The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-06-09
IIe Made DC IndIans Vol.

commissioned Gates VIII give MIN
hearing today.
tie Made the Indians Work.
Among the officers from the re-
gular army present at the banquet of
the Loyal Legion at the indians 4
Saturday evening was Captain a. +.
Woodson, Indian agent at Darling
ton, /. T. He is connected with the
Fifty cavalry and has seen continual
service since the close of the rebel
lion when he was transferred TO the
regular army.
Captain Woodson is at present one
of the most interesting men in the
regular army from the fact that in
his work as Indian agent he has
evolved a policy for doing business,
something which had not been done
before in that line. When he was
placed in command Of the Cheyennes
and Arapahoes three years since, he
went to Washington and laid his
plans before the department and
outlined what he believed was pos
sible to be accomplished in The mat
ter of civilizing the road man and
trying to make him support himself.
The plan was indorsed and he was
delegated to put it into active prac-
tice. The Indians az that time were
living in utter idleness. They roamed
about the reservations in large
bodies, held their ghost dances,
practiced plural marriages and held
to many of their barbaric customs
and habits. They drank and gam
bled and squandered their rations.
The first order almost caused an
insurrection. IL was To abolish
plural marriages, TO divide INFO
small parties and settle in certain
limits of the reservation. Rations
were issued only when the indians
were so divided. When they re
covered from that order, he told
them to take their families and set
tie on their allotments and go 70
farming. One allotment for each
family must be cultivated. There
was another row, but the order was
obeyed. The reservation was divided
into farm districts, and over each
district there was placed n superin.
tendent who gave all assistance
necessary to the Indians in teaching
them how to properly perform theii
labors. The first years results were
encouraging.
Last spring the old Indians wanted
to hold their ghost dances. This wa:
stopped with a stern hand and theT
the Indians sent complaints against
Captain Woodson to Washington
and employed attorneys TO go ther,
and try to have him removed. The
effort failed and then another ordei
was issued in which the superinten
dents were instructed to keep 1
record of the names of all OF th'
able-bodied males who refused &
work their allotments and repoI
them to the agent. Rations wer'
withheld from all those reported.
Finally, the commissioner OF In
dian affairs made public a letter t
Captain Woodson, in which he in
dorsed every action taken and tn
entire support of the department wa
promised him in his efforts TO elevat
and improve the condition of the In
dian. The practice of withholdin
rations was commended and the fac
that rations was gratuity and no
: an obligation was made plain.
Talking of the situation, Captai
Woodson said that the outlook wa
assuring. There were more II
r dians on their allotments than las
e year and more agreeabl
(: and general observance of requir'
ments. The children were in scho,
receiving an education, tribal reli
tions were less observed and thei
was n prompt response TO the d.
: mands of law that showed g
acknowledgment of authority.
Captain Woodson is of the opiniC
that at the conclusion Of the treai
; with the Indians, the governmei
!. will not care to renew il. The a
> nual expense for feeding the tv
tribes on his agency is about $3.50, ,00
There are about 3 3,CO0 Indians ther
= They can be made self-supporiing
compelling them to work and pr
duce their supplies and take fortune
chances as the white man doe
The treaty with the two tribes
n Darlington has but two years mo
to run.