Arizona republican., 1907-10-04
FORTUNATE APACnfS
 OF THE WHITE MOUNTAIN
The Progress Being Made by the Abo- risines of the of the White River Agency.

Whiteriver, Ariz., Sept. 30.-(Special
 Correspondence of The Republican, The White Mountain Indian reserva- ton comprises about two million acres
 of mountainous land; it is not fit for
 anything much except for the raising 7 of cattle, sheep, goats and horses. The Indians now have about l2,0O0 head of horses and 1900 head of cattle. The northern part of the Indian re- serve is covered with very good pine
 timber which is now worth three or four million dollars and it's value is increasing yearly. During the past two years the forest reserve people have been trying to have the Black Mesa forest reserve extended south to include the best part of the Indians
 land, grass and timber; they claim that the forest is not protected against fires when in fact it has better pro tection than the forest adjoining it. The superintendent has lately issued
 GOO heifers to these Indians for breed ing purposes: he contemplates buying as many more in the near future for
 the same purpose; these purchases cost the government nothing whatever
 for the fund is realized from the sale ot grass that the Indians are not yet able to use. and the money realized
 belongs to the mas a tribe.
 There are 254 children attending school on the reservation here as fol-
 lows: Fort Apache training schools. 167; Cibicu day school. 45; Canyon day school, 42.
 We challenge the Indian service in
 Arizona to show a finer or more pro- lGuctive garden, or better herd of cattle of its own raising. The indus trial teacher and carpenter with the help of school boys have earned more than s3,00O.O0 during the past year in gardening. and in the shops. The em- ployes' mess building is worth S5.0OO.
 notwithstanding the tangible cost was only s2.0Oo. Employees cut the timber. 'hauled it to the saw mill. manufactur- ed it into planed lumber. We make the lumber. lath. shingles. lime. brick. and quarry the necessary stone, so
 that the main outlay is for labor here.
 The White Mountain Apaches are cutting 2,500 cords of wood and SO0,- 900 pounds of hay for the military at
 Fort Apache; they are also furnishing all the hay and wood for this agency.
 They work well when they are not drinking their corn beer: this is a sort of malt they make of sprouted corn: they drink this stuff after it ferments thirty hours. It is both food and drink and it eXhilirates and fattens.
 The new Indian traders. Holt and Jones, have moved into their new store building near the office build ing and they seem to be doing a good business. There is a legal schedule of profits beyond which the trader can not go in his sales to Indians unless he becomes a Yiolator of the law
 When these Indians are given the money for their earnings they expend it about as wisely as the white man and they need no coaching.
 Were it not for the Indian medicine man and a few nonprogressive chiefs these Indians would soon be classed with the best; the ''medicineman" is against the white man, his schools and churches and civilization. If these unworthy characters were removed from the reservation and compelled to live with tribe where they had no such contaminating influence it would remove the chief check to progress.
 The forest service and the bureau of animal industry are working hard in an endeavor to eradicate or diminish the common forms of stock disease found on the western ranges and their efforts are meeting with much success.
 IL is anticipated that a large number of stockmen will avail themselves of this latest offer of assistance and as result the loss of stock will be great ly reduced and range conditions i'm probed."
 Those ranging stock in the Tonto National forest desiring to take ad
 vantage of this offer should write to w. H. Reed. Forest Supervisor. Roose- welt, Arizona.