The Minneapolis journal., 1902-07-05

.lO
funds. After the first wage day. the news
that Indian toll had been rewarded hon.
estly in American dollars was carried
afar by Indian runners, and number OF
Pine Ridge redskins swooped down on the
Rosebud reservation, clamoring for work
land wages. When they were told that
there was nothing for them they went
away grumbling, and somewhat para
doxica1 situation-one paradoxical, at any
rate, in its relation to previous Indian
history and tradition-may be the result
the Pine Ridge indians in order to pre-
vent them from becoming ugly and making
trouDte
for work may have to be provided for
Any Rosebud agency Indian who 10 pro-
nounced able to work and who refuses
forfeits his rations, and will doubtless be
Disseminated against later, for In the
future favors will be extended by pref
erence to those who have earned their
support by their recent efforts.
Indian Honesty Tested.
Indian business honesty was put to q
severe test at the beginning OF the expert
ment, and as 1t stood that test it may be
| said truthfu1ly that the Indian has risen
| in the scale OF civilization. Recently
| there was put out to the Indians OF the
Pine Ridge reservation 1000, due them
as interest on their permanent funds, fof
grazing permits and for thu sale Of hides.
| They owed most OF this money to the
| traders, and to them It was cheerfully
| paid over, without protest. In many
cases the Indians were not allowed to
handle the funds. but when they were
| asked IL they wished to- pay their debts
| with them they assented willingly. There
was a great deal Of curiosity as TO now
| those Indians to whom hard cash was paid
would act, and among these creditors
| there was much uneaeiness.
1 When an Indian buck grunts ana looks
ugly, instead Of handing over cash when q
bill is presented, then 1t Is time to look
majority of instances, the Indian paid his
| debts. -
Soon after the Sioux experiment was
| we'll under way the government turned tts
attention to Kansas, where 5000 members
of the KioWa, Comanche. and Apache
were put to agricultural tasks, ploWing
| corn and hoeing melon patches. These
Indians were recently cast on their own
resources and were stranded financially.
This may sound odd to those who are
/ aware that the government at Wasnang.
ton agreed recently to appropriate. half
a million dollars as the last payment on
! the purchase of the reservation which was
occupied by white settlers last August.
It will be several months, however, be-
fore this money will be paid. At present
the Indians are out OF funds, and their
rations have been cut of. r.
The Percentage of wage-Earners.
When the reservation was opened TO the
white settlers each Of the Indians received
q fine quarter section Of farming land.
They secured NO warranty deed to the
land so it was beyond their power to
mortgage it or till it. They had to go to
| 1,A Aerr
that about per cent Of the total Indian
population of the United States is now
a part of the wage-earning community.
All the rest Of the Indian population
numbering-in spite Of all stories about
"the gradual extinction Of Poor Lo
fully 100000, live off the government. But
the generalization must not be too sweep
ing, for it is alleged that some" OF the
Poncas and Osages are noted for their
industry when the spirit moves them, all
though there are many lazy bucks among
them.
Idle, begging and predatory Indians
have caused much trouble recently In
Lawton. Anadarko, and other towns on
| the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache reser-
vations. The city officers have had to ap-
peal to the Indian agent for protection
from mendicant and worthless bucks.
Some Of the Indians would rather beg
or lie in jail than cultivate their own
| e@NS.~-~S
plenty Of rations, the Indians. not being
troubled with notions as to tho disgrace
of temporary imprisonment, welcomed
\, short term sentences and committed pet.
ty offenses so that they would be i'm
prisoned. The city officials soon found
that they would have their jafls full OF
idle Indians all the time If they fed thems
SO they followed the Chain gang prece-
dent, and put the prisoners to work on
the streets. This was ef1eactous In keep.
Ing Indians out Of jail, and away from
town, and, uEab1e to earn a living through
gambling or begging they have, under
the pressure OF necessity, gone to WORK.
i Feathers VIII Be of the Past.
There ID some show Of reason. after al,
In the woundhng OF Indian patriotism,
= which has been caused by the stern COM
? naand to get to work. 1t will inevitably
break down the barrier that separates
them from their white neighbors. After
awhile white men and Indians Will u1-
doubtedly be seen working together In the
fields They have already BEEN FELLOW
laborers Under the new arrangemene
the last vestiges OF native Indian dress
will disappear.
The change has, OF course, aroused some
protests Here and there an old medd-
cine man, tribal priest. or prophet. has
walled out lamentations over the degen-
eraey Of his race, and has prophestsd the
| speedy end OF all things. For, WlLn Sn0
older indians, universal toll is reufaaly
associated with ear rthquakes end casa-
clysms, and some OF them think thas
Judgment day is rolling around.
The result OF Indian work as . factor in
the economic problem can only De guessed
at. Should they ever begin to overproda1cs
there will be Of necessity ari overflow into
the open market, and the Indians will be-
come competitors Of the white settlers.
Some Of the white men are already Towts
ing at the aIleged paternaiism Of the plan
which actually forces both work and
wages upon tie indians, while white men
who are sager for work and wages cannot
i get them.
/ Fears Of the white Iaborer.
II is curious that as long as the govern.
: me1lt acted fl the most ultra pafteraai
! manner toward fts Indian wards, By
providing for them the necessartes OF
, life, without any equivalent in labor
yf there was no complaint about patsrnafs
ism The working white man, often hard
put to it to keep himself and his family
3 clothed and FED, saw, with absolute com.
3 posture, the Indian receiving subsfstenoe
. from the government. The white man waa
Il perfectly eofitented to work for his sub
i sistence. But now that the Indian 10
s asked to work, and now that white over.
: seers are hired to teach him how to work,
: the white. laborer is beginning to fear
: that lie will soon have q dangerous Come
petit6r.
i & i!;l |10lHpI