Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-10-06

for, though the government by long ex- pericncc has learned how to make laws which seem stringent enough to protect Indians, the border sharps have had an equally long experience and can steer around the most obstructive constitutional provisions and knock the bullscyc out of the most explicit statute. The experience of these Indians since the Americans first treated with them in 1895 is n sort of tragic comedy. and it now looks as if the YanktonS Were to practically illustrate their name. which means at the end" The policy for 30 years or more was thus tcrScly set forth hy Dr. Burleigh, n jOvial agent of our early territorial times: We have met the lnjuns, and what was theirs Is ours"
 Now, consider. yc who think the Indians lave been robbed of their lands" that these Yanktons-and there never were more than 3. 900 of them-sincC their first treaty have received $2.S20, GOO in gra tuities; that by this last treaty they ccive $l0O. 900 cash and for the next 25 years $9. 50O in cash semiannually, besides $l2. 00O for schools and the $l5, 900 per year for 1j years to come which they are entitled tO under the treaty of 1850. Be sides all this the government is now issu- ing rationS. setting up shops and buying tools out of purr hCnCvOlCnCe to an amount yearly determined by congress. But this is only beginning. Of the reserved land every man, woman and child in the tribe will have n farm of nearly quarter sec tion untaxablc for p years, and those whC do not want to farm it can lease to white men and live at their ease as landlords. Indeed this is considered great advantage for the white settler. as he can have his own land on fee and his Indian ncighbors on a long lease.
 It iS first rate land too, mono better in Dakota. The soil Is a black alluvial, from one to four feet deep, and the subsoil sort uf Calcarrous marly clay, which It tains moisture wonderfully, thus making it possible to grow crops in spite of drought. The reservation Is in Charles Mix county, and the farmers living on its borders tell wonderful stories about their big crops.
 The official report gives the yield per acre averaged, wheat. 2S bushels; oats, St; corn, G2; barley, of, and potatoes, 150, which is big enough in all conscience tC call for cXaggcrati0n. Everything gains in the telling, however. in this country. and you would insult the average farmer of Charles Mix if you told him his land could be made to yield no more than that. In truth, the chief social charm of this country is that every settler is pleased with his own patch. though very many oi them would sell at fair price,
 If these Yanktons succeed in sticking to their locations, there will of course arise here community of civilized Indians and mixed people. for young whites will mar " Indian girls with good farms, and then this tier of counties will present fine cthnologiCal field-ninc kinds of people from the Big sioux to the Wyoming line Over about Sioux Falls and below art Yankees thoroughly wcstcrnizcd, with very liberal ideas on divorce and some Oth CT things. Next to the west are Scandi navians, Germans, etc, then a new va ricty of Yankees. and sO on to the liuttc- | iSchis McnnonItes in this county. They are communists and a queer lot, but of course such a community as that cannot be permanent in this country The attri- | tion of a free society will wear it away, then some moro forCigncrs and Yankees, | our Indians next, and the hunters and | murders, miners. etc all the rest of the way. It will take smart politicians to keep on top in such v mixture. Tho YanktOns will vote now they have citizenizcd and taken lands in scvcralty. But they have that | kind here and are raising lots of 'cm. | They have also discovered tho long sought for fountain of perpetual youth in | Fall River county, and that is fast bring ing 50 or 70 moro sorts of people-that is, l if one counts the varieties of physical l wreckaae. The above phrase may be a | waters of the hot springs do work won dcrs-removc wrinkles, cure gout, rheu- matism and skin eruptions and incidcn- tally restore manhood. The world is just finding out what a wonderful place that is. A city of perhaps ?, 300 people has | grown up there. The finest kind of hotels, | churches and schools, besides the Old Sol diers' home, are there, and it is taken as n matter of course that in a few years that | Is fN ha fba of tho r11nu rnfn It is charged that the Cheyenne Indians bathed there for their health for ages, but the charge is not proved, and statements about Indians bathing should not be re- ceived on light testimony.
 This brings me back by natural and easy stages to our newly citizenized Yank- tons. They arc tolerably clean, many of them have learned to work, the girls mako fairly good houseservants, all have had good religious training, and many of the young are well educated. Will they keep on in the white mans road" and what ticket will they vote this fall'
 I. R. PARKE. | -