The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-10-24
INDIANS WHO WORK.
Only About 0ne-Quarter Receive
Government Rations.
Large Sums Which Some OF Them
Earn Daily.

called so often. II is more likely to
be summoned to quell riot than to
put down an uprising. The secret of
this change in "Lo" is that he has
been taught the white mans ways and
has been convinced that it is better to
labor in the fields than TO indulge in
ghost dances and to go on the war
path. His occupation ns n disturber
of domestic tranquility is gone. Here.
after he is factor in agricultural
commerce.
Major Powell, the chief of the bu-
reau of ethnology, writing about the
Indians some time ago, said: "More
than two-t thirds of all the Indians now
wrest from the soil and from indus
trial occupations the means of subsis-
tence without mid from the general
government, having abandoned hunt
ing, fishing and tho gathering of ma
tive vegetables, except as pastime
and for occasional supplies. Two
thirds of them are actually engaged in
civilized industries and are fighting
their industrial battles with success.
One third have not accomplished this
much aud subsist in part on civilized
industries and in part on the charity
of the government. All have learned
to work to some extent and all have
learned the utter hopelessness of con-
tending against the forces of civiliza-
tion and have abandoned the expecta-
tion and generally the desire to re-
turn to their primeval condition.
SO small is the number now living
on government charity that less than
twenty-five per cent receive govern
ment rations today. Only the aged
and the blind among the Indians west
of the Rockies and Chief Josephs =
band of Ncz Perces, which have n
special treaty now draw rations from
the government. Every Indian agent
is opposed to the ration system. "The
Mohaves, with half chance will come
out all right in the end" says George
A. Allen, the agent Mt the Colorado
river agency, " but allow me to sug-
gest here that as long as rations are
issued to Indians they wont do any.
thing for themselves, George II.
Monk, agent at the Fort Hall agency
in Idaho, says, that a large proper
tion of the Indians do absolutely moth
ing but run horses, gamble, eat, sleep
and drink. 1t is difficult matter to
make any impression on this class of
long ms subsistence is issued to them,"
he says.
There are about 175, 900 Indians
outside the five civilized tribes, and
they earn about 81 900, 600 n year from
the United States government alone.
OF this they receive about $3.50, 900
for products of Indian industry. But
Uncle Sam is not their best customer.
They make nearly $1,000, 900 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 government pays them also $780,
900 year for cutting and banking
logs. There is an Indian police which
draws more than 500, 900 year from
the public treasury. Indian employees
at agencies draw $40, 900 year, and
employees at Indian schools almost as
much Farmers and interpreters and
judges of Indian courts are the other
Indians on the government pay roll.
Who would believe an unauthorita-
tive statement that band of Indians
containing less than 1000 men and
women made $3.50, 900 in single year
cutting and banking logs? Yet that
is what the Menomonee Indians of
Wisconsin made in the year 1898; and
they could have made more if the gov
ernment would have permitted them
to cut more timber. Their surplus
energies sought an outlet in the cut
ting of the waste timber into shingIe
bolts; but this occupation was denied
them, because 1t was found that some
of them cut green timber for the pur.
pose, contrary to the department reg
ulations.
The Navajos, who got their first
stock of sheep from the Spaniards in
Mexico by appropriation, are now the
owners of 1880, 900 sheep and leo, 900
horses and mules. The Sioux and
Northern Cheyenne Indians at the
Pine Ridge agency, the scene of the
last Indian Outbreak, are the owners
of II, 961 cattle and 10, 775 horses and