The Florence tribune., 1901-05-18
A Splendid School for the Children and
 Gloomy Prospect for TheirParents.

paeity for the 254 pupils now attend l ing. The old school building, on the | north side of the plaza, is now used as iI girls dormitory, and for dining, sewing and living rooms. A brick ad- dition has recently been added to this, and all new buildings are being erected from the same material, instead of adobe as formerly. A kiln of 1000 good brick was recently burnt by In. dian labor.
 An immense we'll, IS feet in diameter, walled up with brick, supplies the water for the agency, from tanks erected high in the air with capacity of 1000 gallons. forced there by steam pumps, all kept neat and clean, and working like charm. This water is piped to all rarts of the ground, aud is found ample for irrigation in small way, for flushing sewers tof where there is an excellent system) and for general purposes.
 There was an alarm of fire Wednes- day morning, caused by spark ignit- ing an apron belonging to one of the girls The fire department responded promptly and the flames were soon subdued.
 Machinery is on the ground for a steam laundry, and au ice plant with capacity of two tons per day has been shipped from Chicago. Ground was broken this week for the foundation of the new building, which will contain a refrigerating room and up-to-date machinery. It is thought sufficient surplus of ice can be manufactured to suppiythe Florence market.
 And So it will be seen there will
 soon be everything necessary for the comfort and convenience of the fifty three employees of the agency and the pupils of the school.
 But there is another side to the
 picture. In conversation with Agent
 Elwood Hadley and Missionary Chas.
 H. Cook, the sad news published in
 last weeks TRIBUNE of the almost
 total failure of the wheat crop on the
 reservation was more than confirmed
 and there will be much suffering un.
 less assistance is rendered. The ap-
 propriation made last year to feed the
 Indians is now exhausted. It has been
 used judiciously by the agent, and has
 been paid out principally for wages
 the object being not to pauperize the
 Pimas, who have always been self.sus taining. For the most part the money has been spent in digging ditch tC
 tap the underdow supposed to come
 from the Santa Cruz. The agent had no hope that results in water would
 warrant the expenditure; but never
 theless he has developed enough water ] to irrigatea few acres of land, and hai
 given work to the Indians instead O.
 feeding them as paupers. Mir. HadleJ is deserving of much credit for the
 manner in which he has handled thii
 delicate matter, but he is now at tht
 end of his rope and has fears for tn, future. He is satisfied from his expert : ments that Inspector Graves idea O securing sufficient water from tht underflow of the Gila to supply tn, , 5000 Indians on the reservation is tn, 5 sheerest nonsense, and he has so de 3 nounced the plan in his reports to thu department. On the other hand, hi has strongly recommended the con . struction by the government of th'
 San Carlos reservoir, and his recon mendations have been adopted by thu . Commissioner of Indian Affairs, w. A Jones, who, iu his last report to thu Secretary of the Interior, says:
 "With sufficient water supply tn,
 Pima Indians can support themselye . in comfort with no pecuniary assist ance from the government. Withou this, appropriations must be continue,
 indefinitely. I cannot too strongl,
 urge the passage of the bill for tn construction of the proposed reservoir. Rev Mir. Cook has been living amonl these Indians for thirty years, and ha
 converted more than a thousand o them to Christianity. He speaks thei language fnently, knows them bette g than any white man, and knows then 8 to be a self-reliant and proud people some of whom died last year of starva tion rather than beg or let their want be known. This was Mir. Cooks state ment to us last Wednesday, and he q truthful and trustworthy man. He 2 like Agent Hadiey, can fad no othe
 possible solution of the problem eS
 cept through the building of the Sa 7 Carlos reservoir by the government. g Mr. Cook is kind. .hearted old man 2 much beloved by the Indians, and hi every thought is for them. As he toll us, T did think of getting me piec : of land in the valley, but as didn'
 wish to appear to have a selfish in