mending a larger appropriation for the employment of field matrons. No branch of Indian education and training is more useful than this house-to-house visitation and instruction of Indian women in the arts of domestic economy, and we trust that the recommendation of the Department may receive favorable consideration.

NEW YORK INDIANS.

The appropriation bill for the current fiscal year provides:

That the Secretary of the Interior be, and hereby is, authorized to make a thorough investigation of the facts touching the so-called Ögden Land Company.

The alleged claim of this company to the lands of Seneca Indians has been a great hindrance to the progress of these Indians toward independent citizenship, and to the allotment of their lands in severalty. The measure now adopted is a hopeful step toward a settlement of the long-standing difficulties.

RECOMMENDATIONS.

We have no new policy to propose. Faithful administration and persistence in welldoing are all that is required. Some of the Indian agencies can soon be dispensed with; two have already been discon tinued, but it will be many years before all can be closed. The talk of abolishing all agencies and the Indian Bureau is, in existing conditions, idle talk. We recommend extreme caution in this direction. When released from the authority and deprived of the oversight of the agent even the most advanced Indians will still need the advice and help of some competent and trusted friend. We suggest that when it is found advisable to close any group of agencies, like those on the Pacific Coast in Washington, some one of proved fidelity and experience be appointed to act for all as their best friend in matters of diffi culty requiring help and counsel.

We recommend (1) a modification of the laws relating to the leasing and sale of allotted lands; (2) the placing of the entire Indian service under regulations of the civil-service law; (3) an increase of appropri ations for education.

MERRILL E. GATES, Chairman.

E. WHITTLESEY, Secretary.
ALBERT K. SMILEY.

WM. H. LYON.

JOSEPH T. JACOBS.

WILLIAM D. WALKER.

PHILIP C. GARRETT.

DARWIN R. JAMES.

HENRY B. WHIPPLE.

The SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR.

APPENDIX.

REPORT OF THE PURCHASING COMMITTEE.

SIR: The purchasing committee of the Board of Indian Commissioners submits its report, as follows:

According to directions from the Indian Bureau, sealed proposals for the following annuity goods and supplies for the Indian service: Agricultural implements, wagons and wagon fixtures, harness, saddles and leather, household furniture, wooden and hollow ware, lamps, glass and tin ware, stoves, iron, nails, and hardware, paints and oils, beef, pork, bacon, lard, flour, wheat, corn, oats, barley, feed, and salt, were opened on May 15, at the Government warehouse, Nos. 130 and 132 West Washington street, Chicago, Ill., in the presence of Hon. D. M. Browning, Commissioner of Indian Affairs; P. C. Pollock, representing the honorable Secretary of the Interior, and five members of the Board of Indian Commissioners. A large number of bidders and several reporters were present. A great variety of samples was offered.

Mr. D. C. Cregier was appointed superintendent of the warehouse, and the following as inspectors to examine the samples offered, also to examine the goods when delivered to see that they were equal to the samples from which the awards were made:

E. L. Cooper, for agricultural implements, hardware, stoves and tinware, furniture, and miscellaneous articles; E. C. Hickey, for harness, leather, etc.; D. C. Cregier, jr., for paints, oil, and glass; E. Theile, for medical supplies; W. H. Crocker, for flour, corn and oatmeal, hominy, hard bread, and salt.

The inspection of samples and the awarding of contracts were completed May 30. On the 31st of May sealed proposals, as per advertisement from the Indian Bureau, for blankets, woolen and cotton goods, clothing, boots and shoes, hats and caps, notions, crockery, groceries, coffee, tea, sugar, rice, and beans were opened at the Government warehouse, Nos. 77 and 79 Wooster street, New York, in the presence of the honorable Commissioner of Indian Affairs and several members of the Board of Indian Commissioners, bidders, and reporters. The competition among bidders was greater than usual, the bids in Chicago and New York being about 600, and prices were very low. Inspectors were appointed by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, as follows:

H. D. Graves, for groceries and supplies; John H. Bradley, dry goods; A. T. Anderson, clothing; W. B. Hazleton, boots and shoes; John Weber, hats and caps; G. A. Ferguson, medical supplies; E. L. Cooper, crockery and sundries.

Mr. H. D. Graves was appointed superintendent of the warehouse.

The examination of samples and awarding contracts in New York required the attention of the board three weeks. The chairman of your committee made frequent calls at the warehouse after June 30, during the examination and shipment of goods, and was informed by the superintendent that only one invoice of goods had been rejected by the inspectors as not being equal to the sample from which the award was made, a small invoice of hosiery, which was promptly replaced by the contractor, to the satisfaction of the inspector. The superintendent reports that 29,089 packages of goods, weighing 4,139,583 pounds, were shipped from the New York warehouse during the year 1894.

Hon. MERRILL E. GATES,

President Board of Indian Commissioners.

WILLIAM H. LYON,

Chairman Purchasing Committee.

REPORT OF E. WHITTLESEY.

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 1, 1894.

