The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1894-12-20
EARNINGS OF THE INDIANS.
Ways In Which Uncle Sans Prot. yes Get
Their Money.

Ways In Which Uncle Sans Prot. yes Get
Their Money.
There are about 175, 900 Indians out
side the five civilized tribes, and they
earn about Sl,000,00 year from the
United States government alone. OF
this they receive about S250,0O0 for
products of Indian industry. But Uncle
Sam is not their best customer They
make nearly 81, 1000, 900 a year from the
sale of their products to others. And
they earn great deal besides by the
transportation of freight and by day
labor of various kinds. The govern
ment pays also $4,000 year for cut
ting and banking logs. There is an
Indian police which draws more than
100000 year from the public treas.
ury, Indian employees at agencies draw
100000 year, and employees at Indian
schools almost as much. Farmers and
interpreters and judges OF Indian courts
are the other Indians on the govern
ment payroll.
Who would believe an unauthorita-
tive statement that band of Indians,
containing less than 1000 men and
women, made S250,00) in a single year
cutting and banking logs? Yet that is
what the Menomonee Indians of Wis
consin made in 1898; and they could
have made more If the government
would have permitted them to cut more
timber. Their surplus energies sought
an outlet in the cutting of the waste
timber into shingle bolts; but this &C.
cupation was denied them, because it
was found that some of them cut green
timber for the purpose, contrary to the
department regulations.
The NavaJos, who got their first stock
of sheep from the Spaniards in Mexico
by appropriation, are now the owners
of 1,250,o00 sheep and 100, 900 horses
and mules. The Sioux and Northern
Cheyenne Indians ut the Pine Ridge
agency, the scene of the last In
dian outbreak, are the owners
of 1881 cattle and 10,774 hors es
and mules. Even the Apaches
at the Mescalero agency in New
Mexico-the muchfeared Apaches, the
terrors of the trail, as "Old Cap. Col.
lier" would probably call them if he
was writing this story-own 100 cattle
and rs pounds of butter during the
course of tho year The entire aggre-
cation of Indians under government
supervision and control makes about
100000 pounds of butter in a year,
owns eos, 900 cattle and hauls %, 900, 900
pounds of freight in a year, with 300,-
900 horses and mules. At the Umatilla
agency in Oregon are the great Indian
farmers. They market 600, 900 bushels
Of wheat alone every year, with total
male population OF sos and female
population of COG. The female element
must be taken into serious considera-
ton in an estimate of labor, for the
redskin has not abandoned the idea
that labor was designed for women.
The New York Indians are taking up
agriculture now, having been through
u farming experience. The st. Regis
Indians, about 1000 in number, derive
revenue of $4,000 year from the
sale of Indian baskets. The Indians at
the Neah Bay agency in Washington
devote themselves entirely to fishing
and make $50, 200 by that work. But,
as rule, the chief revenue of the In
dian tribes is derived from the sale of
lumber and agricultural products and
from freighting. Much of their pro-
duce is sold to the government. The
Sioux Indians of South Dakota sell
more than 100000 worth of wheat,
corn, oats and barley to the govern
ment in a year; the Sioux of North Da-
lSota sell SOS, 600 worth to the govern
ment This is in addition to the $50. 900
worth of produce sold to outsiders
The Moiave, Yuma and Apache Indians
at the San Carlos agency in Arizona
sell $4,000 worth of goods, chiefly agri-
cultural, to the government, and S20,-
900 worth to outsiders. -Washington
Star.