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Show I REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF IBDIAN AFFAIRS. LXI dians of the different tribes, yet, on the contrary,the agent reports that no difficulty has been experienced, and that the members of the differellt tribes are in constant daily iutercourae with each otjher, a.nd as yet not one personal or tribal difficultyhas occumed. The Wichita and affiliated bands are further advanced on the road towards civilizatio~tlh an the Kiowas or Comanches ; yet the progress made by the latter ~ b e hsas been satisfactory. The number who wear citizeds dress in all the tribes is steadily increasing, and the prejudice against labor is steadily disappearing. The agent has more applications for positions on his force of Indian laborers than he can grant. In this connection Agent Hunt says: I am beonmiog more and more convinced that the money expended for the hire of Indim labor is wisely appropriated, althbngh they do not always labor faithfully, nor is the work alwsys important, yet it is surely effeoting mooh good by rem*?ing the prejodice against work. A young man tempted by the wages offered to lag aside his hlsuket sod mrk for one month will never again be affected by his old-time prgju-dices or the ridicole of his associates. The tribal system here is fast disappearing. The change from Fort Sill to the Washitit is believed to be one of the causes, dispersing the members of the different tribes through the new settlements; ,and the issuing of rations to individual Indians, instead of to chiefs of bands, is another, and perhaps the principal, cause. The agent is of opinion that the. Indians of his agency could engage profitably in stock-raising if their ratious were sufficiently increased to preclude the necessity of their killing their stock-cattle to satisfy the pangs of hunger. The proceeds of freight hauled by the Kiowas di~ring the year has amounted to $11,446.56 ; and otherlabor has been performed, such as burning oichar-coal, cutting of logs, &c. The Osage Indiaus, while reluctant to adopt the white man's way, so far as dress is concerned, yet cont'iuue greatly interested in house-bnilcl-ing. During the gear nearly 60 houses have been built. The Indians i cut the logs, hauled the same to the a,gency mill (where it was cut I by one or two white employ6s, assisted by Indians), and hauled the lumber to where they wanted their houses built. They have also quar. ried and hauled t,heir own rock for chimneys, and are generally aball-doning their lodges, as soon as their houses are completed. The agent expects to complete about 26 more houses before winter sets in, and to have all the Osages comfortably housed before another winter. The ' Kawsarc rapidly decrmsing, owing, mainly to disease, and numbernow : but about 250 full bloodsaud50mixedbloods. Some of then1 have raised good patches of ooru this year, md good care is taken oftheir stock-cat- 1 tle. The barbarous custom of selling their daughters for wives, even 1 when they are not over eight or nine years of age, still continues. The I Quapaws living among the 0sage.s number between 150to200; most of I them have built log huts, and earn somet.hing by working for the mixed-blood Osages. i |