SIR: I have the honor to report that on the 20th ultimo I was present at the opening of bids in Chicago, Ill., for live stock and agricultural implements. Eightynine proposals were opened and read in the presence of many contractors by the

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honorable Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and after due consideration and inspection, contracts were awarded for about 10,000 head of live stock and for wagons, harness, plows, and other implements, the contract price for the whole amounting to over $400,000.

All present seemed to be satisfied that the business was conducted with entire fairness and impartiality.

Very respectfully,

Hon. MERRILL E. GATES, Chairman.

E. WHITTLESEY, Secretary.

WASHINGTON, D. C., April 25, 1894.

SIR: I have the honor to report that pursuant to your request I have visited the Eastern Cherokee training school at Cherokee, N. C. The superintendent, Mr. Thomas W. Potter, has had previous experience in the Territory of Oklahoma and a year's training at Carlisle. He found the Cherokee school in a demoralized condition on account of changes of superintendent and teachers, but by earnest work and aided by a corps of competent teachers he is bringing it up to its former prosperity under Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Spray. The number of pupils in attendance is 80, all that the appropriation provides for and all that the buildings can accommodate. Larger facilities are much needed. This is the only school for 400 children of school age. Of course many who would attend must be rejected for want of room and means of support. The buildings are all old and going fast to decay. A new and larger schoolhouse is needed, and a dormitory for boys, the buildings now occupied being utterly unfit for use. A storeroom should also be provided without delay. All the supplies are now carried up two flights of stairs into the attic over the girls' dormitory, a building not constructed to safely sustain such weight.

Besides the regular schoolroom work, in which I found the children bright and interested, industrial training is carried on as far as means allow. The girls are taught cooking and sewing and laundry work, and the boys various mechanical arts, and especially farming, all working one-half of each day. I found them planting the spring crops.

The tone of contentment and cheerfulness among the pupils and the excellent character of the employees give promise of a useful and prosperous school.

Respectfully,

Hon. MERRILL E. GATES, Chairman.

E. WHITTLESEY, Secretary.

REPORT OF COMMISSIONER ALBERT K. SMILEY OF A VISIT TO THE MISSION INDIANS MADE IN THE SPRING OF 1894.

At the request of the United States Board of Indian Commissioners, I visited the principal reservations of the Mission Indians of southern California in the spring of 1894. I was very desirous of visiting these Indians, as I was chairman of the commission which set aside all the reservations for the Mission Indians in the spring and autumn of 1891. The other members of the commission were Judge J. B. Moore, of Michigan, and Prof. C. C. Painter, of Washington.

The law of Congress which created the commission makes it the duty of the Indian Bureau, upon the acceptance of the report of the commission by the President and Secretary of the Interior, to issue patents to each tribe for their lands, which are to be inalienable for twenty-five years. Whenever, in the judgment of the Secretary, the Indians at any reservation are far advanced enough to hold lands in severalty, an allotting agent may be appointed to divide the lands.

I find that less than half of the reservations have as yet been patented, delays being occasioned in some instances by imperfect surveys. It is desirable that all the patents should be issued as soon as possible, and that more of the reservations should be allotted in severalty.

The first reservation visited was San Jacinto, formerly called Saboba, which I reached Wednesday afternoon, the 4th of April, 1894. I found a new schoolhouse had been erected in a new location, not so attractive as the old place, which had shade trees near the house. The school was in session, under the charge of Miss Mary L. Noble, who has held her position for eight years. She is an energetic and faithful teacher, and has her pupils well in hand. When addressed, the scholars answer promptly and distinctly, with head erect and eyes fastened on the teacher. Many of the older boys were at home taking care of the stock, while the men were away sheep-shearing. One of the progressive Indians had taken a contract to shear 25,000 sheep. An Indian can shear from 30 to 45 sheep a day, and receives 5 cents a sheep, besides board.

I regret to say that the money thus earned is frequently lost in gambling with low whites and Mexicans, and rarely reaches the needy families at home.

The title to the lands which these Indians occupy was secured to them through the efforts of the Indian Rights Association-especially through Herbert Welsh, its secretary. This reservation contains some very fertile lands along the creek, producing peaches, grapes, corn, beans, and alfalfa in abundance. The Indians make their own wine from the Mission grapes and drink to excess.

I was greatly interested in a beautiful and interesting paper which the Indian pupils publish, called the Saboba News. It is most tastefully gotten up, with penand-ink sketches of schoolhouse and children on the cover; and the daintiness is not all on the cover. Within are many little bits of art, advertisements of pottery and baskets, beautifully illustrated, with a neatness that would do honor to any school for white children.

Some trouble exists in regard to the election of a captain. Usually the captain holds his office for one year. Some time since the Indians in council deposed their captain and elected another, being dissatisfied with his enforcement of discipline. The agent refuses to give the newly-elected man his commission, rightly, I think; for if the authority of the captain can be superceded by a council under temporary dissatisfaction there will be an end of all discipline.

