plexing questions involved, and the well-known readiness of designing whites to take advantage of any oversight or flaw in the dealings of the agents of the government with the Indians, whereby they might hope to reap some advantage to themselves, no expression of dissatisfaction has reached this office from any of the Miamies, and I believe strict justice has been done.

Although this money was due to the Miamies by treaty on the 1st day of July, 1880, no action was taken toward providing for its payment until March 3, 1881. The interest, however, for the year 1881, although not provided for in the treaty, was paid to them, and this was satisfactory; but as the payment of the principal was still deferred for at least six months, during the fiscal year 1882, without fault of theirs, they consider themselves, through the precedent of having been paid for 1881, and in equity, entitled to additional interest. This they are the rather disposed to expect as they appear to have heard of the appropriation made for paying them for the full fiscal year 1882, which still remains on the books in this office. It therefore seems necessary that some further action be taken in the case to finally settle it, either by allowing them a part of the money, say interest for six months of the year 1882, or by covering the whole amount back into the Treasury.

Winnebagoes.-Circumstances have prevented my fully carrying out the provisions of the act approved January 18, 1881, for the benefit of these Indians. The clerk who was detailed from this office to take a census of those in Wisconsin was prevented through the interference of some meddlesome whites from completing it as quickly as had been anticipated. No appropriation had been made to meet his expenses, and but a very limited amount could be spared from the contingent fund of this department for that purpose, and when this was exhausted, in December last, he was compelled to abandon the effort to complete the census, leaving about one-third of these Indians yet to be enrolled. Early in the following spring I called the attention of the department to the difficulties in the case, and suggested that an appeal be made to Congress for funds to complete the work, but no appropriation was made for the purpose. This is to be regretted, as the Indians need the money and are in most instances prepared to make a good use of it, and any considerable delay may necessitate going over much of the ground again. Several parties in Wisconsin have expressed a desire to finish this work, but I am of the opinion that sending a competent and perfectly disinterested person to do it would be most beneficial to the Indians, by preventing the possibility of their being controlled by self-constituted, unscrupulous attorneys, such as have already greatly retarded my efforts to properly carry out the act. I therefore repeat my former suggestion, that funds should be provided for this purpose.

The number of Indians who on account of the interference of white men refused to be enrolled is about 250. As a result of this partial failure, no money has been paid to those Indians who complied with the request of the government, and they are made to suffer because of the obstinate and rebellious attitude of a part of the tribe. This is making the innocent suffer for the acts of the guilty, and ought, in some manner, to be remedied, so that the law-abiding ones should be paid what is justly due them. I can see neither reason nor justice in refusing or neg lecting longer to pay these Indians who have willingly done all that was required of them by the government.

As several of these Indians, in anticipation of this money, selected lands, which the want of it rendered them unable to secure, a temporary expedient was resorted to, and an arrangement made with the hon

orable Commissioner of the General Land Office, whereby the claimants can go before the agent for the office nearest to them, and, by prov ing their Winnebago blood, &c., and their willingness to comply with the provisions of the act of July 18, 1881, the land they have selected can be reserved for them until this money is paid.

Wyandottes. The payment to this tribe of Indians of $28,109.51, the sum appropriated by the act of March 3, 1881, which was to be in full payment of their claim under treaty of February 23, 1867, was completed on the 13th of April last. A very careful census having been taken, and the claims of those who applied to be enrolled carefully examined, all who could not be proved to be members of the Wyandotte tribe, as defined in the treaties made with these Indians, were rejected. The payment seems to have been very satisfactory to the Indians, especially as the claim of Isaiah Walker, for $17,900 for a ferry franchise, on being examined, was not considered good against this fund, and was therefore disallowed.

Sac and Fox, Iowa.-Since my report for 1881, this branch of the Sac and Fox tribe has become more tractable and willing to comply with the rules governing annuity payments, so that $40,000 of their back and current annuities has been paid to them, viz, $20,000 in January last, and the same amount in the following August. This was a per capita of about $128, or over $500 to each family of four persons, which number their domestic relations will average. Of this large sum, after paying some back taxes on their lands, they had expended, by September 1, almost every cent, except about $3,000, with which they propose to purchase more land, which they greatly need. It is to be regretted that at least half of the entire payment could not have been used for this purpose, rather than squandered in ways, if not injurious, yet of but doubtful benefit to them. But as the money was their own, no action could be taken by this office further than giving them good advice.

The agent complains of drunkenness amongst these Indians, which he, for want of means, is unable to prevent, but it is hoped the stringent liquor law now in force in that State will result in their being benefited to a greater degree by future annuities.

