The evening times., 1899-05-26
NO OFFICIAL news 1.
FROM TONGUE RIVER
Indian Commissioner Not In
formed of an Outbreak.
All Serene When Agent Jenes Sent
His Last Letter.
Stamping Grounds of the Northern
Cheyenne Tribe-Many Whites
ON the Reservation.

The Commissioner OF Indian Affairs has
| received no confirmation OF the press dis
| patches announcing an outbreak CT the
Northern Cheyenne Indians at Tongue Riv-
| er agency.
Commissioner Jones has received n let
| ter from Major j. C. Clifford. United
States Indian Agent at Tongue River.
which was written four days ago, but con-
tains no mention of impending trouble with
the charges of the Government at that
agency.
Tongue River Agency is situated in Gus
ter county. Mont. on Lame Deer Creek.
sixty five miles from Rosebud Station. on
the Northern Pacific Railroad. on that por-
tion of the reservation set apart for the
use of the Northern Cheyenne Indians IN
der the executive order of November 20.
1884. There is but limited area which
can be used for agricultural purposes. Fiji
teen hundred acres are held by white mefi,
who claim title to the land from the Gov
ernment. On that part of the reservation
which was withdrawn later by an order of
the Secretary of the Interior there Is
larger area of land which might be cuiti-
Ndleu DS uedHS Oi du ITTlSdliou SyStCih.
The main part of the reservation Is said
to be adapted only for grazing purposes.
1t is rough and hilly country. in which
abound numerous springs OF good water.
The Northern Cheyennes have no stock
to speak of. They have about 1000 ponies
and about so horses, the ponies being small
and practically worthless. The agent mas
suggested that the Indians be induced TO
sell them or trade them for cattle. if such
ho 40 Lott ia nj
the opinion that the only way these In
dams can become self-supporting is by
stockraising. The school facilities of the
Northern Cheyennes are poor. The agent
has recommended that boarding school
large enough to accommodate 80 pupils
be erected on the reservation. At present
there are 3S4 children of school age at the
agency. St. Labre's Mission, a contract
school on Tongue River accommodates
| about sixty-five children. and the day
| school at the agency has about thirty
children in attendance. The Rosebud In
dians have no means OF educating their
children at ALL the day school at the
agency is filled with the children of pa
rents who live on Lame Deer Creek.
There are a good many whites upon this
reservation. the town of Hutton. on Up
per Rosebud. being shout two and one-haif
miles north of the south line of this res
ty people has two stores. blacksmith shop
livery stable. restaurant. town hall. and
postoffice, and probably fiften or twenty
| log houses. The other whites are scat
| tered over the reservation. Ii is said by
| the agent that they should all be removed
| from the reservation: those having bona
! fide claims should be bought out. and those
! who came up the reservation knowing they
were encroaching upon the rights of the
Indians should be summarily elected. The
agent believes with the whites removed
| there would be no cause for any friction or
complaints from either Indians or whites.
The reservation should be fenced upon the
| proper lines; this being done. a policeman
| could be stationed near each gate in
comfortable house and who would prevent
the entrance of all improper persons upon
this reservation and thereby preserve the
peace and salty of the Indians.
The Commissioner of Indian Affairs un-
derstands that the general sanitary condi
tion and health of these people is very
fair there being no diseases of an epidemic
character among them. Almost all the
deaths that occurred last year were due TO
! tuberculosis consumption. A few more
of them come TO the agency physician for
treatment of their ills than used to come
years ago, which fact. ii is said. shows that
they are slowly drifting away from the
medicine man. although the medicine man
tries hard to retain his place and to ply his
trade.
During last year the Northern CheyenneS
transported with their own teams about
533, 800 pounds of freight. for which they
received about $4,000. They realized from
the products of their own labor sold to the
Government the sum of 1850. making a
total of s6.050 paid them during the last
year.
The police force of Tongue River Agency
consists of captain, lieutenant. and eight
cen privates. 1t is very intelligent body
of men. Their duties are varied and often
arduous. Those who are not on duty at the
agency are generally among the people
giving them advice. the result of which,
it is said, is beginning TO be felt among the
younger men. as many of them now go to
the captain Of the police or the police for
information instead of going, of old, to
the chiefs when they wished TO do any
thing
The result of the last census of the
Northern Cheyennes. follows:
Males. 626; females. 123. Total, 1.349.
Births. 40; deaths IS: males above eighteen
years. $40; males between and 16, 1873:
females above fourteen years, 447: females
between six and sixteen. 191: males of
school age. 1873: females of school age, 191.
Total of school age. 3S4.