The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-12-20
INDIANS WERE D[FRAUD[D
Timber Depredations on the Chip.
pewa Indian Reservation
in Minnesota.
AGENT JENKINS PRESENTS HIS REPORT.
His Statements Differ Radically from
Those of Other Reports Green
Trees Cut as Dead and Down Tim-
ber-Exorbitant Prices In stores
Cheated Out of Wages.

Washington, Dec. 19.-Special Indian
Agent jenkins, in report just sub
mitted to Commissioner of Indian AZ
fairs Jones, on the investigation of the
timber operations on the Chippewa res
eryation in Minnesota. makes some
statements radically differing from
those in other reports. A synopsis fol-
lows:
During the last fiscal year, he says. 49,
919.496 feet of reservation pine timber cut
and banked there was sold at an average
of A.7S per thousand. There were % camps
In operation and there was SS 1-3 percent
Rge of the wages due the laborers in the
camps after settlement. On the dinin-
tshed reservation, the special agent says,
there were 22,262.907 feet cut and banked,
sold at $496 per thousand, and the labor
ers were paid S5A per cent of the amount
trouble was in the management Of the
camps and in the system itself.
Owing to the inability of many of the
camps to pay out, and, as, under the rules,
the laborers' claims were the last to be
paid. scores Of Indians working there did
not receive the wages they expected, and
hence serious complications arose. OF
So camps in operation the past fiscal year,
many employed less than ten per cent.
Indian labor. and very few had over 50
rer cent, the Indian labor average being
from Is to 20 per cent.
The system of stores maintained by the
camps. with their exorbitant prices and
credit to reckless Indian buyers, Is stated
to have caused great dissa atisfaction. The
bills presented to the agent for settler
ment by the various committees, who fur
Eished the camps with the necessary gro
ceries, ETC.. during logging operations.
were not as rule properly itemized, and
Y
tant. the special agent says, they are loose
ly made out, with no apparent check on
purchases, and give abundant opportu-i
nifty for fraud and collusion."
The chief source OF all the Indians com-
plants was that the green timber Of the
reservation was being ruthlessly cut down
and destroyed under pretense of being dead
AMI down timber. AT five councils held
with the Indians in various portions of the
reservations. Mr.. Jenkins says, they. to a
man. vehemently protested against fur
ther cutting of the so-called dead and
down. They are convinced, he says that
more than one-half of the timber cut at
the camps has been of the best green grow
ing pins, and that they are realizing little
or nothing from 1t. On many of the tracts
OF the diminished reservation the agent
says he found these complaints we'll found
ed, and that evidences of the clean cutting
CT everything merchantable were abundant
everywhere. OF 5000 or 1000 logs he found
cut and skidded on several tracts he says
fully 60 per cent. were from green trees
1.-The Indians are, however," he con-
cluded. ''desirous of having the timber op-
erations resumed on the basis OF common
sense and common honesty. They favor the
selling outright of all this pine timber at not
less than two dollars per thousand for
Norway and three dollars for white, as it
stands, or the putting in of mills by the
government. under the Menominee plan
Either. I think. would result satisfac-
torily.''