Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-07
At the top, 5o-acre field Of mIlIet near
Poplar; middle, oat field of Charles
knorr and Of Iron Teeth; at the bot
tom, typical grain field on TT. Peck
Reservation.

Poplar, Mont, Sept. IA striking
era in the evolution of the American
Indian will be marked on the FIT. Peck
reservation in Montana, Oct. l, when
the first county fair ever held by In
dams will open here. At this unique
agricultural exposition there will be ex-
hibited some unusual specimens of
grain and grasses which later in the
season will be entered at eastern land
shows in competition with the prize
products of the white man.
The white man has always laughed
at the idea of civilizing the Indians,
but the primer lesson in agriculture
given the Sioux tribe has worked a re-
markable transformation scene in the
lives of these red men on the FIT. Peck
reservation. Last year Louis Hill,
chairman of the Great Northern rail-
way board of directors, sent a repre-
sentative body of these Indians from
the Montana prairie to the New York
land show. InasmuCh as the Indians
were about to have their lands opened
to the white man for settlement. Mr.
Hill felt sorry for the crude children
of nature and decided upon a novel
experiment in their behalf. He figur-
ed that if these people were destined,
:. without consent, to become farmers,
they should be given some instruction
in the agricultural methods of the
whites. The railway chief thereupon
: picked the most intelligent members
o; the tribe and gained the app oval
of the interior department at Wash
ington, to send them to the Gotham
land show. The result was that the
Indians went back TO their Montana
; tepees imbued with the idea of tilling
the soil and producing all of the won
derful products which they saw exhib.
tied at the Madison Square garden
} show
: The figures are rather surprising to
some people" said Mr.. Hill for they
=. show that since these Indians returned
from the New York land show last win
ter there has been more than twice as
many acres cultivated on the FIT. Peck
reservation as were planted last year
t Il simply goes to show that almost any
body will improve their conditions il
: they are given a helping hand in the
right direction"
The Indians are highly elated oveI
the progress they already have made
n ItNtrn h. ~
stimulus which their chief gave to the
tribe on returning from the big lane
: show of the white man in New York
S The entire tribe is arranging with grea
/ enthusiasm for the first Indian county
fair
1 In connection with the agriculture
D fair there will be a big Indian gather
n ing just outside the agency town. Tn,
Sioux then will hold their tribal dance.
Il and go through their picturesque cere
: monies for several days.
There will be football game be
tween the Peigan tribe from the Rocky
mountains on the, Blackfeet reseTva
ton and the Mandan tribe of thesFt
Peck reservation, the winners to chal
lenge the University of Minnesota
football team Many Of the players O
the famous Carlisle football team CANE
from these two tribes, but never be
fore has such football interest beef
shown by either tribe as in the prep
aTation for this contest which is to b.
fought out Oct. 2. within the magic
circle Of tepees that will stretch 70
half mile in diameter on the leve
prairie just outside the little fringe 0