Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-10-20
A Few Observations Relative
to the Indians on the Tama
Reservation
THEY ARE sHlFTLEss AND LAZY
squaws Do All the Work, Which Con-
sists Mostly in Begging Among the
Merchants and Farmers Educated
Indians Generally Return to Their
Savage Customs.


Indian reservation at Tsma City is al
ways interesting, but to a person who
wishes to study the lives, habits and
manner of living of the Indians it is
more so. The government has spent
thousands upon thousands in trying to
educate them to be self-supporting,a and
teach them something besides simple
existence. To casual observer the eff
fort has been in vain, for the Indian to-
day on the Tama reservation is little
farther advanced than he was fifty
years ago. Here you find huddled to-
getler some 800 Indians-men women
and children being on their own ground
and drawing from the government $52
per head per annum irrespective OF age,
end on this they live. 1t is below the
dignity of a buck to do any work what
soyer (this has been written before
and denied as often), but by constantly
watching them for week at time II
is safe to say that the bucks never
work If you meet the Indian In the
morning you will find him sitting
around the house. The squaw Will be
cut hitching up the team of ponies and
when ready drives around and takes in
the buck, who usually sits in the back
OF the wagon all the way to town. for
they go to town nearly every day.
The Indian as a farmer has been tried
and without success, for he simply VIII
not work. But as a beggar he is shin
ing light. A few days ago l was stand
ing talking with farmer who was dig
ging potatoes, when along came a.
bunch of Indians who stopped and by
signs and single words indicated that
they would like to have some potatoes.
The squaw got a sack from out of the
wagon and held it open; in the basket
was probably half a bushel of potatoes,
SO the farmer dumped them in, and
much to his surprise as we'll as mine
saw them dumped out again on the
ground. When she began picking out
only the large ones ard leaving the
small ones, and by gesturing indicated
she would like to have him dig some
more big ones, the farmer made a few
touching remarks in English which
were evidently understood, as the In
dams moved on. They not only drive
thru the country begging everything
that grows, but go from store to store,
not only at Tama, but to all the towns
for miles around. But one thing that
can be said in their favor is the fact
that they very seldom If ever steal any
thing.
4 d = 4
Nearly every spring the squaws will
lut in a small crop OF corn, but II
weather conditions are not favorable
they don't gather 1t. This year the In
dian. from the location Of the fields, will
not help to swell the crop reports be-
cause during the rise of the Iowa river
his corn went out, and he did not take
the trouble to replant it.
One day last week one Of the Indian
men came to Tama afoor Il suppose he
was too lazy to hitch rp), went to the
store and purchased a sack of flour and
81 worth of sugar. How to get it home /
was question, so he went to the liv-
cry barn and hired team, paying 81 to
have himself. flour and. sugar taken
three miles to his teepee. The livery
man says that nearly every day he has
some such case to look after.
Their manner of living is primitive.
They live in matched roof teepees, eat
from the Fin" and get along the best
they can. The chief has a house aud
barn, but lives in the yard in his wig
wam They nearly all wear American
clothes, with the addition of blanket. |
Most of them still stick to moccasins, |
and all have their faces painted.
On this reservation are three Indians
who have lived civilized lives. gone to |
and graduated from the Carlisle In
dian College, only to cone back and don
their blankets and paint their faces
again. 1t would seem that after years
If trial and experiments with the Indian
the best thing to be done would be to |
remove him from the s32 per- and
make him hustle, for just so long as he I
can draw sS2 for himself wife and as
many children as he is able to pro-
duce, he will remain az, he is, a law.
dirty Indian.
GEORGE f. THAYER.
BRAGG EXPOSES FRAUDS.
land Sharks in Cuba Dipping Farmers