OCR Text |
Show -),:••»-rf-.iWi'W tatm****!*"*'*-*™'*'™"* 98 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. can ever be made successful isto make it a boarding-school. The success oft he school will be a problem for some time to come. SUPPLIES. The supplies furnished for the support of the Indians at t h i s agency during the past year were of uniformly good quality aud of sufficient quantity. No complaint has. been m.ule by any of the Indians ci i her as to quality or quantity of supplies furnished. The annuity goods were amply sufiicieut and-of good quality, and enough to supply all the wants of the Indians. * . ' SANITARY. The health of the tribe during (be past year has been good. No prevailing disease or epidemic of any kind has occurred ; the death rate not quite FO great as last year. Intemperance among tho Indians has, I noticed, decreased this last year. No case of drnnkeuness has come under my personal observation, although I have been informed that some have been able to get hold of liquor on the western end of the reservation, which caused serious appt-ehension among tho settlers near by. The employing of a party to keep watch of this traffic has proved most efficient, and I recommend the continuance of a person in that capacity. The Indians must be kept sober, or all our work to civilize them is lost. In the foregoing details I havo to explain that it applies mostly to what is known as the Capote, and Moachc bands of Southern Utes, who occupy and live on the eastern part, of tho reservation and are engaged in farming and stockraising and constitute about half of all the Southern Utes. The Whee-minuehe tribe, forming the other half, occupy the western part of the reservation. A part of them resist anything in the way of education or anything tending to the modes of civilized life, except to draw their rations and annuities; 1 hey have even threatened to destroy the crops of the eastern tribes who aro at work. They are of a roaming disposition and pay but l i t t le attention to what is said by t h e agent. Their behavior is good, with the exception of a few, who, in connection with what is known as tho Pah Utes, disturb the settlers west of the reserve by their presence, and I had to inform the commander at Fort Lewis of the absence of'tkese Indians from the reserve, and their unwillingness to heed my order to return, and to request him to force them into obedience. Upon the whole, I am satisfied that the Southern Utes are making much progress; they are becoming much better behaved and make.rapid advancement toward self-support. If an agent keeps up his efforts he will succeed; if he lets go, all falls to pieces again. Permit me to return my thanks for the kindness and assistance given me by tho Department in my official duties. Herewith inclosed the requircd.statistics. The Southern Utes number 995. Yery respectfully, your obedient servant, The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. CHN. F. STOLLSTEIMER, U. S. Indian Agent. CHEYENNE RIVER AGENCY, DAKOTA, August 25,1887. S I R : I have the honor to submit the following report of this agency for the past year. "" . 'Cheyenne River agency is located on the west bank of tho Missouri river, about 35. miles north of Pierre, Dak., the terminns of tho Chicago and Northwestern Railway, from which place a stage runs to a point opposite "tho agency three times a week. The mail and passengers are crossed over the river in" a small row-boat. The nearest telegraph station is Fort'Sully, 7 miles distant, on the east side of the river. There is frequently great difficulty in crossing the .river. Owing to the swiftness of the current and numerous sand bars hours are sometimes consumed in the crossing, and at certain seasons of the year the river is impassable for threo or four days at a time. There should be a telegraph station at either the agency or the contiguous post of Fort Bennett. |