The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-30
INDIANS GIVEN CHANCE, TOO
Each Who Is Responsible Aided
by Government There.
Can Go Into Paying Business,
Tho He Has No Capital.


Menominee Indian Reservation.
Keshena. Wis, June S0.-The federal
government operates. on this Indian
reservation. a complete north woods
logging industry. including a saw mill
valued at a quarter OF a million dol
lars.
It is a successful. money making
Industry, which since about 1914 has
put more than two million dollars net
profit in the tribal fund OF the Ne
nominees. Its purpose IS not priinar-
lily TO make money, but to afford an
opportunity for Menominees to learn
business
This government lumber camp
works IN a tract OF 22T.0OO acres of
timber land, with about nifty miles of
railroad 10 haul out the logs, and he
rail head at NeOpit. in the heart Of the
reservation. The work IS conducted
by white men. under the general su-
pervision of Edgar A. Allen. superin-
tendent of the reservation. and the
logging operations under G. A.
Clutches. manager Of the operation. a
University OF Michigan man. White
lumberjacks and contractors have
done the largest portion Of the work,
for the Indians have not taken to lunl-
bering rapidly.
Don't Have to Start Rich.
The Menominees are encouraged not
only to work in the camps and the mills
for wages, but to undertake. opera
tons as jObberS on their own response
biIity. Comparatively small tracts are
assigned for this purpose, where an
Indian undertakes to clear the logs
and deliver them to the railroad, hir-
ing his own help. and furnishing teams
and equipment.
This requires capital. skill and bust
ness ability. 1t is not necessary for
the Indian Jobbers to have capital to
start. II they can convince the super
rr.r,~ sfafn IA
government advances the means for
them TO try TO make good and to be-
come independent There are several
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 a former New
York state theatrical man, who re-
tired after making some money. be-
came interested in doing supply work
Tor the camps. studied farming out or
books and this summer has thirteen
or fourteen acres under cultivation
about the camps to supply fresh vege'
Ia bles.
Superintendent Clutches conducts
the major part OF the numbering
operations and watches the market for
disposing OF the lumber. His part OF
the training work is to show the In
dams the right way lot ne says lAlSA
is one right way of getting out logs
and about fifty that are wrong.
He showed some of the camps rev
fundamentals that raised the amount
Of their production something like
four-fold. without increasing the Ia
Dor 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-
forestration or farming. The brush
and the occasional logs that they LETT
multiplied their work incredibly.
United states Superviscs.
Washington maintains an active
supervision over the entire esta blish-
ment. At one of the woods camps a
pine log was used to make a water
ing trough. Charges were filed that
good pine logs were being wasted for
watering trOughs and an investigation
was held
Congress determines how fast these
Menominee forests shall be cleared,
and reservation officials estimate that
at the present rate. sixty years viii be
required for clearing. Congress also
determines how often and how much
money from the lumber profits shall
be distributed among the MenOminees
One year this amounted to about $500
a head. while on other years 1t has
been as low as $40 each, and on some
years nothing at all.