All the other regular annuities, &c., have been paid during the year without incident worthy of special remark, and it is a gratifying fact that although a total sum of about $650,000 has been so disbursed to the Indians, during this time, having to pass through many hands, and find its way to the owners often in the least civilized part of the country, no case of loss to the government or to the Indian has occurred, either through accident, carelessness, or design. The present system of enrolling the Indians is so perfect, each birth, death, change in relationship of members of families, English and Indian name, age, and sex being duly recorded, that oversight or imposition is almost impossible, and general satisfaction among the Indians is the result.

EDUCATION.

Exclusive of the five civilized tribes, the whole number of Indian pupils attending school the past year has been 8,412. Of these 476 were. in attendance at the Carlisle, Hampton, and Forest Grove training schools. Of the remainder 3,937 attended reservation boarding schools and 3,999 reservation day schools. The average attendance for the year has been 5,126. A table giving the schools in detail, with the attendance and condition of each, will be found on page 376. The following

table shows the gradual progress which has taken place in Indian education during the last six years:

Boarding-schools.-Six new boarding schools have been opened during the past year at the Round Valley, Lower Brulé, Fort Peck, Western Shoshone, Navajo, and Yankton Agencies, making the whole number now in operation 74, including the training-schools at Carlisle, Hampton, and Forest Grove. In each of the reservation boarding-schools instruction is given the girls in all branches of household industry as well as the making and repair of garments. The work of the kitchen, laundry, dining-room, dormitory, and sewing-room is performed by them under the supervision of the employés of the scnool, and it is expected that they will receive as thorough and constant instruction in the art of homemaking as in reading and writing the English language. It is in this department that the want of suitable buildings and appliances has been most severely felt, and thereby progress has been most seriously retarded. Want of funds has compelled the refusal to many schools of wells, cisterns, suitable furniture, and clothing materials, and the many articles of convenience which are considered essential to the proper management of a private family, and which are even more sorely needed for the smooth working of a large household. The Indian is an apprentice to civilization, and he cannot be expected to make rapid advancement in his trade if the tools furnished him are poor in quality and insufficient in number and variety. Too often the ingenuity of teachers has been taxed to see how they could manage to do without, instead of how they could teach pupils to use, the appliances of civilized life.

Industrial training for boys is also carried on at reservation boarding schools, and is receiving more and more attention with each year. In connection with 57 schools, 1,245 acres are under cultivation, and the crops the past year have amounted to 8,370 bushels corn, 3,698 bushels oats, 11,683 bushels vegetables, 1,248 bushels wheat, 154 tons hay, 1,250 melons, 1,575 pumpkins, and 2,890 heads of cabbage. In addition to farming and gardening, the preparing of fuel and carrying of water gives many hours of labor to the boys, and the teaching of trades is rapidly being introduced. Blacksmithing, tailoring, and harness-making are taught at four schools; seven teach shoemaking, ten carpentering, and fifteen the raising and care of stock. Training in these branches has been greatly stimulated by the success of the experiments at Carlisle, Hampton, and Forest Grove. Agents are taking these schools as models of what an Indian school should be, and pupils at home are interested to learn the branches which are being taught their more favored relatives.

In industrial education Indian boarding-schools are doing pioneer work. There are neither precedents nor text-books to follow. In very few schools in the United States can the white child, unless he is a criminal, learn how to work as well as how to read; how to use his hands as well as his head. This need is receiving the attention of educators and philanthro

pists, and the success of the experiment among Indians is being watched with interest by the friends of the lower classes both white and black. One of the first obstacles encountered is the outlay of funds required. To fairly equip each reservation school with stock, wagons, farming implements and mechanical tools, and have these articles used not only by children, but by children who have no inherited inclination or aptitude for civilized pursuits, must very largely increase the annual expense of the schools; and though for such expenditure the return in the next generation will be large, the immediate returns will be meager. Nevertheless it ought to be done, and appropriations increased accordingly. Even if Carlisle, Hampton, and Forest Grove could turn out, as they cannot, all the skilled mechanics and agriculturists needed among Indians, yet the value to the Indian boy of mere rudimentary training in some one of the various handicrafts will be worth to his own manhood and the civilization of his race immeasurably more than it will cost, and the morale of the school which furnishes such employment and diversion to its restless pupils will be vastly improved.

