work, is one of the most potent reasons for the snail-like progress in the civilization of the Indians. If the Indian is ever to be civilized, the work must be done right on the reservation, by the right kind of workers. All the conventions of well-meaning philanthropists, all the speechmaking in legislative halls, all the travelling commissions that skim the surface and evolve theoretical solutions of the problem, will never do any practical good where the good is needed. No Indian was ever civilized "from afar off." Were it practicable, almost every new employé, mechanic or farmer should serve a year or more of apprenticeship under "old hands" before he or she is fitted to deal with the Indians understandingly. In two out of three of the appointments made at this agency, the Department was evidently misled as to qualifications and fitness. I hazard the opinion that, as a rule, those persons who through political influence and the importunities of friends press hard for positions at Indian agencies are failures in civil life, and so get foisted into some good place where a living will be assured, which they found it difficult to obtain in private pursuits. There may be exceptions, but they are not common. Every employé so appointed comes with an implied warrant of influence to "back him up," and an agent cannot well effect his removal for inefficiency without a prolonged correspond

ence. In my opinion an efficient, experienced, faithful and reliable clerk, farmer or mechanic should never be removed to make place for a new man. ***

FROM THE REPORT OF CAPT. JAMES M. BELL, U. S. A., EXAGENT AT PINE RIDGE AGENCY, DAKOTA, SEPTEMBER 7TH, 1886.

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The uncertainty as to tenure of office existing in the minds of employés at this agency, due to the system adopted by the Department of appointing persons to fill various positions who are entirely devoid of experience in Indian affairs, is demoralizing and injurious to the service. Under the present system they feel, and properly so, that the faithful attention to duty, honesty and efficiency count for little, and that it is only a question of time when the Department will require their place for some one as a reward for political services. The chief herder, who has faithfully performed his duties at this agency for several years, has recently been removed to give place to the appointment of a young man from Tennessee, who has never had a day's experience in taking care of large herds of cattle on the plains in winter, and I imagine that his first experience with a Dakota blizzard will make him wish for the comforts of his Tennessee home. The efficient issue clerk has also been removed and his place filled

by the appointment, contrary to regulations, of a partner in one of the Indian trading establishments of this place, the removal and appointment having been made by an Inspector of the Department, and during the absence of the agent. I have not heard of any charges having being made against either of the persons removed. Until honesty and faithful performance of duty are taken into account and made the basis of tenure of office, and until the Department and its management are entirely and absolutely divorced from politics, but little can be hoped for in the way of material progress.

The policy now in vogue is degrading and demoralizing. The agent is but a figure-head, and is prevented, by the interference of the Department, from conducting the affairs of the agency according to common sense, business principles. It is impossible for an agent to maintain a manly sentiment of independence and self-respect, and remain voluntarily in the service; and nine-tenths of the agents, if they express their true sentiments, will endorse what I say. There can be but one head to an Indian Agency, and the agent should be that head, if discipline, the mainspring of success, is to be maintained. If an agent is not capable of selecting the persons to serve under him, he is not a fit person for the place, and should be removed.

Both Indians and employés are kept in a constant state of uncertainty and unrest by the perpetual expectation of the dropping of the official axe. It is unreasonable to expect that employés can have the interest necessary to the proper execution of their duties, with the feeling that they are at any time liable to discharge without any other cause than that their positions, or rather their salary, are needed for some political office seeker. It is a serious reflection upon the integrity, intelligence, discretion and good sense of an agent to say to him, as is constantly done by the Department, that he cannot be trusted to select proper persons to fill the places under him. No man of intelligence and manly self-esteem can be in sympathy with such a policy.

FROM THE REPORT OF W. W. ANDERSON, ESQ., AGENT AT CROW CREEK AND LOWER BRULÉ AGENCY, DAKOTA, AUGUST 28TH, 1886.

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* * * The appointment of agency clerks is next in importance to that of agents, and they should be selected with almost as much care with a view to their fitness. There seems to have been quite a number accepting positions who had an utter misconception of their duties, many of them believing they would have a little calico to measure off and a few pounds of sugar to weigh occasionally, and that the balance of their time

could be devoted to whittling goods boxes, when the fact is, that they have to run accounts quite complicated, and have enough work to keep them busy for at least twelve hours of the twenty-four. The result of this is, that much of an agent's time is taken up with the clerical work in the office, instead of being out on the reservation. It goes without saying that an agent should be thoroughly acquainted with the office business, but should not be required to perform the routine duties of his clerk.

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I cannot, for want of space, write of all the good work that I saw or of the people engaged in it. But my thanks are due to nearly everybody named in the book for information and assistance, and for great personal kindness. Even the few people whose official work I cannot commend were very kind to me personally, which, I own, makes we wish to speak well of them.

But of some who are "left out" as the book has shaped itself, of whom I have only the most pleasant remembrance, I wish here at least to record the names. Rev. John Robinson, of Pine Ridge, Dakota, as much a soldier, in the best sense, as a missionary, one of the most practical and "level-headed" men whom I saw anywhere, not showy or self-regardful enough to be