tion better results can be obtained at reservation schools. In conversation with the Indians they seem to realize the importance of obtaining an education for their children, but it finally seems to be left optional with the children themselves whether they shall attend or not, no compulsion being used to secure regularity of attendance. There have been no serious acts of criminality among them come to my notice, the only disturbances being caused by intoxication.

Returning thanks for the kindness with which may requests for assistance have always been met by the Department, and regretting that I cannot make a more rosecolored report of progress, I remain, very respectfully,

The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

W. R. DURFEE,
Indian Agent.

SHOSHONE AGENCY, WYOMING TERRITORY,

August 15, 1884.

SIR: I have the honor to submit my first annual report as agent of the Shoshone and Arapaho Indians, located upon this reservation.

I assumed charge on the 19th day of February of this year, the weather inclement and very severe, thermometer registering 35, making it almost impossible to properly examine the stock of merchandise and farming machinery for which I had to give my receipt. I found most of the annuity goods in order, with the exception of machinery and farming implements. All the farming machinery is of ancient design, heavy, broken, and unfit for use. There being no possible way of housing the large farming machines, such as threshers, mowers, rakes, plows, and wagons, they have for years stood the summer's sun and winter's storm, until at the present time the only service they are fit for is to show the rising generation the immense strides the American mechanic has made in improving labor-saving machinery. Under some of the former administrations an Indian agency was the depository of goods as useless to an Indian as a Greek dictionary, and the consequence is that I find the little warehouse-room I have clogged up with material utterly worthless in this country and in quantities sufficient to supply the whole Territory.

Subsistence, the article the Indians needed most, was almost exhausted, and it was necessary for me to at once curtail the issue of rations, and had it not been for your kind and prompt action in giving me authority to purchase flour and beef in open market, my Indians must have starved or left the reservation to commit depredations on cattle roaming the hills. Such acts, I am happy to state, have been avoided, and I can safely say that my 2,000 Indians, classed as wild, roving, and uncivilized, are as peaceable, orderly, law-abiding men as can be found in any new territory. No nation on the face of the globe can furnish 2,000 people who will submit quietly to being confined between unknown lines and starved to death while cattle can be had for the killing. My Indians have done it; not a complaint has reached me of their having killed any white man's cattle.

FARMING.

The Indians on this reservation have, until the last year or two, been living in a land of plenty; were provided by a kind Providence with food suitable to their wants. The mountains were full of bison, elk, deer, bear, and antelope. The antelope grazed in the valleys in herds of thousands, almost as tame as domestic cattle. While meat was at the door of the tepee it was useless to ask the Indian to farm, especially as he had no fondness for the food of the white man. Now the inevitable is coming to pass-the wholesale slaughter of animals for their skins has driven the few surviving to the fastnesses of the mountain, and days and months of laborious toil poorly reward the Indian for the privation he has suffered.

Some of them have listened to advice and reason, and broken small patches of ground which they have fenced in a rude way, for timber is scarce in this country, and have planted oats, potatoes, and garden truck. Some few planted wheat, but at the time wheat should have been planted they were in a starving condition, and, preferring the bird in hand to two in the bush, put the grain where they thought it would do the most good. No people more fully obey the injunction of the Bible, "Take no thought of the morrow what ye shall eat." In raising garden truck some are very successful, and bring their produce to the agency and post for sale. I issued for planting 5,500 pounds of wheat, 18,600 pounds of potatoes, 3,700 pounds of oats, besides a quantity of garden seed. I issued and loaned 40 wagons, 24 plows, 12 harrows, 30 hoes, and 40 rakes. Unfortunately the Indian, like many white men, starts out with good intention, but, lacking stability of purpose, falls by the wayside. He

who has been in the habit of gathering the fruit of his labor at the crack of his rifle finds it tedious waiting for the maturing of his crops. Let us not despair. The arts of civilization cannot be learned in a day. Where two plant this year four will next, and at this geometrical progression we will solve the Indian problem.

The employé force has been kept very busy making and repairing fences and ditches, cutting and hauling hay for agency use and the use of the school, also in cutting hay for Indians who had taken care of meadow land. We cut it for them with machine. They rake, stack, and haul to market for sale. Some of them will realize as much as $150. We have in enough oats for agency stock-say about 20 acres. We have a 300acre field fenced. I am told that at one time most of it was broken. I can only say that it has gone back to a state of nature; some few acres are in use by Indians, and the school has planted some potatoes in it. It was the intention to give this field to Indians for their farms, but they will not use it, preferring to select small patches of bottom land which can be easy irrigated, and where they can congregate in family bands. The area of this reservation embraces about 30 by 50 miles, in which the Indian can locate to suit his fancy. They are thus so scattered that it is next to impossible to render them much assistance in farming.

STOCK ANIMALS.

I have 8 yoke of oxen, which, until the present time, have been roaming at large as I had no use for them. I am now utilizing them in hauling wood for the school, which will require 50 cords of wood and 50 tons of coal. I would gladly turn them in as beef and invest the value in two spans of good work-horses. I have one pair of mules in fair condition, one first-class horse and one not so good, and a fair pair of horses that I have loaned to the school.

