The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1915-08-26

tween fifteen and nineteen outranked
both the other races. This latter fact
is the result in part of the more or
less compulsory attendance upon
many reservations of the youth up to
eighteen years of age
lIiteracy and Inability to speak Eng
iIsh.
The percentage of illiteracy (inabil-
ity to write in any language) among
Indians ten years of age and over de.
creased from 56.2 in 1900 to 453 in
1910. The corresponding percentages
for other elements of the population
in the latter year were: Native whites.
3; foreign-born whites, 1877; Japa-
nese, go; Chinese, 1873; negroes, 30.4.
The statistics show illiteracy to be
somewhat less frequent among male
than female Indians, the percentages
for the two sexes in 1910 being 41.5
and 49.2, respectively.
When a comparison is made of the
proportions for the % states each of
which had an Indian population of
1000 or over in 1910, it appears that
illiteracy among this race is greatest
in Utah and least in Kansas, the per-
centages for these two states being
83 and 1877, respectively. The pro-
portions of illiterates are also large
In New Mexico, Mississippi, Arizona,
and Nevada-S1.7, 70, 1919, and tit,
respectively.
When the various linguistic stocks,
or tribal groups, are compared with
respect to illiteracy, the highest per-
centage, 81, is found among the Zunis,
who live chiefly in New Mexico; while
the lowest, 217, is shown by the Iro-
quoian stock, which comprises the
Cherokee, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga,
St. Regis, Seneca, Tuscarora, Wyan-
dot, and other tribes, living chiefly In
Kansas, New York, North Carolina,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Caro-
lima and Wisconsin.
Of the Indians ten years of age and
over in the United States, the per-
centage who were unable to speak
English fell from 423 in 1900 to S1.3
in 1910. Among the linguistic stocks,
the highest percentage unable to
speak English, SIG, was reported for
the Zunis of New Mexico, and the
lowest, 2 per cent, for the Maidus OF
California.
Occupations.
In 1910 there were in the United
States 1876 Indians ten years of a9
and over engaged in gainful occupa-
tions, this number constituting 27.S
per cent of the total Indian popula-
ton and 1872 per cent of the Indian
population ten years of age and over.
Among males, the gainful workers
numbered 59,206, or 61.3 per cent of
all males ten years of age and over;
and among females, 14,710, or Is per
cent Of all females ten years of age
and over, were gainfully employed.
All these percentages show increases
as compared with 1900.
The largest proportion of gainfully
employed males ten years of age and
over, 90.1 per cent, was shown by the
Croatans of North Carolina. For the
females, however, the highest percen-
tage among the larger tribes was 61.9
for the Navajcs, who are found prin-
cipally in Arizona and New Mexico.
The occupations in which Indians
are engaged are diversified in char
acter, ranging all the way from UNI
skilled labor to some of the highest
proprietary, official, professional, and
skilled pursuits. Among the Indian
population are found manufacturers,
bankers. United States officials, me-
chanical engineers, locomotive engi-
neers, telegraph operators, actors, ar
lists, clergymen, college professors,
physicians, surgeons, and lawyers.
The great mass of the Indian workers
in the United States, however, are en-.
gagged in a comparatively small mum.
Der of occupations. In fact, 85.4 per
cent of the total number of gainfully
employed Indians were found in seven
occupation groups: Agricultural la.
borers, 35.5 per cent; farmers an(
stock raisers, 1872 per cent; lumber
men, raftsmen and woodchoppers, "a
per cent; laborers in manufacturing
and transportation, 6.3 per cent; bas-
ket makers and weavers, IA per cent;
launderers and laundresses, 10 per
cent; and servants and walters, &c
per cent.
The apportionment of congressional
representation under the constitution
is made proportional to the popula-
ton of each state, excluding Indians
not taxed" The census bureau, there
fore, makes a classification Of Indians
on this basis. The term Indians not
taxed" denotes Indians not subject to
taxation by reason of specific treaties
or laws controlling their relations to
the national government. The great
majority of them are on Indian reser-
vations.
The number of Indians not taxed
has been decreasing from decade to
decade. In 1890 it was 180,447, or 1853
per cent of the total Indian popula-
ton; in 1900 it was 1858, or 546
per cent of the total; and by 1910 it
had dropped TO 71,872, or only 271
per cent of the total The decrease
between 1900 and 1910, however, is
accounted for almost entirely by the
fact th$t the total for 1900 included
81, 1920 Indians net taxed in Indian Ter
ritory (now a part of Oklahoma).
whereas in 1910 all the Indians in
Oklahoma were reported as taxed.
Bow Best Anuley.