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Show 4 REPORT OF TEE C0313IISSIOSER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. means of living, as represented in a crop of 2,575,440 bushels of corn, wheat, and other small grains, and 471,630 bt~sbelso f potatoes and otber vegetables. The fields ur~derc ultivation by individual Iudians planting for themselves aggregate 329,327 acres, a larger area by 12,432 acres than ever before reported, and nearly 200,000 acres more than were cultivated in 1871, a gain of 140 per cent, in fire gears, and over 550 per cent. iu ten years. Additional lands broken and ready for cultiva-tion next rear aggregate 23.146 acres. Five years ago 10,329 Indian fatnilies were living in houses. This year shows l9:902, a gain of 92 per cent. The number of 111dia.n children attending sohool during the year is revorted at 10.598. - Tl~esc ll'ool-rcporrs( lo uot d~owa ptin i n cdocnt i t~eq~u~a l to tl~n8t how11 in t l ~ opr odncts of Inbor. This is tlur. 1)artIs t o the wall1 of i~lcreaseo f funds for school nnrvoses. but more l&celi. I beliere. to tbe accurate ~ - . , ~< ~ ~~ ~ - reports of tho l ~ d ttc ree years rrspe(.ti~~thge school ;ittend.lnc.t~. Tl~e mouthl.~re port of 1'ac.h reneller furuisl~est he rllealls ot'rntire correctness as to the numbers above quoted. This report would have shown still more gratifying results but for the fact tllat for want of later returns t.he statistics for four civilized tribes iu the Indian Territory are taken from the report of 1872. There is every reason to suppose that among these 42,000 people there has been a larger proportion of gain for three years past than among any other Indians. For general infonuation concerning the different tribes, and the con-dition of their agency affairs, reference is made to a, summary statement gireu hereafter. INDLAIi ITAES. In my lnst annual report I ventured the statement that <'except nuder extraordinary provocation, or in ciroumstances not at all to be appre-bended, it is not probable that as many as five hundred Indian warriors mill ever again be mustered at one point for a fight ; and mith the con-flicting interests of the different tribes, and the oocnpation of the inter-rening country by advaucing settlements, such an event as a general Indian war can never agai~ol ccur in the Uuited States." During the year passing in review there has been less conflict wit11 Indians than for many previous years. With the exception of the Dhey-ennes and Comanches, ahoat the close of the period covered tiy my last report had still refused to surrender to the military, there has beeu no hostile engagement with the United States troops, and cornplaint of marauding has been mnch less than usual. This fact is significant. ' ' According to all experience in the management of lndians, this year should have been marked for bloody eouflicts. White settlements have been brought nearer to wild Indiaus than ever before ; many disturbing questions have arisen, and mith the most marlike and powerful of all the tribes there has beeu a constant series of irritations which in any prerious year would hare raised the mar-cry along a large exposed seE. tion of the frontirr. The Sioux have beeu mauy times represented as about to go out on the war path; at other times they have been reported as disaffected by bad management of bad agents and goaded by desperation of hunger and cold to au outbreak. Nothing shows the utter want of truth iu all these revorts more clearlv than the fact that wheu thev were broueht cl~rerfulipto rcli~~quiascl.~l~ erisl~eall~ ~ ~ n tainudg r oa1ui1;g privilege tl;cS reqaestesl that ne;trl.y all 1110 825,OUO r~.ei.i\.ed in corr~l,enr:rtion lor tlri.+ reiinqoisllmenc should be expended in cows, horses, harness, and mag- |