Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-09-04

7
26 bushels per acre, wheat from 20 to
25 bushels per acre and oats 60 to S5
bushels per acre.
A striking era in the evolution Of
the American Indian will be marked
on the Ft. Peck reservation In Mon
tana October /, when the first county
fair ever held by Indians will open.
At this unique agricultural exposition
there will be exhibited 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 ciyilizlng the Indians,
but the primer lesson in agriculture
given the Sioux tribe has worked a
rearkable transformation scene in the
lives Of these red men on the Fort
Peck reservation. Last year Louis
Hill, chairman Of the Great Northern
Railway board Of directors, sent rep
resentatlve body Of these Indians from
the Montana prairie to the New York
land show. Inasmuch as the Indians
we're 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 novel
experiment in their behalf. He figur-
cd that II 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 Of
the tribe and gained the approval Of
the interior department at Washing
ton, to send them to the Gotham land
show The result was that the In
dams went back to their Montana te-
pees imbued with the idea Of tilling
the soil and producing all of the won
derful products which they saw OK.
hibited at the Madison Square Garden
show.
"'rhe figures are rather surprising
to some people" said Mr., Hill, "fol
they show that since these Indians re-
turned from the New York land show
last winter there has been more thar
twice as many acres cultivated on The
Fort Peck reservation as were planted
last year II simply goes to show tha
almost anybody will improve thell
conditions If they are given helping
hand In the right direction"
The Indians are highly elated ovel
the progress they already have mad'
in agriculture as the result Of thc
stimulus which their chief gave to The
tribe on returning from the big lane
show Of the white man in New York
The entire tribe is arranging will
great enthusiasm for the first Indial
county fair ever held. 1t will open a
Poplar, Montana, October and las
five days.
In connection with the agriculture
fair there will be a big Indian gather
ing just outside the Agency town, Tn,
Sioux then will hold their tribal dane
es and 90 through their plcturesQu,
ceremonies for several days.
There will be a foot ball game be
tween the Peigan tribe from the Rock!
mountains on the Blackfeet reserya
tion and the Mandan tribe of the For
Peck reservation, the winners to chal
lenge the University Of Minnesota foo
ball team. Many of the players Of tn,
famous Carlisle foot ball team oam'
from these two tribes, but never be
fore has such foot ball interest beer
shown by either tribe as in the prep
aration for this contest which is to b,
four ought October within the magi
circle Of tepees that will stretch fol
half a mile in diameter on the leye
prairie just outside the little fringe o
houses called Poplar Montana, Th
tbrnng ~ anectatora will Includa g.