absorb a portion of this large surplus, but with the present population of the reservation there will always be an excess of agricultural lands. Second. At this time the larger part of these 200,000 acres is under lease and in cultivation, and substantial improvements, such as houses, stables, etc., have been placed on very many of these allotments, although not called for by the terms of the lease. Third. It would be a great waste and damage to these lands to allow them to go back-to grow up to weeds-not to take into consideration the injury it would work to the white lessee who has gone on and improved these lands under authorized and approved leases. Under date of July 28, 1900, I was advised by the Department that in the future lessees would be required to place permanent improvements on the land in addition to the cash rent, so that when the allottee was able to go on the land he would have an improved farm, with buildings, etc. This is doubtless a wise provision, but the peculiar situation at this agency would suggest that a special rule should be applied. The homes of these Indians are in the eastern portion of the reservation. Comparatively few leases have been made in this section, and in very many instances it would better accomplish the desired end to have a portion of the rentals derived from the leased lands in the central western portion applied on improvements on the other portion of the allottee's land. Again, why this rule should not be inflexible, we have on this reservation, more especially among the Omaha, quite a number of allottees who have all their land very well improved. They have good houses, barns, granaries, and other outbuildings; their land is all under fence; in fact, their improvements would compare very favorably with those of the best white farmers in the vicinity. Such allottees, who have anticipated the wish of the Department, and who for a number of years have devoted a large part of their income to the improvement of their land, should be exempt from the rule. There are few, if any, of the able-bodied men but have retained unleased of their land all that it is possible for them to cultivate. The prime object to be attained is that they shall properly farm these lands, and it would appear necessary to adopt some rule that would stimulate or, if necessary, force them to more exertion, and to this end I would make the following recommendation: That a rule be adopted requiring every able-bodied man not otherwise employed to cultivate in a proper, husbandlike manner a certain number of acres before he will be allowed to draw the rentals on that part of his allotment which is under lease, the number of acres to be fixed according to his physical ability as well as his financial ability to provide teams, farming tools, etc.; that the requirements under the rule at first should not be excessive, but should be increased from year to year; that a certain proportion of the rentals derived from the leasing of his surplus land be applied in permanent and substantial improvements on the home place: that, if this plan is adopted, rules and instructions should be issued long enough in advance of their going into effect so that all could be prepared to comply with the new order. I believe the foregoing plan to be practicable and that it can be put into operation without undue friction. Crimes. Very few indeed are the crimes that have been committed by Indians on this reservation during the past year. But four prosecutions have been instituted in the courts, except as to the offense of introducing liquor on the reservation, and even these four offenses are directly traceable to the liquor traffic. communities of an equal population can show a better condition. Few Liquor traffic. This is one of the greatest sources of annoyance and discouragement on this reservation, which is peculiarly situated, surrounded as it is by towns, in most of which is the ever-present saloon and the worthless whites who depend upon the bootlegging" profit for a livelihood. One year ago I thought the liquor business was very well under control. By energetic and systematic prosecutions the traffic had been reduced to the minimum. But shortly after July 1, 1899, the Department of Justice withdrew the deputy marshal from this section, and while I continued to report every violation of law coming to my knowledge, the prosecutions ceased and in a short time the conditions were as bad, if not worse, than they had ever been in the past. Last June the United States court again took up the matter, and numerous prosecutions were had and many convictions secured, so that I can again report at this writing a much better condition. The only way to keep the liquor traffic down is to prosecute promptly every violation of law. If a few cases go unpunished it emboldens these violators of law, and outside of the better condition which prevails by having prompt actions by the courts, it will in the end be of much less expense to the Department of Justice, as few will engage in the business if prosecutions are sure and swift. Education. The Omaha Boarding School, which is owned by the Government and supported in part by the Government and in part from Omaha funds. is a prosperous school, which furnishes accommodations for about 75 pupils. The plant is of wood and old and not a model for convenience, but is in fair repair. Last year detailed estimates were submitted for much-needed improvements, such as water supply, heating and lighting plants. The estimates were again renewed this year, but at this date no authority has been granted. The accompanying report of Superintendent Ratliff will give a more detailed description of this school. The Winnebago school plant was destroyed by fire in April, 1898, since which time the Winnebago have been