The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1895-05-16
THE EARNINGS OF INDIANS.
The Government Pays $4,000 of Them
S1,O00,OOO Year.

There are about 175, 900 Indians out
side the five civilized tribes and they
earn about 81, 600 900 year from the
United States government alone, SAYS
the Washington Star. OF this thew re-
ceive about $3.50 900 for products of In
dian industry. But Uncle Sam is not
their best customer. They make near
" 81, 600, 900 year from the sale OF
their products to others. And they
earn Il great deal besides by the trans
portation of freight and by day labor of
various kinds. The government pays
them $3.50, 900 year for cutting and
banking logs. There is an Indian po-
lice, which draws more than 800, 600 a
year from the public treasury. Indian
employees at agencies draw 800, 600 a
year and employees at Indian schools
almost as much. Farmers and inter-
prefers 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 $250,000 in single year
cutting and banking logs? Yet that is
W hs'N IllS lHuldAS vi w 10
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 waste timber
into single bolts, but this occupation 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 l, 25O, 600 sheep and 100, 1000 horses
and mules. The Sioux and northern
Cheyenne Indians at Pine Ridge agency,
the scene of the last Indian outbreak
are the owners of II, Gel cattle and TO-
IA horses and mules. Even the
Apaches at the Mescalero agency in
New Mexico-the much-feared Apaches,
the terrors of the trail, as "Old Cap
Collier" would probably call them if he
was writing this stOry-own 100 cattle
and make IS pounds of butter during
the course of the year. The entire ag-
gregation of Indians under government
supervision and control makes about
100, 900 pounds of butter in year, owns
205, 900 cattle and hauls $4,000, 900
pounds of freight in a year with 300,
900 horses and mules. At the Umatilla
agency i'll Oregon are the great Indian
farmers. They market 600 900 bushels
of wheat alone every year, with total
male population of sos and a female
population of GOO. The female element
must be taken into serious consideration
in an estimate of labor, for the redskin
has not abandoned the idea that labor
was designed for women.
The New York Indians are taking up
agriculture now, having been through
a farming experience. The st. Regis
Indians, about 2, 900 in number, derive
a revenue of $50, 900 a year from the
sale of Indian baskets. The Indians at
the Neah Bay agency ia Washington
devote themselves entirely to fishing and
make $40, 900 year 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 produce
is sold to the government. The Sioux
Indians of South Dakota sell more than
800, 600 worth of wheat, corn, oats
and barley to the government in a
year; the Sioux of North Dakota sell
$50, 900 worth to the government. This
is in addition to the $50, 900 worth of
produce sold to outsiders. The Mojave,
Yuma and Apache Indians at the San
Carlos agency in Arizona sell $50 900
worth of goods chiefly agricultural, to
the government and $4,000 worth to
outsiders.