INDIAN ANIMALS.

Until recently the Indian cared only for his ponies. The Wind River Valley is a fine grass country, and they raise thousands of small horses. Their stock is gradually improving by a better grade of horses, brought in from Utah by the Utes who exchange them for buffalo robes. They are just beginning, when too late, to appreciate the value of cattle. The cattle given to the Shoshones a few years ago, on the ceding back to the Government a portion of their reservation, have been mostly stolen or sold to the white men living on or near the reservation, for a few dollars, whilst those given to the Arapahoes a few years ago for stock cattle have been eaten up or gobbled up by the cattlemen of the neighborhood. It is no uncommon sight to see a white man's cow with a half dozen calves, while the Indian cow has none. If when the cattle were given them they had been branded U. S. they could not have sold them, and the only loss would have been those killed for beef. They are now seeing their error, and a few are gathering up the remmants that remain and putting their private brand upon them. Blackcoal, Arapaho chief, has probably 50 head in his herd; Washakie, Shoshone chief, about a dozen. For the benefit of our common country, as well as for the Indians, I think it would be wise policy to purchase and loan to the five heads of each tribe ten good-sized stallions, branding them U. S.; they would not be lost or stolen, and a breed of horses would be raised that for hardiness and endurance could not be surpassed.

AGENCY BUILDINGS

consist of seven buildings for dwellings, which were built by contract fourteen years ago for the sum of $13,000. They are log houses, one story high, two rooms front, and kitchen back; one warehouse built of stone; carpenter shop and blacksmith shop under one roof, frame. A room attached to the shop makes a home for the blacksmith and family. There is a log house, formerly used as school and church, which is now used by the school as a store-house for tools and sleeping department for employés. There is a frame building, under one roof, receipted for as one grist mill and one saw-mill; the inclosed part of it is used for a warehouse, the saw-mill and gristmill are only "on the papers." An office and council room is needed. The agent's house has just been put in habitable order by the expenditure of $500, and as the Department has granted me $1,200 to spend on agency buildings I trust that before winter the buildings will be shingled so that my employés can live in them without the necessity of oil-cloth clothing. Our stable is an old stockade, covered with straw, but with thermometer at 40° it is little better protection to our stock than the open prairie.

EMPLOYÉS

all work harmoniously together. I have seen no necessity of any change in the list as handed to me by my predecessor. My blacksmith resigned, having found that he could make better wages, and I had some difficulty in finding a suitable one to take his place. By authority I employed a harness-maker for two months to repair harness. As we have a large amount of harness it was money well spent. My carpenter and smith are kept busy repairing one hundred old wagons so that they can be used for freighting. The farmer and assistant have all they can attend to. We have put up about 50 tons of hay for agency stock and for the school stock. By authority granted I have three men employed for three months to haul wood and coal. No one here confines himself to any particular line of duty, but knows that when labor is required he must be ready to give an assisting hand. The wages allowed by the Government are far below what should be paid for competent employés.

INDIAN POLICE

consists of chief of police and six privates. I have had occasion to make but one change in this department. One private was discharged because he was too lazy to draw anything but his salary and rations. They can be depended upon to do what they are ordered to do, and if sent out to bring in a suspected party they will bring him in at any cost. Although I believe the Department pretends to furnish them with pistols and badges for their protection, none have been received at this agency. The pay of $5 per month for man and horse cannot be considered an extravagance on the part of the Government. Having no lock-up, the only punishment I can inflict is to cut off rations, but as the Department has most effectually done that, the threat has lost its terror.

TRANSPORTATION.

All the supplies for this agency are transported from Rawlins here by Indians; the distance is 150 miles. During the fiscal year ending June 30, 1884, they have transported with their own teams 310,000 pounds of freight and have received in payment for freighting the sum of $3,500. The freighting was promptly done without loss, and teams and freight brought in in good order.

MILLS.

I have on the ground a first-class 30-horse engine and boilers. They have not been put in position, for want of funds. The machinery of an old saw-mill was hauled by my predecessor 15 miles into the mountains. As there is but little timber where it is and a doubtful supply of water, and as it takes the better part of a day to reach it with teams, I have not thought it policy to spend any money to put it in running order.

FURS AND ROBES.

Furs and robes are getting very scarce, as will be seen by the following table:

It will be seen that as the buffalo died out attention was turned to deer and elk, and as the buffalo dropped from 2,400 to 500 in two years we can easily see the fate of the deer and elk. They will be killed off faster than the buffalo, for the reason that they are now being killed for food as well as hide. Then what is to become of the poor Indian. When they had the meat of 2,400 buffaloes the Government gave them 1,200,000 pounds of beef. When but 1,500 buffaloes their beef was reduced to 750,000 pounds, and when but 500 buffaloes was all they could kill I am reduced to 525,000 pounds of beef. I do not believe they will be able to kill 200 buffaloes this coming season. What they are to live on God only knows, and he won't tell.

