OCR Text |
Show I i REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. XIX I I Fields were cultivated, new land broken, houses built, farming-imple- 1' ments and stock purohased, and converts to the labor-system multiplied rapidly. In spite of many adverse circumstances the interest hassteadily increased. Owing to the exhaustion of the sum authorized to be ex- ' pended by Congl6ss, the Osages last winter were obliged to resort to the buffalo.country, but returned without success in a destitute condi-tion, more ready than ever to learn the lesson of dependence for sub-sistence on the cnltivation of the soil. Unfortunately, want of funds prevented the agent from giving the needed assistanera in seeds, plow-ing, and planting, while an unprecederited flood destroyed the larger portion of such crops as were raised. The following extract from the report of Agent Beede sets forth clearly the present situation of Osage affairs : The leader8 lbnro mnnifzsred a diaponirinr~to co-oyenro rritl! the ugaof io tho civili-mlion of tllu tribe, nod rhia arason. pruhtblg to an ~zterbr #lever before, hnvo rnsrraind the-tr \uutnz warrrors from rornroaitriux depratlntion~. Thrs have dono so os eltort nllow-u~, cb,-intt ;b hop*. fltnr relief would c"me=,t h tlw ~ ~ e ~ofi thno pi ~ esenyt e n , and t hny runnut under3t:tnd sbv the (iovcroll~ollt allullld fail ro rcarmn.1 to tbeiraarnesr p~tilion ft,rrhr~ros.rli swrred fi~udra. lready :~cclltnulardin tltr 1:nitad Ftnrtr TI ~ ~MItIoT aYd.. van60 them in civilimtion sndsub$st them in their transition-state from barb&iam to self-support. They appealed to Congress for this aid, informing tho Department, through their agent, of their neceasitios, the impossibility to live, even, without tho hunt, unless aided for the timo being, and of their utter failore in last winter's attempt, for buffalo, and thus their mbsolnte dependence, and of their orownin misfortune by an almost uopreoedented flood in the latter part of Sixthmonth last, w%ioh carried away their fences and destroyed by far the greater pert of the crops raised by sudfor many members of the tribe. • They ask nothing gratuitously st the hands of the Government; theyonly ask a por-tion of their arm, made necenaary by an exteusion of timo granted by Congress to set-tlero an their lands in Kansas in which to pay for the same; and it should be romem-berod that this extension was greoted without oonsnltstion with or consent of the Osages; and, had these lands been promptly paid for, as the oommisaioners treating for them represented they would be, their annual interest on the proceeds ofthe same aonld be sufficient for their necessities. A hilore on the part of the Government to render them simple justico at a time of pressing necessity may prove a. ooatly oxperi-ment and be productive of grave results. In view of the oircumstanoes herein set forth, * I would recommend, if in aoonr8aooe with existing law, that the entire appropriation, or so much thereof as may be necessary, amounting to $57,000, be expended for the hen-efit of those Iudisus during tho firat half of the fisoal year, and that Congress be aakod at *an early stage of its next session to provide by deficiency-hill for the laat half, and that a liberalappropri&tion bemade from their investedfunds for their support and civ-ilization during the next fisoal year. I make this woommendstioo in the hope that the loss of the present year may be partially overcome before entire oonfidence in the Government and its agents is gone. Snperintendent Nicholson als6 says : The indnstrinl boarding-school was oontinued during the laat fisoal year with an en-rollment of 94. The laat two months of its continuance the salaries of teachers and otltera anga *.I i n ct,oductin:: ir sera paid l,y donltidur fiom tlro sgunr, bir amplog63, traders, audFo;horu, on ncoouur of t l fu~tln tn! of (n111d6 al,ylienl,ic to rfr iopporr. A lxrnc luldirion to libr acbooi-hnilrliner \r;m cumvlvred luat rrnr br lare anent Gibson. and there is now mom for the aoco&madati.tion of 900 pupifa ; but the use&lnesa of tbe in-stitution will be sadly orippled this yew by the failureof thoappropriation askedfor ( h" .lt"-- nuu..mue." . ". The damago to crops by flood will render necessary a larger supply of food from other sourcss.and. owine to the failure of the exoectad annoruorietion. it will ilea most ditl~cnltp roblcra~i u keep tl~enel odinoa quiet sbon rl~ai~'rederratiod. For two year* p.~zVt or.xreds ha* nppropriatcd,ur the rcqurrr uithe Uaaxes, an nmplo amvunt of their own trilbll iuuds, ant1 tlltn the. hsve brru dubsidled i b t a J mded in s~.ttliuzrl ~smdelsrs opon rlwir uen r'eron.atiun. i'hw aid alluuld Lnvo been conrir~nud fdr tLcanrna ptrr-pore, so t j r n s nredfi~l.a n3 therelny ull necearilg taken R W fix~ th em fo lenvc tlm r.servarion it, searci~u f food rind rlurliuc. 'L'bar do not nerd. ncirhordn thnraak.rlau bounty of the Government. The funds-me thdr own, and the aovernmeit istheir I guardian. I recommend immediate mtion by C o n ~ e sas t its next session. A statement of the necessities of the Osages was laid before Con-gress at its last session by communication frzm the Secretary of the Interior to the Speaker of the House, under date of May 24; bur |