The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-03
THE sELF-suPPoRTING INDIAN.

In Ills receuC report, SECRETARY VI tIle
Interior Smith, his advocacy Of plac-
| ing the Indians in the hands of per
manent officials takes occasion to quote
as follows, from report made to him
| by Indian Agent Baldwin Of the Kiowa
and Comanches. The instance is given
as follows: 'For three months follow
ing my assuming charge Of the agency
a regular blanket Indian remained
about the office and agency. 1 became
tired Of him and his presence and or
dered him in an abrupt manner to
leave the agency and not to come back
again unless L sent for him. He went
out Of the door in very sullen man.
ner, and after reflection I thought
might have been too hasty in my words
and sent and had him brought back,
and l told him the reason l had for
ordering him TO leave. but that if he
would go and pick out an allotment
and go to work, l would give him
everything that was needed to work
with except the horses. He did not
reply what he would do, but within a
few days a neighbOr Of his came in
and said he had selected a farm and
wanted one of the farmers to go and
look at the place that he had selected
to see if it was all right. His request
was granted and farming implements
such as he needed sent to him. The
whole matter passed from my mind,
but the latter part of September / was
driving through the reservation, and 1
came TO one Of the finest fields Of corn
that L had seen, covering more than
twenty acres. L inquired to whom it
belonged and was pointed TO a tepee
on hill overlooking the field and told
that the Indian living there owned the
field. l drove over to the tepee and
the first person I saw was the Indian
l had driven from my Office. He
rushed up to me, being delighted to see
me, remarking in his own language,
that he was glad to see me and that
to him. He said: "YOu told me to
go away from the agency and go to
work. L did what won told me-"
Then he showed me his hands, all
blistered and callous. This man had
never known what work was. He
said he would not now have to come
to the agency to get something TO eat,
and seemed as much gratified at the
results of his efforts as myself. ex-
amined his fields and found that he
would have quite q quantity of corn
that he would not need. He will de-
liver in the neighborhood of twenty
wagon loads Of corn at the agency, for
which l will be able to pay him $3.50
per wagon load, way of securing
money which he never thought OF be-
fore and which places him, beyond
any question of doubt, on the road to
civilization"
This is a decidedly novel story-so
novel in fact that the average west
erner who knows anything about In
dams would like the privilege of doubt
ing it. if Captain Baldwin's veracity
We're not unimpeachable.
But against all belief that tribal sup
port cannot be eradicated from the In
dian and individual Industry substi-
tuted, let us hope that the instance
quoted by Captain Baldwin will be
many times repeated by the Indians,
and that their long ancestral rest and
lazinesS win succumb TO the teachings
of thrift. In only that way may the
Indian save himself, and in saving
himself he prevents extinction of his
race, and if not extinction then i'm
poverishment, one or the other of
which is sure 10 overtake the Indian
unless he absorb the methods of
civilization which is crowdirg upon
him and which he is bound some day
TO meet with in competition.