Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-09-05

these hot summer days.
There are from 275 to 500 Indian
school children ranging from six 70
sixteen years of age on the reserya-
ton, and it is impossible to have
more than 100 of these attend
school, although they are clothed
and fed'by the government while
they attend school
Once when the time for calling
school was near at hand the Agent
went through the reserve Offering
Indians a COW and calf for each
child they should send to school,
but not half of them accepted the
offer. The parents of these Indian
children seem to think you are do.
ing their children great injustice
by asking them to attend school.
The employees of this agency are:
an agent, physician, clerk, black
smith, carpenter, harness-maker, in
terpreter, engineer, miller, lawyers,
| two herders and eight Indian police
men.
The school department consists of:
school superintendent, two teach
ers, one industrial teacher and as
sistaut, matron, seamstress, cook and
lauudress. The assistant industrial
teacher, carpenter and harness
maker are Indians.
About 3,20o Indians belong ON
this reservation, but out Of this
number only GOO reside here. But
if this reservation were opened up
you would see them all here looking
out for their own interests.
The employees have houses fur
nished them by the government, but
no supplies whatever; each must
provide his own, and sometimes finds
1t difficult TO set a desirable variety.
This Agency is a pretty place in
the fall and spring, but in the mid
die Of the Skinner months, when
everything is dried up--like it is at
present--it looks pretty dead
The nearest railroad station to the
agency is North Yakima, distant 32
miles.
There are some fine places of re-
sort on this reservation: One of
them is called the Simcoe Soda
Springs; there are several springs at
this place, and the water is soda
water in fact, equal to Pulford's or
IIornung's There is n large spring
that is used for bathing; the water
a Just warm enough to be agreeable.
They say that these springs are good
for person who has lung trouble.
Last week the writer had occasion
to 80 up to the springs, and while
there | got into conversation with a
gentleman who has had lung trouble
for some time. He had only been
at the springs two weeks, and he
said he was improving rapidly. He
says he takes q bath in this spring
and his regular exercise every morn
ing. Before he left home he could
not walk a block without the aid Of
a cane, and the day nat was there
he said he had walked to a farm
house, a distance Of eight miles, and
returned, for some eatables, without
the use Of his cane, and he hardly
4 felt it, only a little tired when be
reached his headquarters 1t is q
delightful place to camp.
The Indians on this reservation
have some of the best land in Wash
inglon Ter, but it is largely uucul-
tivated on account Of their indispo-
.iton to work
4 If white men had the farms that
some Indians have they would be
well-to-do in few years.
AT this time Of the year you may
drive anywhere on the reservation
oud every indian house you come %
YOU will find boards nailed oven
their windows and the whole place
desolate; they have gone to the
mountains for a "rest
You can't keep an Indian en-
pIoyed for a very great length oi
time; they will do the work unit
they get about two pay-days, ther