The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-15
INDIAN AFFAIRS REPORT.
CONDITION or THE VARIOUS RES
ERyATToxs N TINS STATE.
The osestisa ~ Indian Fishevfes
Rtehts One which Calls fer m
Adtsstsent by the Sspreme Court
81 Unfted states NJ EARLY Date.


SpectSi Dispatch 10 the e-YnteIllr4ncer-
~ AshiN6ToN, Nov. A-fndian ecuea-
fiosi curing TIE past year has nat shown
such growth ta the matter of srhooI -.
tendance as has been noted I'm the r,revt-
Gus years, yet it Is on q better hssss .na,
ever before. In the deye!opuer- az tts
educational plan The Indian Office seeks
permanent. rather than quick. results n,
tass aFsAtshg OF tue Indians to a higher
. .hosse1isi ana social plane. and the faeili-
lies ior education have been enlarged ana
improved as wider experience has de-
tateo. From sarbsrisrn to American cI,l.
AshshiD ~ an immense step. which can re
accomplished only by painstaklnr and IN
teHlssnt Efforts. operating not only ,,u,on
as well. a4""s
The report Of william A. lone. com
missioner OF Indian affairs, shows tina.
.o0f reservation boarding schools in
washington state were discontinued La
year ana day schools established I'm their
piaees. These were located On the Neah
nay. Ghehai.s. Skokomish and Ouir,ia,,it
reservations The schools were abandon
ga ier ihe reason that II was reported to
ue ihoiah ONCE that day schools would
serve tht purpose In place of more expen-
siFe boarding schools. Thirty-nine Indian
pupils attended public schools in Wash
isgton, fifteen In district No. 81. King
county; sixteen In district No. 50. skagit
county. ana eight in district No. 7. Ste
yens county.
There are seventy-thrce government In
aAn boarding, schools located upon the
reservations. Of which there are three in
Idaho and three In Washington. Fellow
ing Is the distribution and capacity at
these schools:
Idaho-Fort Han. l5e pupils: Fort Lap
Wal. go Lemhi, %.
"asnington-okanogan fTonaskeO, 90:
Puyailup. 80 Yakima, l4o.
Day schools located in Washington
~ftn the capacity of each, are as follow ) !:
Washington: Coltiile 1.-TWO schools 50
Iniaip-Lumrni. 10; Swinomish a. Neah
Bay-Seah bay. 7s: Qullayute, 60 Puyal-
iup--Jamestown. 30; Port Gamble q; Che
mans, 81: Quiniauit. ~: Skokomish, 40
fakima-Toppenish %.
TWO contract schools exist In Washing
ton, one on the Cosviiie reservation hav-
Ing capacity OF forty-five pupils, for
which tuition Ii paid at the rate of Slus a
year. and one at .Tulaiip where 100 M
pills are taught A similar school Is main
tanned on the Occur d'Alene reservation in
Idaho. where ffty-iive pupils are taught
al the same rate.
The government has between three and
school plants. White number are old
aud Inadequate and a number have frame
buildings, yet same are substantial. ex-
tensire and well arranged. Many build
ings, owing 10 their combustihle nature.
require constant attention fer fear of fire.
and a conservative estimate places the
loss by this means running back through
q series of years, at $4,000 or more an
nuaily
One of the fruitful sources of confiagra-
ton Is the use OF coal oil lamps. Hence
the commissioner advocates the establish
ment OF an electric light system. Light
II an aii-important consideration in Indian
schools" says the commissioner Win
dews are grouped 40 as to introduce IL
into study and school rooms after the most
approved methods. and the principle of
thus protecting the eyes applies with
equal or greater force for night work.
The eye OF an Indian boy is more suscep-
tbie TO injury than that of his white
brother. Born and bred among the prar
les and forests. the eagle eye may not be
an inappropriate term: but when con-
fined within four walls. and after pro-
trac,ed studies. the eye is the first piece
of his bodily mechanism to feel the eff
fects of the strain. II Is. therefore all
important, that the very best light should
he furnished"
One hundred patents have been deiiy-
cred To Yakima Indians during the year.
and rs alotments for these Indians have
been approved by the department. aud
patents are being prepared for them In the
general land office.
Irrigation ON Yakima Reservation.
May 4. 1856. the department approved
plans for a system OF irrigation on the
Yakima reservation. the cost TO be paid
from the proceeds of the sale OF the Wen
atshapan fishery. belonging to the Indians
of that reservation. amounting to some
siTg0. December H. 1saS. authority was
granted for the expenditure Of $500 for
the distributing laterals. cite, the same 10
be taken from the current appropriation
for irrigation on Indian reservations.
In report dated June III. 1887. William III,
Redman, engineer In charge OF canstruc-
ton. gives the following summary of the
work done.
There are t5.s7 miles of main canal. with
n carrying capacity Of 3la cubic feet Of
water per second with r. s6 miles Of lat
esal bitches leading therefrom for the dis
tfihution 81 water,
The above provision does not include
provision made near the head of the main
| lanai tabout as@ feet below the intake al
/ the Yakima river for the turning OF about
apa cubic fec, OF water per second into a
natural slough, which runs in southeast
j, prly direction tnearly parallel with the
about twelve miles emptylng into Top
lealsh creek and which slough VIII sso
serve as canal from which many lateral
bitches can he constructed for the dsfri-
button Of It's water, By the construction
az more lateral bitches from these several
sources az supply fang eco &cres Of the
very best soil can he irrigated.
This trrigatine 81 steEa stands second in
magnitude In the state CO Washington.
Commenting ca This. the Indian commits
/ sloner says:
An abundant supply ~ water for the
! tndlsns located upon reservations in ARID
ard semi-arid regions IS AZ absolute oeces-
<sty II the allotment policy - 30 De sur
cssHfuily applied TO these Indians, | ana,
therefore. Of the opinion that tho appro-
nrsstioa for irrigation purposes should be
materially increased for ths next tw0 o.
three years.
There il also necessity. who're systems
OF AIRY considerable magnitude have been
constructed as on the Yakima aud JsutAA
ggf.ver or superintendent Of constructed
: bitches that the work may be kept I'm re-
ra3r and properly utilized The wording
o( ihe appropriation should. therefore, be
changed - a. - permit beyond qnes 3aE,
the enp.oy men, Of sGeA superintendent
NsuGre HcT.tss
Yakima Indian Commission.
Tae iaAfsn commission. az which Prot
IS r. Barger of EalensbUrk. is dssaGrsirg
atiicev. appointed on August 81 isss. ny the
secretary of yhe Interior uaaer aufhority
contained ln = provision 81 tbs Indian Aa-
rsurraftoG sc; Ter the fiscal year ea8ing
June -. lSgs has consumed TIE greater
Fs0F4sSa ar sba wear g5w.lEtCEtnE rNrrf. seft2s,