OCR Text |
Show XXXIV REPORT OF TIIE COXMISSIONER ON INDIAN AFFAIRS. the Washita River, which has been contemplated for several years, and has been strongly recommended and as strongly opposed, was eflected last fall; and on the 4th of December, 1879, the first issue of rations was made from the new wa.re house. The advantages of the new loca-tion have proved to be all that the advocates of the removal claimed for it. The distance of the Indians from the Texas line, and the fact that a military post is between them and the line, has nearly put an end to the raids of horse-thieves upon their herds. Except a few Indians who possessed houses and cultivated fields in the vicinity of Fort Sill, the Eiowas, Comanche's, and Apaches have moved up to the Washita, and are settling down, not as before in large. crowded camps, bnt in small groups and by families, and they are opening up separate farms instead of cil-tivating one large body of land in common. In this way tribal relations are being modified and the influence of chieftainship impaired. Oue Kiowa, who two years ago plowed his first corn-row in a field held in coIhmon by his tribe, has now a well-tilled forty-acre field of his oyn, which he has snrrounded with an eight-rail fence, with a stone under eaoh corner. With $50 saved from wages paid him for freighting, he has bought 3 cows and calves with which to start a herd. A willing-ness to dispose of ponies for art,icles more helpful to civilization, and a, disposition to adopt citizens' dress, are most favorable indications. Twelve hundred acres have yielded about 12 bushels of corn to the acre. Eight hundred acres have been broken, but only for Indians who had first surrounded, by a substantial fence, the ground to beplowed. A new school-bnilding, which will accommodate 200, is nearly completed. One hundred children, all that wuld be accommodated in temporary quarters, have attended the industrial boarding school during the past year. The Northern Cheyennes nncler Little Chief have remained quietly at the Ch~yenne and Arapahoe Agency, although fears were entertaiued in some qnartcrs that they might make an attempt to escape to the north during the summer. Little Chief refuses to allow the children of his band to attend scltool, and makes no concessions to civilization. The fact that Little mTolf and his band are still with the military in the Powrler River conntry, undoubtedly keeps alive for Lit,tle Chief the hope that he may eventually be allowed to retnr11 there, and in the mean time he is careful not to commit himself to any of the wajs of the white man. Ten magons were purchase,d for his band, but only four yoiliig men had the conrage to brave his displeasure and accept them. The Southern Oheyennes and a portion of the Northern Cheyennes manifest exactly the contrary disposition, and, with the Arapahoes, engage in every kind of remunerative labor which the agent can furnish them-freighting, mak-ing brick, burning lime, hauling stone, &c. In fact, the demand for work of this character is much greater than the si~pplya, nd is so per-sistent as to severely tax both the ingenuity and the resources of the agent. In farming, rrhich does not give immediate returns for the labor expended, the Arapahoes have shown considerably more interest and |