The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1898-02-01
INDIANS AS FARMERS.
THE CROWS ONCE A WARLIkE MA.
TON NOW TILL TIE SOIL.

T""v Are Eal.InE Fine Crops and show
Considerable Evidence OF Prosperity
Have Buiit Fine Irrigating Canal.
Under the Governments Direction
'Its all mistake t. suppose that
The only good Indian is dead Indian"
said n man III the employ of the United
States, who arrived yesterday from the
Crow reservation. I've just come
from place where there are good live
Indians aud many of them, too. |
used to think that / knew thing or
two about our tribal Indians, but |
lately came TO the conclusion that
had known mighty little about them.
after all
This year the Indians have raised
some fine crops, aud they are begin
ming to show signs of prosperity and
thrift. They are not doing as well as
they will do in five years from now.
but that cannot be expected. A large
per cent. of the farming has been car
ried on by communities, but that sys-
tenn has not proved satisfactory. II
never did any place in tho world, aud
1t won't there, for there are ALWAYS
some more Industrious and thrifty
persons in each community who feel
and doubtless with justice. that thew
do not get their share OF the proceeds
Mt the end of the year, while there nre
others too lazy to work much, who get
about rs much ont of the community
property IA the thrifty. hard working
class. In time, il is bound to come to
individual farms OH all rarts Of the
reservation, for that is the only salts
factory way to manage the business.
THE greatest wonder OF all on the
Grow reservation is the irrigating ca
nails that have been built there. Work
was commenced on them in 1890. /
believe, and since then eight big
canals, carrying sufficient water to ir
rigate from 2000 to 1910 acres each
have been completed and are now in
use, while n ninth, the largest ditch
OF all, is being constructed This big
canal will extend from the mouth OF
the Big Horn canyon about forty five
miles To point within five miles OF
Fort Custer. The water, you know,
IL taken from the Big Horn River.
down which the canal extends for the
first fifty miles. Nine miles of the
canal have been built
'Ail. the canals constructed by the
Government on the reservation were
built mainly by the Indians them
selves. The skilled labor for the
most part, of course, was taken from
the ranks Of the whites. but out of
about I'D men now working on the
canal there are only thirty or forty
white men. l was told by the superin
tendent i'll charge that the Indians
were becoming skilled in the various
branches of the work While most of
the Indians are mere laborora, there
are some who are on the executive
force. There are several Indian gang
foremen and sub-boses, and they do
their work well
THE strangest part OF this work to
Inc is the fact that the Indiana de-
hight to labor. am told that there is
not the least trouble in securing la
borers from among the Indians. In
fact, there IL an oversupply all the
time, and sometimes this becomes so
annoying that the agent is requested
to call some Of the bucks OF. There
are cases on record where the Indian
police have been offered, and paid.
too, sums ranging from 81 up by In
clans who desire | to be overlooked in
the selection OF those who were 20 he
sent away. The laborers are paid
Sl1O day, and the men with teams
get 50 day. Those who have posi-
tlons as foremen get even better wagsg.
fhcy save their money, rs rule. and
invest it in sensible ways.
Tine big canal will carry WINTER
enough to irrigatc about 80, 900 acres
OF land That part that is built now.
or the upper portion Of it, at least. il
thirty feet broad at the bottom, and il
viii carry stream eight feet deep-n
yeritnble river in itself. The walls of
the canal arc twenty feet high at its
head. The great height was necessary.
as the Big Horn River in the spring
occasionally gets very high. The first
i've miles Of the canal were hewed ont
OF almost solid rock. About 20. 600
pounds Of dynamite were used on that
part OF the canal already completed
Every feature OF the work il perfect
and one can't help but be impressed
with the permanency Of it. Helena
Montana) Independent.