entirely deprived of educational advantages. except as furnished by the district school. The last session of Congress made an appropriation of $10.000 for rebuilding this school. Plans and specifications have been completed by the Indian Office, advertisements for construction were issued, and bids were received at the office of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs on July 24, and doubtless the contract has been awarded, which provides for the buildings to be completed by December 1, 1900. This long time without a Government school for the Winnebago has been a great disaster to this people. Besides the Government school among the Omaha, contracts have been made with nine district schools to educate Indian children. In some instances this plan proves satisfactory; in others the attendance of the Indian children is so poor that little good is accomplished. Sanitary. From my observation and from the report of the agency physician, I am able to report a very satisfactory sanitary condition at this agency. These Indians seem more than ever anxious to avail themselves of the services of the physician, follow his directions more implicitly, and are fast losing their faith in their own "medicine men." This is noticeable particularly as to their desire to have proper surgical operations performed when injured, many minor and several major operations having been done during the past year. No epidemic has occurred and but little disease of a serious nature. The number of deaths has been considerably lower than the births, the deaths mostly occurring among the very aged. The surrounding country, especially the larger towns, near this agency early last spring having been reported to have cases of smallpox, it was deemed advisable to have a thorough vaccination of all Indians of the reservation. Upon application, several hundred vaccine points were furnished by the Department, and the work carefully done, all the Indians gladly availing themselves of the opportunity. I am justified in saying that if the future shows a continuation of the advancement and progress of these people in the line of sanitation and observance of the laws governing health, there need be no apprehension as to the perpetuation of their original fine physical condition. Agriculture. The season has been favorable for most crops. The thrashing of the wheat at this date is well advanced, the yield fair, and the quality good. Corn is a very fine crop and rapidly maturing. The hay harvest is now in progress, but will not be an average crop, owing to the dry weather early in the season. Five hundred bushels of seed potatoes were issued to the Winnebago, and most of them were planted. They have been well cultivated and a fair crop secured. I would again report what was said last year in relation to the mowing machines provided for the Winnebago years ago. Most of them are old and worn out and some provision should be made for a new supply. Agency buildings.-The agency buildings are old, but are now in very good repair, the repairs allowed last year having made all of the houses in a comfortable condition. The water supply at this agency is a vexatious question and one for which I can suggest no remedy at an expense that would be within reason. Agency shops. The shops have been doing good work during the past year and have all the work presented that they are able to do, such as repairs to farm wagons and farm machinery, horseshoeing, etc. Missionary work.-The Presbyterian Board of Home Missions maintains two resident missionaries, one each on the Omaha and Winnebago reservations. They have very neat and commodious church buildings and services are held regularly. Indian police. Our police force consists of 1 officer and 16 privates. As a rule they have been faithful and efficient. Employees. I consider this agency very fortunate in its present corps of employees. Many of them have been long in the service and thoroughly understand their duties. All have given loyal and efficient support to the agent. The office force has been overworked during the past year: but with a more perfect system that has been introduced as to division of work and the very convenient and complete form of blank books provided by the Department for keep ing the lease and rent accounts, the office work is now in a very satisfactory condition. Conclusion. I desire to express again my appreciation for the courteous treatment accorded me by the Department and the Indian Office. Respectfully submitted. The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. CHAS, MATHEWSON, United States Indian Agent. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF OMAHA SCHOOL. SIR: I have the honor to submit my second annual report of the Omaha boarding school for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1900. This school is located about 10 miles southeast of the Omaha and Winnebago Agency. The nearest available railroad station is Bancroft, Nebr., 18 miles southwest of here. The name of the post-office in the trader's store on the school farm is "Omaha Agency." The school is quickest reached by telegraph by wiring message to Onawa, Iowa, thence by mail to Omaha Agency, Nebr. The school year closed on June 20, ending a period of forty weeks and three days. The year has been a quiet one, without anything striking to attract special attention. There has been no extensive sickness among the children, and less among the employees than last year; no extensive improvements have been made, but much good work has been done by faithful and efficient employees, and the school is gradually becoming better organized and is working its way up toward a higher standard. The substitution of an industrial teacher for a manual-training teacher has strengthened our outside working force, with the result