Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-01
INDIAN AGENTS TROUBLES.
Major WOOdsOn's Time IL Much Taken
Up With MGthers-in-Law.

Some interesting reports have been made
by milan agents in their annual review
Of developments in their fields. Major A.
e. Woodson of the Cheyennes and Arapa-
hoes in Oklahoma reports:
THE mother-in-law is much in evidence
among these people. She makes herself a
holy terror unless the family affairs are
conducted according to her ideas. Much OF
the agents time is occupied in the settle
ment of family quarrels, and in bringing
together husband and wife whose troubles
have been OF sufficient gravity to cause "a
separation. His powers of persuasion are
frequently eXerted in vain, however. In
most instances the wife, backed up by the
mother-in-law, is most obdurate and proof
against all argument and entreaty to re-
turn to the family abode
Recommendation is made for Withholding
sratuitous subsistence from the non-pro-
Gressive Indians not disposed to labor for
their support. Many of the Indian agents
recommend discontinuance of the issuance
of ratons and clothing. and urge the sub
stitution of policy of making cash pay
ments to the Indians for a time.
The agents at Rosebud and the Crow
Creek agencies in South Dakota are among
these. Recommendation is made that Con-
gress modify the act appropriating $1S7,OOO
of the Crow Creek fund so to have it
paid in cash, and to expend $4,000 for pur-
chasing cattle, $4,000 for fencing the res
ervation, 10000 for constructing cattle
sheds, 5000 for mowers and rakes and
after settlement Of attorneys fees the re-
naming $4,000 to be paid the tribe in
four cash installments. With this done, it
is claimed. the Crow Creeks will be self
supporting within five years.
AT the Greenbay agency In Wisconsin the
tribe Is reported as retrograding, owing to
factional troubles, though all of the tribe
q rn ~ mol a of hoo iry otf
AT the Pottawatomie and Great Nemaha
reservation in Kansas there are about 49,
900 acres of surplus lands in the prairie
band reserve that are likely to be sub
ject Of contention in the future and there
seems to be a growing sentiment in the
tribe favoring their sale Captain Sprole
of the Fort Peck agency in Montana urges
that the Indian trader, like the old post
own it's own stores. with the trader eX-
tinguished, Indian agents positions won't
be valuable. and meantime let the In
dians have all the stores they want, for
in the cut-throat competition of the trad
ers Mr.. Lo stands some show"
Captain Sprole makes this comment:
The treaty of these people will soon eX-
pire Whatever treaty is made with them
in the future should be done by those not
Influenced by local race prejudices" At
the Omaha and Winnebago agency in Ne
braska the assumption and dissolution of
the marriage relation at will, without form
of law, is common, and, ii is predicted will
necessarily cause endless trouble in the flu
ture as to the law of descent and in de-
terminng the legal heirs to property The
manner in which the allotments to the
Winnebagoes were made, namely 1GO acres
to the husband and nothing to the wife.
has been and will continue to be a source
of much trouble.
Agent Cramsie at the Standing Rock
agency in North Dakota charges that. not
withstanding the state prohibition law
county or town officials have never made
any effort to abate the sale of liquor in
E.mnons county, and that six or eight
blind pigs are running wide open in
Winona n. d.