The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-02-24
INDIANS AS LUMBERMEN.
The Chfppewas Are Getting Rich ON
Their Reservation Along
Lake Superior.

The experiment of using Indian labor
in the logging woods is being carried
on by a lumber company of Duluth
Minn., which has contract for cut
ting many millions of feet of pine in
reservations on the south shore of Lake
Superior. The company's contracts
were made with the Indian bureau.
The Indians not only get money for
their timber, which is invested by the
government and paid to them in INSTALL
ments, but they are also kept at work
so long as the timber remains on their
hands, thus giving them employment
and teaching them an occupation.
On the Red Cliff, Bad River and Lac
de Flambeau reservations there are
sawmills, each built and operated un-
der this agreement with the Indian bu-
reau, and all the adult male Indians
who want work are kept busy all the
year round. They have sold their tim
Der for large price, the government
has put their money into bonds and
pays them the interest. 1t gives them
many other favors, and they are able
to earn enough to keep themselves and
their families in comfort, so that in
time every Chippewa family on these
reservations ought to be well off. For
years there has not been a time when
these Indians were in need of food, nor
have they ever become beggars, as
most other reds have when once re-
moved from their original territory.
The experiment of working these In
dams was undertaken with consider.
able timidity, but it has proven success
full. 1t has been found that three men
must be kept ready for the work that
two whites would do, two workers and
a "sub," for the Indian will not work
long at stretch. He must knock of
once in awhile and take a rest in his
tepee. An understudy is, necessary to
keep the force up to full strength. In
most cases they are not trusted with
responsible work. In the woods they
are choppers, cooks, swampers, but
never teamsters or leaders. At the mills
in summer they are common laborers
car pushers, pile leaders, ETC., but sci
dom machine hands, head pliers, saw
yers or skilled men. Skilled work they
do at times, but usually in couples
with white man to act as leader, as
in the lumber piles, where three mer
are needed for the work. There are
exceptions to this rule, and some of the
Indians have shown as much aptitude
for business as whites, and there are
few on each reservation who are tax
ing contracts Independently and doing
well in the logging business. These arr
able to get along without white help
In most cases where ambitious Chip
pewas have tried contracting it ha
been found that the chief trouble wa
in the refusal of men of their own rae
to obey orders or to work for the In
dian boss as they would for whit
man. Most of the Indian contractor
have gone broke as the result of jus
this fact.
About 100000 feet of timber ar
being cut this winter on the three res
ervations in which these contracts hav
been made by the Indian department
In these operations some 400 Indian
find as steady employment as they ar
willing to accept. They work wei
| when they work at all, and receive tn
same wages as whites, from $40 to 81
a month and keep. In the summer a
the mills they get from 81 to $1.25 pc
day-N. Y. Sun.