The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-15

i"o years later GliDert Inlay collected
the reports of travellers and military
men and placed the number at 10000.
Louisiana territory and Florida having
been annexed, in the year 1920 Superin-
tendent Morse estimated our Indians at
l,036. The secretary of war declared
this an absurdity and placed their num-
bers at 129,33G. The next secretary of
war thought the truth lay between these
extremes and computed the number at
$4,000.
In 1850 Texas, California, etc., having
been annexed, the first regular census of
the Indians was made under the super
vision of H. r. Schoolcruft, and he made
the number 38S,220. Adding the New
York and other eastern Indians, their
number was placed in the census at 400
1874 This was high water mark. Only
10 years later the census reported the
total at 254 ,3O1, and the general opinion
was that the race was rapidly dying out.
But in 1870 they were reported ut 318, 712.
Cause of the Variance.
And how many are there now? Well,
1t would take o talented calculator to
make out just what the census Office
means by it's figures. The number is
first stated generally at PAT, 40S. Then
the different kinds of Indians are stated,
and the addition makes the number 325.-
484. 1t is added in foot note that in
the five civilized tribes of the Indian
territory the white and colored people to-
gether are about twice as numerous as
the Indians, and that the whole popula-
ton of that territory is 17S,O07. This
would at first seem to be the explanation
of the variance, but this is followed i'm
mediately by another enumeration nam
ing the civilized, half civilized, reserva-
ton Indians, prisoners, ETC., exclusive of
the five civilized tribes, and this again
brings the number above 100000.
The final enumeration shows those to
whom rations are issued and the self
supporting, etc, and this again brings
the number down much below the for
mer. The only explanation that seems
TO me plausible is that the So 900 Indians
who live III the various states MS citizens.
dress like white men and are counted in
the general population are in some of
these tables counted as Indians and in
others as common folks. If this be cor
rect, then we have in round numbers
O~o,UuO lnu1anS.
a Few Are Civilized,
Or these almost exactly one-fifth are
completely civilized-that is, they own
and work land, live in well built houses.
dress and vote and pay taxes like white
men, and incidentally drink whisky and
chew tobacco "allee sanee Mclean man"
Another fifth are so far civilized as to be
completely self supporting, and still an
other fifth, though nominally wards of
the nation, are practically under no gov
ernmental supervision. Of the 133.117
reservation Indians a very large num-
Der are self supporting. The Navaioes,
for instance, although living in what
seems at first view an almost complete
desert and on a plateau where there is
frost every month in the year, own
400, 900 sheep and have such a surplus
of horses that they sell large numbers
every year.
The conclusion both Of the census au-
thorities and the Indian bureau is that
the indians are certainly not decreasing
and are probably increasing. The five
civilized tribes of the Indian Territory
show a steady gain by births over deaths.
as do the New York Indians. the Chero-
KEGS of North Carolina and the eastern
Indians generally. OF the Indians over
20 years of age 1855 can read. and of
those under 20 years of age l3,0S1, while
there are 30,433 of the noncivilizcd In
dams who can speak tolerably plain Eng
lish.
An Indian Dude.
After quoting various testimonies Mr..
Donaldson makes the following su,nmo-
ry: 1.-The real reservation Indian is filthy
in person and habits. He eats uncoolied
food and vermin, changes his clothes
when they drop off from decay, is Of
fenslvc Ill odor and thriftless in all things.
He is the constant and agreeable com
panion of every kind of vermin. On the
bank of a river stood an Indian in the
land of the Piutes, some wears ago. in
the bracing air of Il May morning, dress
ell III an abandoned society coat, but
toned backward. pair of eyeglasses
and high white hat with Grape band.
lie was an Indian dude, the envy of his
tribe. That night he was murdered by
fellow Indian and thrown into the
river. and the next day his murderer an
peared i'll the dress suit"
Certificates of Character.
In the same document the Factions
MIR. Donaldson presents some specimens
of the certificates of characters presented
by roaming Indians, among them these:
ROSE FORK, Ida July 4, 1868.
This Indians name is Taytober. He is a
thoroughbred. He goes without the bell tap
ping. He is also IL gentleman, and you can bet
your life he will do what he agrees TO do. Make
him your friend for he is good one Do the
square thing by him, and he is Il honey cooler.
Do anything mean to him, and he is a Jonnh
and will get even. Brace him up with food