CIVILIZATION.

Civilization of these Indians is advancing slowly. The number that wear clothing is greatly on the increase, and a majority of them wear some piece of white people's clothing. Most of the males prefer leggins to pantaloons, and will often cut the seat out of new pants to convert them into leggins. They do not like to live in houses, for the reason that they soon become infested with vermin and full of filth. A tepee they can move when the filth becomes unbearable to an Indian, but a house they cannot move. When it is remembered that but a few years have elapsed since these Indians were bloody-thirsty savages their improvement gives very promising encouragement. If the Government will use a wise policy and furnish them sufficient subsistence, so as to prevent the necessity of their taking their whole family with them when they go hunting, they would soon learn to enjoy the comforts of domestic life and be absent only long enough to furnish meat for the family at home. There is no use of talking religion or endeavoring to civilize an empty stomach. It can't be done.

SANITARY.

The sanitary condition of the Indians on this reservation has been very good. During the past year the number of deaths reported have been thirty-one (31). But one new case of venereal disease has presented itself for treatment; the chronic cases are doing well; death has lessened the number. The Indian comes freely to the agency physician, and their faith in the potency of his treatment is rapidly gaining strength. While the Indian medicine men still practice their ways among the Indians, they would be of little use and but little sought for were a hospital built at the agency where they could receive constant treatment. Our school is growing rapidly, and it may be well to consider the propriety of erecting a suitable building where, in the case of fever or contagious disease, the invalid can be removed to it for the safety of others.

NEW SCHOOL-HOUSE.

The new school-house is built of adobe, and is feet front and feet deep-main building with two wings, one feet, and the other, in which is the dining-room, kitchen, and laundry, is feet deep. The building was built by contract for the sum of $11,000, and when handed over to me on April 9 of this year, the contract being complied with, the building was not painted, there were no steps, and are none to-day to reach the outside doors, which are 2 feet from the ground, no outhouses of any description, no closets, shelving, or cupboards, nothing but the walls and roof. In this incomplete building we have 40 children, and expect to have 70 in a few weeks.

SCHOOLS.

The progress made by the scholars in their studies has been on the whole satisfac tory. They write a good hand and are apt at figures. Some of them have advanced as far as fractions in arithmetic, but in the more important subjects of reading and speaking English they have not made the progress they should have done. The conduct during school hours is remarkably good; they are quite diligent and painstaking. It would, I think, be difficult to find in a civilized community better behaved children.

Of their industrial work I can speak highly. They are willing and obedient, ready at all times to follow their instructor and to do what they are able to do. On the school farm about two and a half acres have been planted with potatoes and three acres sown with wheat, The potatoes have not done well. They will average about half a crop. The grain looks better and may make a fair yield. Fifteen tons of hay have been stacked, a cellar dug, fuel for the summer months, and poles for corrals hauled a distance of 7 miles; a considerable quantity of dirt and débris has been carted from the school grounds, all of which work the boys helped in doing, The school has the use of a pair of horses belonging to the agency, and is the owner of 7 dairy cows and calves. The average attendance during the year was 16 boys and 2 girls. Until recently we could accommodate no more. The Shoshones have been averse to sending their children to school, but this week they have sent us 16, which swells our number to 40 boarders. More are expected in a few weeks. With our spacious building we can conveniently accommodate 80 scholars.

In giving thanks to the Department for its prompt and generous response to my many wants, I promise to so manage the affairs of this agency that the best interest of the service and the welfare of the Indian shall at all times be the object in view. I have the honor to be, most respectfully, yours truly, S. R. MARTIN, Agent.

The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS.

INDIAN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, CARLISLE BARRACKS, September 12, 1884. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith my fifth annual report. The following table of statistics shows the population for the period of report:

Of this number I placed out on farms and in families during the year, for longer or shorter periods, 44 girls and 173 boys, and have arranged for keeping out about 110 the ensuing winter, to attend the public schools where they are located, or to receive private instruction in the families. This is by far the most important feature of our work, and, to my mind, points the way to a practical solution of the difficulties and antagonisms separating our Indian from our other peoples, convincing both races of the true character and capacity of the other. Of the 217 placed out last year, 90 were reported as excellent in conduct, 63 as good, 46 as fair, and only 18 as bad; 84 are reported as excellent workers, 83 as good, 41 as fair, and 9 as lazy.

I established a regulation that all who went out from the school should do so intirely at the expense of their patrons, and should receive pay according to their ability. The results have been most satisfactory. The absence from the school has been in nearly every case a clear saving to the Government of their support during such period of absence, and many of the boys and girls, besides supplying themselves with clothing, have earned and saved considerable sums of money, which, I find, has a most excellent influence. An Indian boy who has earned and saved $25 or $50 is, in every way, more manly and more to be relied upon than one who has nothing; whereas, had he received the same sum as a gratuity the reverse would be the case. Necessarily we have to send out the most advanced and best students. Those returned to their homes, added to the accessions made to the school during the year,