Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1891-03-26
Arizona Letter.

deaths aud ma rriagrs, then cast II ASIDE
with the ejaculation. oh this paper
isn't as good as il US. L. b.. or don't
amount to much lttelv, p" knows bat lutte
what welcome visitor il IS ar how cor
daily it is received bv it old patrons
whose lot is cast in distant lands. located
perhaps in some far awav sparcely pop
ulated territory, or Indian reservation.
where the mail comes nut once a week.
on horse or mule back. How eagerly
every item is perused and the paper IS
then laid aside to be read over again, or
to loan to some one interested in the
same locality for their perusal. have
often wished that had time or felt my
self competent to lay before the readers
of The HERALD some Of my observations
and experiences in the Indian country
that would interest them. One thing is
certain, there is no subject on which the
intelligent reading American people are
so poorly informed, or have such vague,
ERRONEOUS ideas, as they do in regard to
the American Indian. have often been
amused at some statements, ridiculously
absurd, appearing in the columns OF Il
newspaper. or listened to a conversation,
or been called on to answer questions
which were as preposterous as if the In
dian were an inhabitant Of another
planet. There are three causes to which
this may be attributed. One is we are
liable to form our estimate of the Abo
rigine from our acquaintance with the
struggling, vagrant, begging Indian
tramps. few of whom are found wOnd-
eriug around in many of our states;
second the Indian reservations are To-
Gated so far on the frontier that few can
visit them,- or tales of Indian savagerY
lessons their desire for this kind of travel
and acquaintance; and thirdly, nearly
every Indian tribe has a distinct history.
different in taste, habits and mode of
living. and the one who attempt to write
their history usually does not take suf
utlbul tAAut ~ EhAuNA AAN q thtbt AthAAcs
but takes a great deal of information
second handed, which is as liable to be
unreliable on an Indian reservation as
any place you can 90. The savage.
blood-thirsty nature attributed to the
Indian. the inclination to rob or pillage.
| have failed to discover after having
been continuously among them for more
than a year and half have never
carried a weapon, and | have never Wis
tied an Indisn tribe where did not lie
down TO sleep with as great feeling of
security as / would have done ia any of
the border towns and never turned
KEY or door, trunk or satchel. nor had
thing taken or molested on any Indian
reservation.
Col IngersoI recently said: Il be
lieve that education is the only lever
capable of raising mankind. If we
wish to mako the future of the republic
glorious we must educate the children of
the present The great solution Of the
Indian question is the school. and the
present administration is alive on this
subject, and judiciously expanding the
appropriations made by congress for the
purpose. The advance in this line can
be seen by the fact that in 1876 there
was only 100000 appropriated by con-
gress for Indian schools, in 1881 S75,
OOO.and in 1890 81, 500, 900, with the hope
of larger appropriation the coming
year. That we may no longer grow
sayages and turbulent aliens, but sub
stitute new generation Of English
speaking. thrifty, industrious young
Americans, educated in American
schools
Well, the present writing finds me
looking after the temporary interests of
the Navajo's and Moquis, located in Ari-
IONA. If l were to acknowledge the
fulfllment OF my highest political am
bition it would be satisfied by being
made governor of Arizona. Arizona
mas u ulOI6 ubNbioiutu b4iLndlGs nlplo
mountains and plains, more beautiful
mountain scenery and desolate sand
deserts, more beautiful Towering shrubs
and plants, more thistlY, thorny weeds
and trees; one of the most heathful, sa-
lubrious climates; the most poisonous,
venimous reptiles; some of the best men
and women, some of the worst; the most
enterprising and industrious Indians and
some of the most worthless, and more
Indians than any State or territory in
Union The central and southern por
ton of Arizona is quite rich in mines OF
gold, silver and copper, and the principal
industry ranching of cattle and sheep,
The Nayajos are the most numerous OF
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