 have
taken allotments since the middle of May.
Big Jim's band is bitterly opposed to aliot-
ment, and have exerted themselves to pre-
vent White Turkeys band from taking
lands.
The Shawnees wear citizens dress AL
speak ENGLISH and are commended as the
most thrifty Indians within the agency.
The Citizen band of Pottawatomes are
miXeg blo0ds. mostly white, of French de-
sceut. They speak English, wear citizens
clothes, live III log houses, and some have
good farms and profitable herds OF cattle.
The majority, however, are poor people
with only small fields and very little stock.
They have no schools, but send their chill
dren to the training schools in the staes,
and to the Catholic school at Sacred Heart
mission. Many of their children are growing
up without education. The Pottawatomes
generally favor allotment, and during the
year about $50 of them have taken lands
in SeVeralty.
The Mexican Kickapoos have 800 acres
of corn and ten acres of potatoes. The
corn crop OF the latter tribe is estimated
at 1900 bushels, of which 10000 will
be surplus. These Indians al! live III
tepees, and about half of them wear
citizens dress. They are opposed to the
allotment of lands, and refuse to allow
their children to attend schools. Tie
agent SAYS that nothing short of a com
pulsory law will reach their case, as well
as that of Big .Jim's band of Shawnees,
who have only three children in school
The agent expresses the opinion that
compulsory education would work well
with all the Indians within this agency
The schools within the agency are in fair
condition and are generally doing Well
The agent recommends new superin-
tendent for the Sac and Fox school, and
saws that if one could be retained for three
or four years the school could be
filled TO its capacity, sixty pupils. |
The attendance at the Shawnee |
school has been good, the average for the |
year being fifty pupils. The Capacity is |
seventy-five, bat about twenty-five pupils |
have been taken from this school to Has /
llell institute at Lawrence, Nan. The |
Catholic school at Sacred Heart mission /
on the Pottawatomie reservation is doing |
excellent work, the attendance being /
or Quakers are conduction a school on the |
Iowa reservation.
In the matter of religious work, the /
agent reports that the Methodist Episco- /
pal church, South, is represented |
at the agency by Rev. J. |
d. Edwards. The Baptists have church |
at the agency, Rev William Hurr. an OF |
tawa Indian. being in charge. He reports |
a membership of seventeen Indians and |
two whites The Society-of Friends have |
a church at Shawneetown. with member /
ship OF forty Indians. They have also eS- |
tablished a church at the Iowa village, |
and have small membership there.
The health and sanitary condition Of the |
Indians is reported good The two agency |
have treated lbs eases during |
the year. which is Sal less than reported |
last year.
The agent says the morals Of the In |
dams are improving Whisky is not now /
SO easily obtained rs formerly. and the In
dams are, in consequence, more temperate /
Their only vice of a noticeable consequence /
IS Gambling.
The Indians of this agency" says Mr.. |
Neal, "are all gamblers to a certain extent.
The Sac and Fox Indians have adopted a
and passed laws for the gov
eminent OF their citizens. Their laws pro-
libiJ gambling within one mile OF the |
agency. The Indians go TO their homes to
gamble White men come near the agency
1t I he tine OF payment, expecting TO make
4 rich hall but rs a rule the Indians are
TOO much for them.
Ayers Sarsaparilla will cure you car
arrh and remove that sickening odor OF
he breath.
AVERY SMALL ATTENDANCE.
SyPACV-SE \ Y sent 4-Tbe p-ohihi- !