The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-11-29
THE WEATHER.
THE INDIAN AT WORK.

THE INDIAN AT WORK.
The experiment Of constructing an
extensive i~rrigating system in the Grow
reservation, on which all the unskilled
work should be done by the Indians
themselves, was a move in the direction
of the solution of the Indian problem,
The work has been vigorously prose
cuted for several months under ths
direction of Walter III. Graves, engineer
and a ditch builder of long and success
full experience. About ten miles OF
bitches have been constructed and q
great many miles more planned in vari-
Gus valleys of the great reservation.
The work done so far has beer accom-
plished at a cost of about $4,000
less than the engineers estimates, and
with the exception OF the engineer and
one white man who acted as foreman,
the work has been done by Crow Indians
and their teams. The work was under
taken with considerable misgiving on
the part of the officials of the Indian
bureau at Washington. who had little
faith in the success of an enterprise of
hat sort when carried on by white men,
and much less faith in its success when
carried on by Indian labor. But the
work has been done, and has been well
and cheaply done. The Indians were
paid every two weeks in cash and the
effect of the distribution of several
4l1,,orl lo1l,re of ovtro ~ "a
them is very noticeable. A great many
of them now own excellent work teams
purchased from their earnings on the
ditch. Instead of depending on the
tribe herd for their animals they have
bought many horses and mules Of trad
ers who have come into the reservation,
or they have gone, in many instances,
to Billings and other places and bought
high grade animals suitable for heavy
work. They no longer depend entirely
on the agency for their supplies Of
harness, but have gone to near by towns
and bought a better quality. They also
have bought many other things more to
their liking than the articles supplied
them gratis by the government.
Mr.. Graves says that many of them
have saved up almost all of their earn
ings and now have comfortable sums of
money in their possessions. At first
they insisted in having their pay in sill
yer, which was procured for them at
considerable trouble. Before long they
began to understand the value of paper
money and preferred to have their wages
paid in it. Almost every man who has
been employed on the ditch now has a
he carries, smoothly pressed out, his saw
ings. A good many of them understand
the advantage of putting out money at
interest and frequently have asked Mr..
Graves, and others II whom they had
confidence, to keep money for them. A
number of them leave money in the
keeping of the Indian agent. occasion
ally calling around and asking to see
the money, that they may have proof
that it is being safely kept. On these
occasions they expect to have the iden-
tical money shown them that they left
on deposit, not having fully grasped the
equivalence of equal sums Of money
represented by bills of different denomi-
nations. Mr.. Graves says tho prevail
ing idea that the Indians have nc
thrifty qualities has peer entirely dis
PEELED by his experience on the reserva-
ton.
Mr.. Graves reports that many of the
Indians employed when the work was
begun continued with him until work
was stopped for the winter, a period of
about four months. They reported
promptly on time, and worked faithfully
throughout each day. The longer the
work continued, the greater the number
of Indians Offering to work.
During the fall months there were
several interested spectators on the
scene. Among them was a delegation
OF gentlemen from Miles City who arc
interested in an irrigation ditch that il
being planned for that section of the
country. Their purpose in visiting the
work being done on the reservation was
to consider the matter of the employ.
ment OF Indian labor on the Miles City
enterprise. Another visitor was AIR
Gillette, the chief surveyor for the
Burlington company, who ran severa
preliminary surveys for that company
across the reservation. Mr.. Gillette il
very strongly of the opinion that Indiar
labor can be employed 10 great advant
aga in the construction of the road, and
he anticipates no trouble in getting tho
right of way across the reservation il
the Indians be given tho promise o
work.
Idleness is almost invariably accom-
panied by viciousness and the wonder 4
that the Indian population of the United
States has made any progress TOWARD
civilization or becoming self-sustaining
They have been given kingdoms i,