Too much importance cannot be attached to the agency industrial boarding school. It is the center of Indian civilization, and will be until parents are willing to send their children away from home to be educated, and the government is willing to assume the enormous expense of that sort of schooling. Until then the reservation schools will be worth as much to the distant training-schools as the training-schools are to the reservation. They awaken the interest in education which first leads the parent to surrender his child, and they so mold public opinion as to make it possible for the returned student to persevere in the habits learned at the East. Unless a strong purifying influence is exerted on the reservation atmosphere while the students are absent, they will return to a fire-damp of heathenism, ignorance, and superstition that will extinguish all the flames of intelligence and virtue that have been kindled by contact with civilization. In this way only can the government hope to escape the humiliating relapses which many years ago discouraged missionary societies from any further attempts at educating Indian pupils away from their tribes. An appropriation of not less than $50,000 should be made by Congress at its next session to properly equip existing reservation schools for industrial work.

Day schools.-Eleven new day schools have been opened this year, but four day schools have become boarding schools, and twelve have been discontinued, so that the whole number now in operation is 101, five less than last year. Most of those discontinued were small schools, maintained in the Indian camps by religious societies. It is as common a belief that the boarding should supersede the day school as it is that training-schools remote from the Indian country ought to be substituted for those located in the midst of the Indians. But I trust that the time is not far distant when a system of district schools will be established in Indian settlements, which will serve not only as centers of enlightenment for those neighborhoods, but will give suitable employment to returned students, especially the young women, for whom it is specially difficult to provide. As General Amstrong has well said in his annual report:

There is absolutely no position of dignity to which an Indian girl after three years' training can look forward with any reasonable confidence. There is nothing for her but to enjoy or suffer in the present state as best she may. Schools in the Indian camps, under judicious and vigorous supervision (such as are in a few cases already established by the missionaries), would give honorable work, full of inspiration, to our best Indian girls.

right of way is payable after the company shall have constructed 100 miles of road upon the reserve.

The company has also definitely located the section of 640 acres required for depot purposes, on the west bank of the Missouri River, included in the above-mentioned purchase. By supplemental agreement of November 10, 1880, the company agreed to pay for all improvements of individual Lower Brulé Indians falling within the limits of said section such amount of compensation as may be awarded by a commission to be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. Steps are now being taken to perfect the list of Indians who are entitled under this agreement, with a view to an adjustment of damages in manner provided.

This company has also definitely located a tract of 188 acres for depot purposes, &c., on the Crow Creek Reserve, east of the Missouri River, as provided for by the agreement of November 13, 1880. It has also filed a map of its road as constructed through the Crow Creek Reserve, under the terms of said agreement. The total consideration money payable in respect of land so taken on the Crow Creek Reserve is $1,424.76, which the company is ready to pay. The maps are now before the department for approval.

Dakota Central Railway-Sioux Reserve in Dakota.-The Dakota Central Railway Company has definitely located the section of land at Fort Pierre, on the west side of the Missouri River, granted under the agree ment with the Sioux Indians June 12, 1880, and has paid into the department, for the use of said Indians, the sum of $3,200, as consideration money therefor. It has also paid to the department the sum of $375 for the right of way through the Old Winnebago Reserve, east of the river, granted by the agreement of December 31, 1880. I am not advised what progress has been made in the construction of this road.

Idaho, Clear Water and Montana Transportation Company-Nez Percé Reserve, Idaho.-On the 27th January last, Agent Warner, in charge of the Nez Percé Indians, transmitted to this office a petition of the Idaho, Clear Water and Montana Transportation Company (a corporation of the Territory of Idaho, engaged in the construction of railroads from Lewiston east into Montana), for a right of way along the Clear Water River and through the Nez Percé Reservation, established by treaty of June 9, 1863 (14 Stat. 651), which treaty provides for the estab lishment of roads upon that reservation under authority of the United States. In transmitting the application the agent stated that the Indians appeared to favor the building of the road, as it would open up a good market for their farm produce, and that it would also greatly facilitate the delivery of supplies to the agency. He therefore earnestly recommended the granting of the petition, subject to the consent of the Indians.

In pursuance of department instructions of the 8th May last, Agent Warner was directed to convene a council of the Indians for the purpose of laying the matter before them and obtaining their consent to a peaceful preliminary survey in order to determine the definite location of the road upon the reservation, with the understanding that before any construction of the road could be commenced the consent of three-fourths of the adult male Indians upon the reservation would be necessary, and that reasonable compensation, subject to the approval of the department, would be required from the company for the right of way and lands taken. On the 10th June last, Agent Warner reported to this office that he had submitted the proposition to the Indians in council assembled, and that greatly to his surprise they had almost unanimously voted against it. Subsequent advices from the agent seem, however, to