Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-11
THE RETURN OF THE VlCTORS
Members of the Sioux Commission
Arrive In Chicago.
THEY TELL OF WHAT THEY DID
Aud Morniize on All They saw-Fos-
ter Enthusias Over tho Flu.
ire of Lo-The Area
Opened Up.
A Land in Need of Water.

1~HlCAdO, august -lSpcCl Telegram 10
II BEE. Major Warner, General George
Crooks, Ex-Governor Charles Foster and
others of the Sioux commission arrived here
to-day. Major Warner said:
Our success with the Sioux was some
thing to be proud Of. We obtained the sig.
natures of over 95 per cent of all the Indians
above the age of sixteen years, and did 1t
without much trouble. At Standing, where
all previous attempts had met with defeat,
we were received with open arms. The In
dians are certainly satisfied, or we could not
have obtained so many signatures. Tho
same thing could not have been accomplished
among white men,"
Have you In your possession the rolls con-
tanning the signaturesm
mo, they were left with the Indian agents.
After the commission makes its report TO the
president he will receive the rolls, and when
ever he chooses he can, by issuing a prccluma-
ton, open the reservations
what did the government gain by the
work Of the commissionl"
"The Indians give up something like
100000 acres Of land, or an area about ons
and one-half times rs large as Massachu.
sets. A large tract, it seems, but there is
enough left of the original Sioux reservation
TO give 500 acres to every man, woman and
child of the Sioux nation. The old system of
one great reservation has been abolished.
The Indians will hereafter be located in six
agencies, Rosebud Pine Ridge, Santee, Lower
Brule, Cheyenne and Standing Rock"
"How will the change affect the Indiansl"
"The whole proceeding was one of the
most important steps taken toward advanc-
ing the civilization of the Sioux nation. Too
much land has been the trouble with them
heretofore. Five hundred acres to n person
will hn IN III nt 10 rrr.1 81 sl- "A. ~
will ever own"
1T is wonderful, said * Governor Foster,
that the two greatest loafers among tho
Indians are the best known, Sitting Bull
and Red Cloud. They are both men with
less influence than any other leader. AT
Cheyenne when we opened up three bucks
jumped up and threatened to brain the first
man that signed the rolls. Afterward these
same bucks signed. This only shows how
they were influenced by proper treatment.
Are the lands to be offered for sale, the
garden spots OF the earth that they nave
been represented to bel" Governor Foster
was asked. 'There are som good grazing
land and some good farming lands" "How
much of the lands eau be used for
agricultural products!"
II do not care to say much on that point.
L am an agent of the government. The
lands will be for sale and it would perhaps
not be proper for me to run them down"
"But you would not, by being silent, de-
sire the people to think that you sanctioned
any unreliable statements, if such have been
madeN'
"Well, my impression is that they are not
worth much for agricultural purposes. Per-
haps one-fourth Of the whole cannot be used
for grazing and agriculture, being arid
ground, and of the three-fourths remaining
the greater portion would be best for grazing.
The climatic conditions will have to change
before agriculture could be a success. For
instance, during July the thermometer ran
up to ITO degrees and a hot wave scorched
everything and blasted the crops. The rain
fall is not steady enough and irrigation Is
necessary. The Missouri river could be
used for this. The stream is about three
fourths of q mile wide and can be used for
little else. But they can raise fine vegetables
out there. For grazing, though, there can
be nothing said against the country. The
grass is cured standing, and cattle live
through the winter by eating the nutritious
dried grass in the snow fields"
The governor said tho Indians were rap
idly advancing in civilization. In the Santee
agency the Indians built their own houses,
titled the soil, wore citizens dress, and sent
their children to school. Catholics are
found in every agency, and every camp has
day schools for small children. There are
about $4,000 Indians in the Sioux reserva.
ton, of which $500 are males over eighteen
years of age.
81 am thoroughly convinced, /" said the gov
ernor, that the Indians are capable of rapid
advancement, and that the next generation
will show that the old customs of the Indians
have passed away.
John Grass shows a brilliant mind. He
is q sample of what the Indians might be
made. He has proposed that the govern
ment divide Jae lands so that each agency
will receive per capita the money paid by
the settlers. This, he argues, would prevent
the economical agencies from suffering for
proposes, instead of investing the money In
bonds.