The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-01-28

sames disease in the gensra registra-
of the United States. The death rate
among the Indians is 1924 per thou
sand.
For the year ending June 80,
1912, there were flfty-three hospitals
and sanatoria In the Indian service,
with capacity for 1885 patients.
Several others have since been con-
structed and the capacity Of others
increased. They are mostly school
hospitals, and with capacity sufficient
only to accommodate sick pupils"
How about the coughing, racking,
suffering old ones? They are living
| In drafty houses, on dirt floors, and
nothing being done for them. 1t Ia
q surprising and cold fact that there
seems to be no ray Of hope for the
betterment Of the conditions of the
nnfortunates among the few remain
ing aborfgines.
When the white men landed on the
shores OF the new world. the Indians
received them with wonderment and
kindness. In his Fair God" Lew
Wallace long ago described how the
Indians were ready to worship the
fair gods, until they proved them
selves to be fair demons. The In
dams made them welcome upon theil
boundless domains. Concerning the
remaining pauperized princes of the
continent, the commissioner says:
j THE solution of the problem Of car
Ing for this vast number OF cases
would be the establishment OF tuber
culosis camps on the reservations
This has been done In few instan
ces, and will be done In others .
funds become available, and wheri
conditions are conducive to thei
proper maintenance.
There are, however, many smalle
agencies and isolated bands Of In
dams whers cases are few and tn
cost of maintenance would be exces
sive; and there are hundreds of II
dams receiving absolutely no treat
ment whatever. and as many NOR
. within reach of physicians who ar
not equipped to care for them. Ind
gent cases, OF which there are many
when neglected become fcci, fror
which the disease spreads"
In an epitomized statement Of fac
!, the joint commission thus tells th
pitifully pathetic story:
Formerly the Indians lived in t.
PEGS. Gents engaged in outdoe
sports, and earned their livings b
hunting, fishing and trading. Contat
= with the white man has worked
radical change in the habits and til
occupations OF the Indians. The
= have been collected on reservation
thsir hunting grounds converted In
4 farms, and every energy has been e
A, hausted to change a naturally nom
Is die race into an agricultural peopl
l. The transformation has been attendt
II with great difficulties. The substit
i ton Of insanitary houses for tepe,
l. has resulted in the adoption OF ha
l. its of living peculiarly conducive
d the spread of tuberculosis, In mar
$, Indian homes sanitary conditions a.
= frightful Large families live in sing
s. rooms, poorly ventilated, and witho1
the ordinary comforts OF life"
10 Kings, princes, landed proprietor
% OF this vast continent, which WI
n decided to them in fee simple by
mighty God; they have been houndt
% and driven into enclosed reservation
=. and civilized until their condition
~ are frightful."
D. Surely whsn the white men of tn
t. country realize that this story is ;
a. official story concerning the actu
|; conditions of the hopeless and hel
la less unYortunates of this fast-disa
Of pearing race, they will hear a "sti
c small voice. coming out Of the d.