The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-10

submitted to the Secretary of the Interior
In conjunction with the report of the
Commissioner Of Indian Affairs in about
two weeks. The entire Indian population
OF the country according 10 the report is
267.So5. The number wearing citizens
dress is 95.679. together with 81 1923, who
wear a mixture OF Indian and civilized
clothing.
The number that can read amounts to
1851, and who can speak sufficient Eng
lish for ordinary conversation. 53.314.
There were 1.153 dwelling houses built for
Indians this year. in addition to the 25.236
dwellings already occupied by them. There
are 266 male and 1ll female missionaries
now among the Indians. There are 81
655 Indians church members, and 34S
church buildings upon the various reser-
vatiOns. The amount Of money con-
tributed during the last year by religious
and other societies. was for education,
S2G6.S3S. for general church work Sis. 407.
This estimate does not include the SIG
0l6 from New York for the support Of the
school established by that State. There
were $50 marriages during the year. and
was 4237. and the deaths 5.253
There were % Indians killed by Indians
and by whites I. There were - suicides.
and whites killed by Indians.
The number OF Indian criminals pun
ished was 1.469. or these 145 received
their sentence in courts presided over by
Indian officers and PA by civil courts. and
by other methods $50. The number of
"A soil hsE
Not n Good Year.
The conditions reported as existing in
many Of the Indian districts during the
last wear are unfavcrabIe- In the Colo
RADIO River reservation. inhabited chiefly
by the Mohave tribe the river failed TO
make its annual oveshow. and the expert
mental irrigation pumps erected in 1892
broke down in August running all uu-
matured crops aud leaving the Indians
without opportunity for seIf-supp0rt on
the reservation. As the agent Is only
furnished ratious Go supply 0ue-thiUd OF
the population, many OF the Indians were
compelled TO leave the reservation 20 es-
cape starvation. IL was not until Septem-
Der that bid was secured az nearly double
former prices, and IFS 900 pounds Of cate
were brought into a region I'm which the
drought had left no rastulage However.
owing to excellent herding methods. ONLY
ten head OF cattle were lost
Improved methods of irrigation are at
present under construction in this region
There is established In this Colorado River
region a large body OF reservation Mo
HAYES, estimated TO number 1900. settled
near Needles and Fort Mohaye which ere
said. in the agents report. 90 be a re-
proach 70 the Government and source
or great veN1tiOu TO the authorities Their
condition is said to combine a perfectly
savage state united with the vices which
they have acquired from contact with blr-
der settlements.
The report Of the Fort Apache agent as
serts that az the beginning of the year
many Indians OF that locality were in a
starving condition. This state OF affairs
was brought about. SAYS the report
through the floods destroying the crCns.
and failure on the part of the indians
10 secure as large a wood contract as usual
from the Fort Apache military post
Extra Food Supplied.
On application the Indian Office
authorized an extra monthly issue OF aour
and beef. and loaned them II 900 pounds OF
barley. and I.000 pounds Of corn for seed.
and gave them 1000 pounds Of seed corn.
which proved a great relief New school
buildings are said 10 be badly needed in
this reservation TO accommodate the
children. Much damage is said to have
been done on the Fort Apache Reserva-
ton by forest fires. their prevalence be-
ing largely due to the fact that the
Indians set fire 10 the forests themselves.
believing ;hat the smoke induces rain.
Great difficulty is experienced. accord
ing to the report Of the school superir-
tendent, in persuading Indians TO become
educated The character and conditions
OF the different tribes show great vari-
atiOns. One nation such as the HuIapais
is found to be eXtTavagant and improvi-
dent desiring rather a condition Of idle
ness to one Of profitable labor. while the
MOquis are extremely Industrious and
prOvident- After the smallpox scourge.
which recently devastated the nation. had
abated, and the work Of cleaning and
fumigating their houses had begun. il was
found that the MOquis had an abundance
OF corn and dried peaches stored away in
their habitations in most cases sufficient
to last for Two years
The report will state that the popula-
ton OF the various nations IS steadily de-
creasing- There is found in the Govern
ment schools the greatest difficulty in
teaching the Indian. The intelligence of
many Of the tribes is said to be OF a
high order. but the nature Of the Indian
does not appear to take kindly TO customs
Inherent from his own. Much of the
hardship so prevalent in the Indian coun-
try Is attributable to the aridity Of the
regions in which most of the reservations
are situated Many OF the tribes are al
lowed to practice their own religious oh
serYances. such as the KickapOOs. who. az
the present time OF the year observe their
feast to the Great Spirit at which a dog
is killed and eaten each day during the
holy season.
A Discovery Reported.
An interesting matter is reported from
the country inhabited by the CaGdo. or
Nardarko and the Algonquin tribes. ex-
tending from the Rio Grande along the
north coast of the Gulf Of Mexico to the
mouth Of the Mississippi A marked con-
trast exists between these two tribes. the
Nardarkos being much darker of skin than
the AlgoEquins and differing from them
essentially in habit and tradition. Among
other things their language is entirely I'M
like but, from long intercourse the one
has become thoroughly acquainted with
the history and traditions OF the other.
The Nardarkos claim that they como
from the south, and that their home AT |
some remote period was DESTROYED nv the
trembling OF the earth. At this period |
they say. the tribe owned fields enclosa5