The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-07-30
CHIEF QUALIFICATION REQUIRED

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the purpose Of putting through their
courses such men as think they would
like to be 'boss" farmers on some In.
dian reservation. Several such ap
peared before the board and after
they had stewed and sweat for a mum.
Der Of hours over the questions sub
mitted returned their answers and
were told that they would have to
wait until the big chiefs at Washing.
ton could be heard from, as the matter
Of making a choice was solely their
prerogative, the local board being
only in the nature Of an intermediary
body, a sort Of buffer, as 1t were, for
the gentlemen Of the brass collars.
AS 1t Is said there Is q scarcity Of
boss" farmers at tho command of
the men constituting the exalted body
to which generous and good old Uncle
Sam has delegated the enobling task
of retaining the untutored savage
and teaching him the way OF the
white man, 1t is probable that one,
possibly more, Of the candidates will
receive all appointment and DO duly &C
credited as an active agent Of the gov
ernment's civilizing department.. But
what a farce and travesty the whole
thing Is. Men who are competent
and qualified to fll the position and
who would really help the poor abor.
tgine along the path leading to the
ability to wrest his living from the
soil and to guide o pillow and manage
a harrow seldom receive an appoint.
ment. They may be practical farmers,
born and reared on farms and know
nothing but farming. but they are lack
ing in the knowledge Of theoretical
farming. are unable to speak learned
ly OF fertilizers and may not know
whether q silo is something used to
wake up the hired man or whether
the owner Of the farm employees 1t
to ride to town on Saturday morning
for his weeks supply Of groceries. II
by any chance q genuine farmer Is
given the position his tenure usually
Is brief and he Is let out for one Of
the other kind. For this reason men
may be found at Indian agencies draw.
Ing q salary from the governAent as
boss" farmers who do not know the
bare rudiments Of practical agricul-
ture. and who when a reaper has to
be set up OF q threshing machine has
to be operated are as helpless as the
savages whom they are supposed to
instruct.
One qualification required in all men
occupying the position of farmer on
an Indian reservation does not appear
among the questions asked with a
view to testing the applicants ability
and fitness for the place, but, never
theless. he will speedily ascertain that
without 1t ne need not expect to hold
his job long. He must be an expert
in, making af1ldavits and possessed Of
robust ability to swear to anything
that the special agent may ask him to
subscribe to, regardless of the lack
Of truth in the statement submitted
for his a%ttestation. II the special
agent has a grievance against the
agent in charge the farmer must ask
no questions, but swear to afidavits
that the agent is a road agent, q horse
thief, c drunkard. an escaped convict
or desperate for whose arrest the
governors Of o half dozen states are
offering rewards. II he yields cheer
full compliance in this regard he may
be reasonably certain Of holding his
position. but II he Is possessed Of
such q silly incumbrance as q con
science and Is foolish enough to en-
terrain q regard for truth and insists
on diferentiating between right and
wrong. he may as well roll up his
blankets aud prepare to move, for his
stay will be short. Occasionally the
special agent run up against one OF
the latter class and q vacancy speed
lily follows in the position Of farmer
on that particular agency. To the
credit Of Montana it must be said that
during the past few years several men
have been found by special agents In
specting Indian agencies in this state
who considered their honor and man
hood above the holding Of an ONCE
paying $500 . year and refused to be-
come parties to the dirty work Of these
special agents. OF course. they ere
no longer in the service Of the Indian