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Show X REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. Indians with their four-pony teams to remove nearly 4,000,000 pounds of freight anaverage divtance of nearly 150 miles. Even the boldest and most progressive agents pronounced the undertaking a novel and doubtful experiment and others declared it to be impossible, expressing the opinion that Indian ponies were too weak and unreliable to be depended upon for business of such serious importance. To add to the difficulties of the situation malicious white men burned the grass be-tween the agency and the Missouri River for a s p m 40 by 60 miles in extent. Under difficulties like these the task of teaching wild Indians to haul supplies with their unbroken ponies began Ootober 11,1878, and before January 1, 1879, their ability to perform the work had been successfully demonstrated, and 13,000 Iudiaus were comfortably fed and clothed on supplies and annuity goods hauled by themselves without loss or waste. In past years, when wagon transportion was performed by white con-tractors, the loss and waste were very considerable. Employ68 and teamsters lived on the flour, sugar, bacon, and coffee transported by them. The Indians, however, invariably carry their freight through intact. They have become expert drivers of four-pony teams, and now manage them with the skill of an experienced stage-driver. The result of the experiment with the Sioux Indians his led to the purchase of enough transportation matmidl to enable all our Indians, except the tribes in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona, to haul their own supplies. One thousand three hundred and sixty-nine wagons and two thousand five hundred sets of double harness are now employed in the service with excellent results in all cases. The influence of this industry upon the tribes in which it has been in-troduced has been marvelous. In the past all drudgery and much of the real work devolved upon the Iudiau women, while they laughed at and ridiculed any man who was disposed to labor. Now, however, the women are glad to have the men do the hauling, and even other work, and go so far as to ride in the wagons witli their husbands on the jour-neys between the agencies and the base of supplies. The prosecution of tbis industry compels the men to wear citizens' clothing, and in that particular rapid advance in civilization has been made. Another ad-vantage, and perhaps the greatest one, is the opportunity thus afforded ' Indians to earn money honestly, and by constant application, in consid-erable amounts. Hauling is far more profitable than hunting ever wa,s, even when game was abundant. . Then the traders, in the purchase of pel-tries, for which they made payment in tokens, took the lion's share of all the Indians could earn; now their wages are paid in cash, and the Indians are rapidly learning to make a good use of their money. What is not expended for necessaries and comforts is given to the women t,o keep for future wants. . . It is now the settled policy of the government to give all wagon trans- |