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Show XLIV REBORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS Berthold Agency four girls and nine boys, from the Standing Rock Agency one girl and three boys, and from the Cheyenne River Agency nine boys ; and he was directed, in company with his wife, to take these children to Hampton. They arrived on the 6th day of November, and already give promise that the opportunity thus afforded them will not be lost. In his report, which will be found on page 1'73,C aptain Pratt states that he could with ease have secured three tboasand Indian children for the school, so anxious are the parents to have their children educated. One Indian woman wonld not let her daughter go alone, and she there-fore accompanied her, and remains at Hampton to match over her. The anxiety displayed by the Indians to have their children educated snggests the establishment of industrial schools of like character morc convenient to the Indian population of the eouncry, where their educa-tion might be carried forward on a more extensim scale. CHANGES AXONG AGENCIES. During the year several importaut changes in respect to agencies have taken place. A reduction of two has been effected by t.he collsolidatio~of~ the Win-uebago and Omaha Agencies in Nebraska, and the Wichita and Kiowa and Comanche Agencies in the Indian Territory. It is intended to con. solidate the Lemhi and Fort Hall Agencies in Idaho by remol-ing to Fort Hall the 900 Indians who me unfavorably located at Lemhi. The Union Agency was abolished by law on the 30th of June last. The interests of the service require that it be restored. The bureau needs to have some officer on the groimd who can investigate and fur-nish information in regard to t h e , vario~us questions arising amoug the diflerent tribes in t.he Indian Territoq which come before t,his office for decision. The Fort Belkuap Agency has bee11 re-established. It was discon-tinued in 1Si6, and the Gros Ventres and Assiuaboines ordered to report at Fort Peck. The Gros Ventres, however, have steadily refused to join their old enenlies the Yanktonnaiis at that poult, and they, with a por-tion of the Assinaboines, are again allowed to receive supplies at Fort Belknap. That agency also inclndes the River Crows, who make their home in that vicinity, and decline all invitations of the Mountain Crows to settle with them on their reservation south of the Yellowstone. The Mission and Hoopa Valley Agencies, in California, and the Mo-quis Pueblo Agency, in New Mexico, have also been re-established. Their discontinuance was caused by failure of Congress to appropriate for sdaxies of agents. An agency for the Western Shoshones, in Nevada, has been created. A good reservation in Duck Valley, on both sides of the boundary line between Nevada and Idaho, was last year set apart for their benefit by executive order, the first opportunity ever afforded them for malriug per- |