The Irish standard., 1912-11-02


better class of stone or bronze imple-
ments and create demand for them
from other members of the tribe who
would exchange with him for prod
ucts of the chase, through which he
could gain in supplies and methods
of living that would establish some-
thing of individualism and the owner
ship of property by the discovery that
exchange of labor and the advantages
= of personal property were of advan-
tage to- all. No records nor any evil
dence exist but the meager flint i'm
PIGMENTS and cut and carved bones or
stones to make the history Of those
primeval ages more than q matter of
conjecture by which comparison with
the condition of the tribes and people
living entirely or partially uncviliZed
in more modern and present times
makes it unquestionable that Socialism
and not individualsm existed in the
early times. To whatever degree or
extent the fallacy that all the re-
sources of the earth and all that is
transformed into available wealth is
the property of all without reference
to the part contributed by each one
riment and drawback which carried
beyond limited margin will paralyze
industrial life and lead to poverty and
hardship to the extent that it is ap-
piled to human affairs.
In my first years experience in lum-
berng in the Chippewa Indian ccun-
try was possessed with the view
that their lack of industries and prog
ress was the outcome of natural in
dolence and Indifference; / later found
it was caused by the entire absence
of any motive or inducements to prac-
tice industry or to attempt to estab-
lish a permanent home and better
means of sustenance. 1t soon became
evident that the socialistic customs
and habits of the Indians were the
foundations of their poverty, hard
times and hard fare. An Indian edu-
Gated at Albion, Michigan, a gradu-
ate of the college, returned to his
home at Willow River. south of Po-
kegama and married the girl he had
known in earlier years, built him a
house, cleared off some land, built
some fish traps and was a good hunt
err and trapper. The first year he
built and cleared; the second he rails
ed a respectable little crop and with
the product of the chase and of the
fish traps, he expected to live in peace
and to set pace that would lead
other Indians to follow his example,
which he hoped to be the beginning of
better things among the Chippewa, but
caught or killed, must be divided; ev-
erything above his temporary needs
and requirements, and finding that he
could not enjoy the fruits of his own
industry, he left the house and moved
to Pokegama Lake, where found
him. He gave me a history of his
ment as to any attempt for securing
for himself and family comfortable
living or getting other Indians to fol-
low his example, and he had perma-
nently left his house and home. He
was living in a wlgwam at Pokegama
Lake from hand to mouth. This was
the only way that he could get the
fruit Of his industry by applying 1t
each day in fishing and hunting and
in the custom of gathering wild rice
and making maple sugar. They had
to provide a little for the future by
selling it to the traders to pay their
previous Indebtedness and then to get
on credit certain meager supplies to
meet the needs of hard times during
| the next season.
Two enterprising Indians, who found
that numbering operations would be-
gin in the fall of the year. planted
some potatoes in the spring and
raised a little crop. When the lum-
bermen came, they engaged to sell
them their potatoes, to be moved as
soon as the lakes froze so that the
lumbermen's teams could haul them.
The band to which they belonged, %
miles away, heard of this outrageous
proceeding of members of their band
selling potatoes to the white men,
when they were entirely without sup
plies themselves. They proceeded to
the camp of the Indians, fortunately
in their absence, and every potato was
taken and distributed among the band
and not one left for those who raised
them.
In the school at Montgomery, Ala,
I was asked to talk to the colored
scholars numbering about 125O In