The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-01-20
POOR 10 AND
His HAIRCUT.
Indian Commissioner Jones
Explains Order.
STRONGER THAN WAS INTENDED.
VIII BE Applied Only to the ssHIanI<-
ct" RedSlSiHs-A Cake of Sonp rs "a
'iNiiizinE AEenCy--Caused by the
Personal Condition of the AbOrig-
innI Visitors to Washington Au-
thOritiCs.

MIR. William A Jones. Commissioner Of
Indian Affairs. says that the order for all
Iud ans residing on Uncle Sans reserva-
tioUs to abstain from the use Of paints
and football hair is a tride harsh. and
that, as an order" IL viii not be en-
forced.
according to Commissioner Jones there
was a mistake made In drafting the or
der. and incidently he declares that it is
not an order anyhow. It is merely a re-
quest. The poor aborigine is not going
TO be coerced. says Commissioner Jones
The Indian agents have merely been in
structed to make It hard for him if he
does not comply with the instructions
recently sent cut TO all wielders Of the
to-ahawk
Stronger Than Intended.
Commissioner Jones further declared
last night. that he hadn't scanned the
order. which was prepared by a subordi-
nate, with the proper care and consider
alton.
For otherwise" said Commissioner
Jones. Il would have made the order less
misleading. OF course the Indian agents
know what the order means II is very
simple. but the general public was very
properly led 20 believe that the use Of
paint by an Indian would warrant the
death penalty being inflicted. and that in
the event he continued to wear long and
lowing locks he would be drawn and
CHARTERED. and sent TO the Happy Hunt
ing Grounds with great rapldity-
This was not the intention Of the or
der On, no. This was not the intention.
Far from IT,"
commissioner Jones. preserver of the
poor red mans morals and physical we'll
being. has himself generous growth Of
hair His locks are Gecked with grey and
inclined 10 curl in graceful waves.
The Commissioner Of Indian Affairs is
a humane man above everything. In the
talk with The Times reporter he told for
the first time the inside facts concerned
in the order forcing Indians to have their
halr cut and keep their faces cree from
pigment
Origin OF the order.
During the past few months especially
many Of Uncle Sans wards from the wig
vans and tepees Of the far West have
visited the Commissioner Of Indian At
fairs in his moquette-carpeted private Of
fee. They brought with them all the
physical possessions Of their race. There
was dirt upon some OF them that was
healthy when the Pilgrims landed Many
OF them had not washed since Columbus
discovered America The hair which
adorned the head OF each would have made
barber wild with desire to put the
shears to IL.
The savage visitors put many notions
into the head Of Mr. Jones the Indian
man. who is always on the alert for i'm
proTcments in red man affairs. he con
suited with his chiefs and &c was decided
that he Indian must wash. and that he
must wash often.
A cake Of SOAP says Commissioner
Jones, is the surest road TO civilization
ever invented. But we cant do anything
with the old Indians. and we won't try
to. We will let the old fellows wear
their hair long and daub their faces until
they die out That Is all that is left for
them
The young bucks. and especially those
who have been 20 Indian schools. and
should have learned better manners. will
be forced. so far as possible, to keep their
hair trimmed and their faces clean.
Includes Only blanket, Indians,
The order. if it may be called an or
der. refers only to The blanket Indians
! continued Commissioner Jones The
red man who wears citizens clothes is
usually all right II is a fact that
blanket Indian won't work. He has 10
use one hand all the time TO hold the
/ blanket on his back. and even an Indian
can't be expected TO perform labor with
/ one hand"
Commissioner Jones wrinllled his fore
I head few more wrinkles. made a nery-
Gus jerk at his black string tie. and
thrust his hands deeper into his pockets
Il thought the order was g little harsh
/ in the first place" he said. IN the tone
| Of a man who is burdened by the cares
I Of thousands OF redskins Il ordered II
amended. and made less hard upon the
/ Indian, but my Instructions weren't car
I ried out The order did not come from
/ the Secretary Of the Interior I thought
| it out myself, having seen the need.
added Commissioner Jones.