Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-01-08
PENoBscoT INDIAN REPORT.
Agent Ira e. Pinkham Submits Mat
ter to Governor and Council.

ter to Governor and Council.
while the common ailments due
largely to colds and exposure have been
numerous and persistent there has
been but one resultant death during
the year." states Ira E. Pinkham Of
Old Town, agent for the Penobscot
Tribe of Indians in his annual report
which was presented TO the governor
and council Tuesday.
From figures embodied in the report
it is shown that the uneXpended bal
S970.51.
Agent Pinkham further saws:
at is my Judgment that $1,000 per
year is none too much fof the state to
appropriate for medicine and medical
attendance. Otherwise | am obliged
to take from my poor FUND several
hundred dollars and in addition carry
over unpaid medical bills. IL some
method could be devised whereby these
medical bills could be materially les
sened I should be glad to see il brought
about. AS it is ! am considerably en-
narrassed by using some of my poor
fund money for medicine when | feel
it should he used for+the common ne
cessaries of life.
Farming.
As this is my first wear Of overseeing
Indian affairs. ! naturally know nut
very little of what the Indians have
done in the past in the line of farming
/ find this year that while some may
pay rather scant attention to looking
after their planted fields, many others
are greatly interested and succeed in
raising very creditable crops, Which
help them greatly during the fall and
winter. Bounty paid on crops are as
follows: Potatoes, ZIP bushels; beans,
las bushels; peas, 80 bushels; turnips.
IA bushels: carrots &c bushels; beets
81 bushels; oats, 80 bushels.
Census.
The membership OF the tribe as
shown by the census taken last jan
nary is 400.
Election.
At the biennial election of the tribe
the Old Party chose the following Of
ficers: Governor. Horace Nieholar; lieu
tenant governor. Peter W. Neptune;
representative to the legislature, Peter
w. Rance; island policeman. Henry
Francis.
Schools.
: Sisters Ernestine and De Chantal
now have charge of the schools and the
superintendent of the Old Town
schools, who is also superintendent of
onr island schools has submitted to ME
the following report: Although the
sisters now in charge of this school
were new to the work al the opening
of tho school year. they seemed to have
gained good understanding of the
temperament and characteristics of the
Indian children and clear appreciation
of the conditions under which they are
working. and have found. on my
visits to the school, the pupils industri-
Gus, contented and making good pro-
gress in their studies. While the in
struction was skilIful and effective.
THE teachers have reported some il
regularity in attendance on the part of
their pupils which they are trying to
overcome Some of this results from
the habit more or less prevalent on the
Island of taking the boys on the hunt
ing trips which are mace from time to
time by the men. AT the beginning
of the fall term a number of children
who had been away with their parents
to summer resorts did not return until
several weeks after the opening OF
school. Put whether there We're cases
enough under this head I" warrant
postponing the opening of the tall term
for two or three weeks has not yet
been determined.
The school building is comfortable.
commodious, well heated and lighted
and fully meets with the requirements
of the school. The pupils are kept we'll
supplied With text books, pencils, pa
per, ink and other essentials of school
work
The enrolment of the school is about
40 which | learn is about the average
of the last few years.
Sidewalks.
With the limited amount OF money
at my disposal | have made shch ad-
ditions and improvements rs l coniH
to our Travelled ways. Among these
changes was the extension OF the sfav-