| OCR Text |
Show I REPORT OF THE 003IJ.IISSIOhER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 51 s~tbstitutiono f plows and harness for blankets, in their last annuity clistribution, gave great satisfaction. These Izldians have cultirated, this season, 1,500 acres, of which 200 have been broken by themselres, and have raised 10,000 bushels wheat, 4,000 bushels oats, 8,000 bnshels potatoes, and have cut 500 tons of hay. They own 2,500 horses, 1,800 head of cattle, and 250 hogs j 115 houses are occupied by them: of nllicl~ 29 have bee11 built during the year j 2,500 acres are surrounded bv fence. In three years the amount of land ~ultivateda nd the crops raised have Inore than trebled, and the number of cattle and hogs owned hare more than doubled. A boarding-school of 30 girls, and a day-school with an aarrage attendance of 48 boys, are reported. The only serious obstacle to a.much larger improvement on the part of these Indians has been the disagreement between the fathers of the Rornan Catholic Church and the indiau agent. The f~the rhs ave main-tained, and probably with reason and truth, tl~stth e agency is improp-erly located upon a rocky and sterile portion of the reservation which affords no inducement for agriculture, to which they cannot and will not invite any of the Catholic Indians under their infloencein theRitter- Eoot Valley to remove ; but, on the contrary, they declare themselves ready and willing enough, if the 1ndia.11~ca n be properly located on their reservatiou, to encourage and induce them to remove thither. It is believed that this question iu in a fair way of settlement, and that herenfter harmony will be secured and the desired removal accom-plished. LEMUI AGENCY.-The mixed bands of Balznacks, Shpsholzes, and Sheep-eaters, to the number of 1,000, many years ago formed a confederwy, separated themselves from other tribes, and made the Lemhi Valley, in Eastern Idaho, their rallying ground, whttre they subsisted chieliy on salmon and mountain.sheep, occasionally veut,uring after buffalo into the hunting-grounds of the Sioux and Crows, who often carried OK their stock and inflicted upon them great irardships. Five years ago a special agent was sent out by t.he Government, who found them almost entirely destitute of lodges, tents, or clothing. On the opening of an agency farm, the Indiams gathered together and made a solemn promise of friendship to the whites, which, although repeatedly urged by hostile Indians to break, they have kept iuviolate. An agency farm of 115 acres is worked by Indians, who have been snb-stituted for white employBs. There have been raised this Fear 310 bushels of wheat, 540 bushels of oats, 1,500 bushels of potatoes, 900 bushels of turnips, and 152 bushels of pease. Owing to the meager appropriations, the Indians have been obliged to resort to hunting to sustain life, and have therefore been unable to undertake farming for themselves individually. If they can be subsisted while opening farms, they will soon become an agricultural people. They are anxious for homes, and are ready to adopt citizen's dress. A school-house has been built, and a day-school was opened in March l a ~ t . The Iudians seem interested in the education of their children, hut the attendance has bmn small, owing partly to the disturbing effect of the official order communicated to them in May last requiring their removal to tho Fort Hall reservation. To thisremoval they are utterly adverse, ,and will rather forfeit all aid from the Government and depend for subsistence entirely upon hunting. T h y claim that this is their country, and they probably can be provided for with as little expeuse, and be brought to civilization more rapidly, if allowed to remain where they now are than if forced to submit to a rernoral. |
