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Show I XXX REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. specified. Part of their reserve is sandy and barren ; part good farm-ing land, if cleared, (but this is so dificult to do as to be almost im-possible to Indians); and part is covered with valuable pine timber, not less than 300,000,000 feet, estimated. Since game has disnppeared, these Indians have been making a pre-carious and scanty living by picking berries, gathering roots, wild rice, &c., eked out by the small annilal interest paid to them by the Qovern-ment. Many efforts have been made by this Department to encourage them infarming, hut the obstacles in the way of making aliving on their reservation by this means and without other reliable peouniary assist anoe are so great that they became discouraged, and have been gradu-ally retrograding for many years. In the mean time the immediate wants, especially those of thcir old, sick, and otherwise helpless mem-bers, were so pressing that many of them con~ludedto give up farming and turn their attention to other pursuits. At their earnest solicitdt.ion, and believing it promised to open a way to better times, the Depart-ment, in the fall of 1881, authorized them to market dead and down timber, of which there was a great quantity going'to waste on theirre& ervation. This, it wasdecided by compebnt authority, they had a right to do, and this action of the Departmeut was subsequently indorsed by act of Congress approved March 31,1882. Commencing with the winter of 1881-'82, they have coutinuecl log-ging up to and including the winter of 1884-'85, with varied fortune, of which below is given a short sketch, that its advantages and disad-vantages may be fully understood.. During the season of 1881-'82 about 225 loggers marketed over 5,200,000 feet, which sold for some $47,000. This, after paying the tribe the stumpage, say $5,000, and all their own expenses for stock, toole, and subsistence for about ten weeks, left them still a fair profit on their winter's work, and they were much encouraged. The stnmpage, by common consent of the tribe, was set aside to be used for the benefit of its old, sick, and otherwise helpless members. During the following season, 188243, they banked about 6,000,000 feet, but on an effort being made by their agent to sell it for them in the spring of,1883, it was found that there was no market. This may have been a result of collnsion amongst buyers or of an oversupply, but it was generally believed to be the former, and this should be borne in mind as one of the causes which may lead to a complete failure in this business any 8eason. The timber, consequently, could not be dis-posed of at any reasonable price, when ready for sale, and the watars falling in the mean time, it could not be moved. Still hopeful from the results of the first season's work, the Menomo-uees, having borrowed some money and arranged to get further credit for supplies, &c., tried a g~i nd,u ring the winter o f 1883-'84, banking about 4,000,000 feet, which made about 10,000,000 feet in all, for sale in the spring of 1884. Sale of this was eltkcted, but the prices obtained |