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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 21 have very good exhibits, and were ashamed to'unload after seeing ' Takes the Gun's and Bird Horse's displays, for fear of being laughed at. Later in the day, however, when matters had quieted down somewhat; nearly all consented to bring their exhibits to the hall and arrange them, and one old Indian of this last group actually was awarded a prize for the largest variety of vegetables. Great pains were taken to impress upon the Indians that it was quality and variety more than' quantity which would count in valuing a contribution. When the exhibits were all nicely arranged in the hall they made as creditable a display as is seen at any county fair in a newly settled country. Pigs and chickens were an interesting feature, and the at-lention they attracted delighted the owners. In the grand industrial ' . parade nearly all the Indians joined, driving all kinds of farming outfits. . The stock parade thru the agency grounds was.a complete success and a very pretty sight. In the lumber-wagon and farm-team contest the judges decided that only those Indians who had purchased and paid for their outfits with money which they had actually earned by their own efforts could compete for the prize. The driver in each case was to .be the owner, and he was to have with him his wife and children. The first prize was awarded to Ta.kes the Gun. Prob-ably thirty or thirty-five teams were in the parade and made an ex- , eellent showing, and two or three Indians would hcve had a good chance for second and third prizes, but the judges learned that their outfits were not paid for. Indeed, an Indian who was considered for first prize was ruled out because it was learned that he had purchased his team with money that came to him from his father's estate. Then the judges resolved to go to the camp and examine the tepees just as they were, pick two from each district which appeared to be thg best kept, and allow these to remove to the fair grounds and com-pete for the prize offered for the nicest-kept tepee and the best meal cooked and table set for four. This caused a great commotion among the Indian women. The suddenness of the visit was fatal to the chances of many, as no warning had been given them to set their homes in order; hut for that very reason the women selected 'were those who were really entitled to the honor, and they were correspond-ingly proud of it. They immediately began serving meals for profit, which were so well patronized that they earned a fair sum of pin . money. It is interesting to note that the first prize for meal and table went to Mrs. Pretty Antelope, and the first prize for well-kept tepee to Mrs. Joseph Stewart. Both were full-blood Indians, and neither had ever been to school or could speak a word of English. A number of educated girls competed for these prizes, but obviously depended too much upon nonessentials and too little upon the practical phases |