that a great many small repairs and improvements have been made which help to make and keep a home neat and in good order. In this work we have been somewhat hindered by lack of needed lumber. It was asked for, but apparently missed connection somewhere along the road. The Indian assistant employees, in particular, have been much more satisfactory than last year. This is chiefly owing to the fact that fewer from the home tribe and more from a distance have been employed. Grand Junction furnished us with two Apache girls from Arizona, Carlisle supplied us a Chippewa boy from Wisconsin, and all three have done well. The task seems too severe to ask a person to hold himself up to the proper standard in the school on his home reservation. The school assisted in getting a number of children transferred to Genoa the past year. The Omahas are represented also in Haskell and Carlisle. I have made repeated efforts to induce some of the pupils to go to Chilocco, but so far without success. Special effort has been made throughout the year to induce the children to speak out plainly in English, but with only partial success. The annual statistics and the property papers show the quantities of farm and gardent products gathered or harvested during the fiscal year 1900; also the stock sold. Figured at prices at least not above the actual market here, their values are as follows: The season here this year so far has been decidedly favorable. The garden has been and is good; about 23 acres of corn looking well; 18 acres of good oats; 20 acres of millet, average or above; 6 acres of potatoes, likely to yield only fairly well. The pasture has kept up well so far, and the stock is in good condition. There are also about 100 young chickons. The same new larger improvements are still needed as was the case one year ago. About 75 pupils are crowded into dormitory space which measures for only 50. I very much hope that this summer we may at least have the laundry moved, repaired, and enlarged; the barn moved, repaired, and made into a bank barn; a new water system, adequate for fire protection, and the summer repair, labor, and materials asked for and very much needed. The school appreciates the kindness, helpfulness, and friendliness of Mr. and Mrs. W. A. Galt, the Presbyterian missionaries to the Omaha Indians. The Indian Office has been considerate and liberal in answer to the various requests made in course of the year. The school has been heartily supported and encouraged by the United States Indian agent, Charles P. Mathewson, and the other agency employees have been uniformly kind, attentive, and helpful. Very respectfully, The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. (Through Charles P. Mathewson, United States Indian agent.) RUSSELL RATLIFF, Superintendent. REPORT OF AGENT FOR SANTEE AGENCY. SANTEE AGENCY, NEBR., August 22, 1900. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the affairs of this agency for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1900. Location. The Santee Agency is located on a rise of ground about 2 miles from the Missouri River, and nestles among a group of fine shade trees at the foot of the hills rising from the Missouri Valley, giving the residents an occasional glimpse of the waters of the "Big Muddy." The mission buildings, which have been beautifully arranged, are located on a slight eminence scarcely a quarter of a mile west of this agency, and make a fine appearance. The Ponca subagency, under the supervision of this agency, is located 20 miles south west, between the Niobrara and Missouri rivers. The Flandreau Sioux are living near Flandreau, S. Dak., about 100 miles north, where they have taken homesteads. This embraces our territory except the Hope School plant, formerly rented, but recently purchased by the Government. Habits.-Except that the Santee are indolent, their habits are generally good. The Ponca are not as progressive as the Santee, nor are their habits as good. They seem to cling to their Indian customs more; however, all wear citizen's clothes. The Santee, except a few, are not addicted to the liquor habit. The Ponca, whose lands are adjacent to Niobrara, are spending their money for liquor, and being so far from my headquarters, I am unable to restrain and punish them as I do the offenders at Santee. Allotments. The land has been allotted and the surplus land thrown open to settlement by the whites. Leasing. I consider the privilege of the Indians to lease their lands is the greatest obstacle to their progress that I have to contend with. I discourage it in every instance, and when able-bodied Indians, who would become industrious and selfsupporting citizens if employed on their allotments. come to me with the plea that they are not able to till their lands and wish to rent them, I can not honorably give my consent. Being citizens, they sometimes rent without my consent. Agriculture. The Indians are farming in a small way, but however crude or little farmed I try to encourage them in their work. Some of them have nice crops. The finest field of corn I have seen this summer is a mile from this agency, and all the work was done by a full-blooded Indian and his sons. Education. There are two boarding schools and one day school, also one district school with which the Government has a contract, under my charge. The Santee Boarding School, capacity 80, had an attendance of 126 pupils during the year. Though the school was crowded, and we had no extra help, the sanitary condition was good, having had no sickness worth reporting. This school was pleasantly conducted and all the employees seemed willing to do their duty. The Hope school, situated at Springfield, S. Dak., capacity 60, had an enrollment of only 46 pupils. This school is finely located, and with a good man