Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-06-30
Government Run,
Logsing Industry,
To Aid Indians

Menominee Indian Reservation,
Ksshena. Wis.-tBy the Associated
Press.)-The federal government ops
crates, on this Indian reservation. a
complete northwoods logging indus
try, including a saw mill valued at a
quarter of ambition dollars
It is a successful. money-making
industry. which since about 1914 mas
put more than two million dollars nat
profit i n,the tribal fund of the Mem
ominees. It's purpose Is not primarily
to make money. But to afford anSop-
%portunity for .Menonlinees to learn
business.
This government lumber camp
works, in q tract of $4,000 acres of
timberland, with, about so miles OF
railroad to haul out the logs, and the
rail head. at Neopit, in, the heart of
the reservation. The work 10 conduct.
ed by white men, under the general
,superyision% Of Edgar A. Allen, SUI
perintendent Of the, reservation. and
the logging operations under G. A.
Clutches, manager Of the operation a
University Of Michigan al White
lumberiacks and contractors have
done the largest portion of'the work.
for the Indians have not taken to
numbering readily. ?
Become Jobbcrs.,
The Menominees are encouraged
not only to work in the camps and
the mill for wages, but to undertake
operations as jobbers on their own re-
sponstbility. Comparatively small
tracts are assigned for this purpose,
where an Indian undertakes to clear
the logs and deliver them to the rail-
road, hiring his own help, and fur
nishins teams and equipment. This
requires capital, skill and business
ability. It. is not necessary for the
Indian jobbers to have capital to
start. If they a convince the SUI
Perintendent of their responsibility,
for, them to try to make good and to
become Independent. There are e
eral Indian jobbers now at work. One
of these camps is conducted by a
Carlisle graduate; who was, a notable
ball player in his college days, and
who now plays summer baseball with
the Neopit Indian team.
Among the staff OF white men in
the lumber camps Is q former New
York state theatrical man, who retir-
ed after making some money, became
interested in doing supply work for
the camps, studied farming out Of
books, and this summer has thirteen
or fourteen acres under cultivation
about the camps to supply fresh
Clutches Assists Indians.
Superintendent Clutches conducts
the major part Of the numbering OPP
%erations and watches the market tor
-disposing of the lumber. His part OF
The 4 ~n irSr~ ~rv1u1y S~ g. .l~- -HY-
dams the right way. for he says there
is one, right way OF getting out logs
and about fifty that are wrong. He
showed some of the camps a few
fundamentals that raised the amount
Of their production something like
fo%ur-fold, without increasing the la
bor or the expense. These other log
gers were not taking everything as
they went, nor clearing the brush and
leaving the land ready either for re-
f~orestration or farming. The brush
ana the occasional logs hat they left
multiplied their work incredibly.
Washington maintains an active
supeTNision over the entire Establish
ment. Atone of the woods camps a
pine log was used to make a water
ing trough. Charges were filed that
good pine logs we're being wasted for
watering trdughs. and In investiga-
ton was held
Congress determines how fast these
Menominee. forests shall. be cleared,
aud reservation officials estimate that
at the present rate, sixty. years win
be required, for clearing. Congress
also determines how often and how
much money from the lumber profits
shall bes distributed among the Me-
nominees: ,,One year this amounted
to about $500 a head, while on other
years it has been. as low as so each,
and on some years nothing at all.