The herald., 1898-11-01
THE CIVILIZATION OF 10
IS SLOWER THAN MISSIONARY
WORK IN CHINA
ANNUAL REPORTS OF AGENTS
Show the Indians to Be No Better Of
Than They Were Twenty
Years Ago
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3l.-The majority
of the annual reports of the Indian Agents
to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, are
of an encouraging nature and indicate q
progress generally along civilized lines. Some
of the reports, however, are not so crafty
ing and make some surprising statements
Unusual in an annual report is the following
arraignment in the report of e. M. Yearian,
| in charge of the Lemhi agency in Idaho:
| "These Indians as a tribe are honest and
peaceable and kindly disposed but are about
as degraded and ungrateful set as one
| finds. They have been humored and like
spoiled children, want things their way, and
their condition, mode of living and bar
barrie practices would indicate that undue
concessions have been made on the part Of
the agents. While some will avail them
selves of the opportunity of earning Their
living by civilized pursuits, others lead a
lazy, vagabond life.
| "They are addicted to gambling, horse
racing and dancing, and the influence of the
so-called medicine man operates to the dis
advantage of the tribe.
Their real investment has not been
what it should, or what it was possible to
have been under the circumstances. In the
generals annual report for 1882 on the
Lemhi reservation, 1,fnd that twenty-nine
Indian families were engaged in farming
fifteen years afterwards | can report but
torty-one following agricultural pursuits, an
increase of twelve, not one convert a year
What wonderful progression!
Morally these Indians are practically the
same as they were twenty years ago; fnan
cially they are but little better off. Aside
| from few small FARMS wagons and farm
ing implements, held by some of the more
energetic and industrious, they have com
paratively nothing except a great number O
| worthless ponies, which if they did not own
| they would not be any worse off. No horned
stock is owned by them.
''1t would be unjust not to state that few
| have farms and keep constantly at work try
ing to establish for themselves comfortable
homes. A majority, however, seem to con
and continue in the old channel, leading q
| life of idleness and degradation"
Agent Fuller of the Blackfoot agency, Mon
| tana, referring to the opening of the cede6
portion under the mineral land laws last
April, says prospecting has been practically
fruitless and predicts the abandonment o
the so-called mineral strip before the first
| of November.
J. r. Jewell, in charge of the New Yorl
agency, in his report alleges that after care
| full investigation the funds of the Seneci
nation are almost wholly absorbed by thu
officers of the nation, and that they are il
collusion with white men for such purposes
| Agent Jewell says:
1.-THE officers notoriously use the funds o.
| the nation to purchase the votes of the ig
norant and iliterate Indians who, on elec
| ton day, are always anxious for a small sun
| of money. The better class of Indians are
not numerous enough to overcome the power
of these corrupt Indians, who have the funds
of the nation with which to corrupt the
masses and perpetuate their corrupt dyn
asty."