Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-11-15
EARNINGS OF THE INDIANS.
Ways In Which Uncle Sans Proteges Got
Their Money.

Ways In Which Uncle Sans Pr0teges Got
Their Money.
There are about IT'S, 900 Indians out
side the five civilized tribes, and they
earn about $1,O0O,OOO a year from the
United States government alone. Of
this they receive about $25O,OOO for
products of Indian industry. But Uncle
Sam is not their best customer They
make nearly 81, 900, 900 a. year from the
sale of their products to Others And
they earn a great deal besides by the
transportation of freight and by day
labor of various kinds. The govern
ment pays also $500 year for cut
ting and banking logs. There is an
Indian police which draws more than
Ri00, 900 a year from the public treas
usy, Indsen employees at agencies Draw
R100, 900 year, and employees at Indian
schools almost as much. Farmers and
Interpreters and judges Of Indian courts
are the other Indss as on the govern
ment payroll.
Who would believe an unanthorita-
containing less than 1,OOC men and
women, made $250,OO0 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 single bolts; but this oc-
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 100000 horses
and mules. The Sioux and Northern
Cheyenne Indians at the Pine Ridge
agency, the scene of the last In
dian outbreak, are the owners
Of 17,961 cattle and 1O,774 hors es
and mules. Even the Apaches
at the Mescalero agency in New
Mexico-the much-feared Apaches, the
terrors of the trail, as cold 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 the year. The entire aggre-
cation of Indians under government
supervision and control makes about
100000 pounds of butter in a year,
owns 205,OOO cattle and hauls 25, 600, 900
pounds of freight in year, with $780,
900 horses and mules. At the Umatilla
agency in Oregon are the great Indian
farmers. They market 600,0 900 bushels
of wheat alone every year, with a 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
redslin has not abandoned the idea
that labor was designed for women.
The New York Indians are taking up
agriculture now, having been through
farming experience. The St. Regis
Indians, about 1000 in number, derive
a revenue of $s5, 900 year from the
sale of Indian baskets. The Indians at
the Neah Bay agency in Washington
devote themselves entirely to fishing,
and make $4,000 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-
kota sell $4,000 worth to the govern
ment. This is in addition to the $780, 900
worth of produce sold to outsiders.
The Mojave, Yuma and Apache Indians
at the San Carlos agency in Arizona
sell IS 1000 worth of goods, chiefly agri-
cultural, to the government, and s20.-
600 worth to outsiders. Washington
Star