as superintendent it could be made, as it had been, a very fine school for girls. The Ponca day school was attended by all the children who lived near enongh to attend. Forty pupils were transferred from this agency to Genoa, Carlisle, and Haskell during the past year. Buildings. The buildings at the agency are in a fair condition except one old log house, used for a hotel, which must either be torn down or repaired. We need three more buildings for the agency employees, as two of our employees are compelled to furnish their own houses. More buildings are needed at the Santee Boarding School to accommodate the pupils. We repaired an old building at the Santee school for a residence and office for the superintendent. Thanking you for the many courtesies shown me during the year, I have the honor to remain, Your obedient servant, H. C. BAIRD, United States Indian Agent. The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT OF SANTEE SCHOOL. SANTEE, NEBR., August 23, 1900. SIR: I have the honor to submit my first annual report of the Santee boarding school. School opened September 1, and by October 1 we had 80 pupils, the capacity of the school. But so many more Indians brought their children and begged us to take them in school that we took enough to make our average over 105, which is. we believe, the best record of the school. In the literary department there has been good work done. We have carefully graded the school. Our course of study covers six grades. During the year a good library has been fur nished the school. The several industrial departments were successfully administered and excellent progress made. The girls were taught to sew, cut and fit, cook, bake, wash, iron, and all other kinds of housework. The boys were taught to garden, farm, and take care of stock. The school farm consists of 15 acres and was well cultivated. The health of the pupils has been excellent during the year. We need another teacher, one who can teach music. We need a man who can do carpenter work. painting, and all kinds of repair work. We need new buildings that would give us a capacity of 125 pupils We need a new school building, a new assembly hall, and a new laundry. Agent Baird has given us all the aid we desired and has assisted us in every way possible, and for this we are grateful to him. Very respectfully, The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. (Through H. C. Baird, United States Indian Agent.) W. S. STOOPS, Superintendent. REPORTS CONCERNING INDIANS IN NEVADA. REPORT OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT IN CHARGE OF NEVADA AGENCY. NEVADA AGENCY TRAINING SCHOOL, SIR: I have the honor to submit my third annual report of the affairs of this agency and school for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1500. The school and agency are situated 18 miles north of Wadsworth, Nev., the headquarters of a division of the main line of the Central Pacific Railroad, which is the postal and telegraphic address, as well as the point of delivery of all supplies for this school and agency. The reservation consists of about 322,000 acres, which includes Pyramid Lake, a large body of water 40 miles in length, with an average width of 12 miles. Pyramid Lake abounds with salmon trout, which can be caught in almost any season, and furnishes the Indians living on this reservation with a good revenue and food supply. On June 7 the Nevada Agency training school was established in lieu of the Pyramid Lake boarding school, and upon the same date, under the authority of the honorable Secretary of the Interior, the duties of agent for the Nevada Agency, Nev., were devolved upon the superintendent of the Indian training school above named. Under instructions from your office, on approval of new bond, I assumed charge of the agency and school. No changes have been made in the boundary lines of this reservation since the passage of the act of Congress to permit the citizens of Wadsworth to acquire title to a town site of 640 acres. Although this act was approved July 1, 1898, the residents of Wadsworth, with the exception of making a preliminary survey, have taken no steps to acquire title to the land. Census. The census as taken June 30, 1900, shows an increase in population of 123. The following is a recapitulation of the last census: Indians.-The Indians of this reservation are industrious, and are always willing to work for a fair compensation at the usual occupation of white laborers, and they give good satisfaction. These Indians also work on the adjoining ranches and cattle ranges, as well as performing all unskilled labor and freighting for the school and agency. The small amount that the Government expends on the civilization, education, and support of these people and their children is well spent. Roads. The roads within the reservation are in good condition, and are so kept by the Indians at no expense to the Government. Court of Indian offenses. This court is composed of three intelligent Indians, who render just and equitable decisions. This court makes it possible to punish petty offenses and amicably to arrange minor disputes between the Indians, which it would be impossible to do by other methods. To the best of my judgment the establishment of this court has a tendency to prevent crime and petty offenses. Indian police. The police force consists of eight men-one officer and seven privates. One of the privates resides permanently in Wadsworth, and assists the local police officers, who are zealous and efficient in the work of suppressing the liquor traffic, in the work of preserving peace and quiet among his people. During the past year there have been three persons convicted in the United States court for the district of Nevada for the illegal sale of liquor to Indians at Wadsworth. These |