On Thursday afternoon I reached Coahuila Reservation, which is situated in an elevated valley nearly 4,000 feet above sea level, where frost occurs nearly every month in the year. Grazing is about the only industry that can be followed.

There is one little side valley that is quite fertile, where a few of the progressive Indians live and try to raise beans and other crops. In some instances the crops have been ruined by frost after four successive plantings. Is it to be wondered at that the Indians get discouraged?

The more industrious Indians do what is done at nearly all the reservations-go to the nearest white settlements and eke out their slender incomes by sheep-shearing, pruning vines, ditching, and other industries. Notwithstanding all the difficulties in the way of making a living these Indians are deeply attached to their homes and could not well be induced to leave them. Even the Indians who live in the forlorn Colorado desert could not be persuaded to remove to Banning, so attached are they to the homes and graves of their ancestors.

Among this tribe, numbering 250, there is only 1 half-breed; all are full-blood Indians, and they are proud of it. It is only within a few years that these people would be willing to take medicine from a white man. They have their own medicine men, and put great faith in them. One case has been told me of a young man 18 years of age, who was ill with pneumonia. The medicine man was called in and, before the teacher's eyes, he jumped up and down repeatedly upon the sick man's chest, making signs and barking like an animal, to frighten the evil spirit away. It is needless to say that the man was dead in half an hour. I am happy to say that such scenes as this are becoming rare.

The more progressive Indians are eager to have their lands allotted to them in severalty; but this can not be done at present, as the patent for the reservation has not been issued owing to some dispute about the correctness of the survey.

These Indians are quite temperate and industrious, probably owing to their distance from the whites.

I visited the school at Coahuila, which is the largest Government day school among the Mission Indians. The teacher, Mrs. Saulsbury, is an excellent woman, devoted to her calling-has developed true manliness and character in her pupils— but she lacks enthusiasm, so desirable in an Indian school.

Dr. Anna M. Johnson fills the position of field matron at this reservation. She is a woman of rare ability and energy, and gives her services unstintingly for the benefit of the Indians. She encourages the women to improve their homes, and has established a valuable industry-basket making. She has a large sewing class of forty women, who learn to make their own clothes. She is also a physician, and gives much gratuitous medical advice.

Her success has not been so complete as it deserves to be, partly owing to the natural antagonism of the Catholics to a Protestant matron, and partly to a fear on the part of the Indians that some land which Dr. Johnson endeavored to secure as agent for the Women's National Indian Association might work injury to them. The 5 acres of land which was promised to her by the Indians is located just below their Warm Springs, and includes a valuable spring of fresh water. Miss Johnson had no intention to deprive the Indians of the free use of this spring; but the Indians, who are suspicious of the whites, feared they might lose their valuable water right. A prejudice thus created tended to curtail Miss Johnson's valuable services. All attempts to procure the land have long since been abandoned.

On Friday afternoon I reached Agua Caliente (Warner's Ranch) at 2 o'clock, but was disappointed in finding the school dismissed early, owing to the indisposition of the teacher, Mrs. Babbitt. She gave me much valuable information in regard to the condition of affairs at the reservation.

It is well known that there are invaluable hot springs at this place, which are a source of much revenue to the Indians. Two of the more enterprising Indians have erected rude bath houses and charge 25 cents a bath. Large numbers of white people visit the springs in summer, some to be cured of rheumatism and other disorders by the hot sulphur baths, and some to lead a loose life in company with a low class of people who congregate here.

There are quite a number of comfortable adobe houses in close proximity to the springs which are rented in summer to whites at $2 a week for each occupant, whether one or twenty take lodgings in the one-rooned house. The Indians are very careful not to allow any white person to build a house near the springs and cut off their source of revenue. Nearly all the income from the rent of houses and bath houses goes into the pockets of two or three Indians. The others gain a scanty sustenance by cultivating small patches of land, and by working for white ranchmen at sheepshearing or general farming.

The lands which these Indians occupy are a part of an old Mexican grant. When the United States acquired California by conquest from Mexico it was stipulated in the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that the Indians should not lose the possessory title to their lands which they then occupied. The late ex-Governor Downey, who held a controlling interest in the ranch, began a suit to eject the Indians, claiming that they had not occupied these lands continuously since the United States acquired possession of the country. The suit is still pending, owing to the absence of Senator White, the attorney for the heirs of the late ex-Governor Downey. It is confidently believed that the Indians will win their suit.

Mrs. Babbitt, the teacher of the day school, has held her position for four years, and is greatly interested in her work. When the sheep-shearing band was about to start she called a council and induced the Indians to have a messenger sent to Riverside and bring the money earned in shearing to her, to be given to the families at home and not be lost in gambling, as is too often the case.

These Indians are much annoyed by a worthless Mexican, who, contrary to United States law, brings whisky to them in a wagon covered with shrubs to conceal it. After renting a house, which he secures by deception, he begins his demoralizing sale. The captain ordered him off, with no success. After consulting with Mrs. Babbitt, he sent one of his men to buy whisky to secure evidence against the Mexican.

After securing the evidence the Indians rushed into the house, seized the man and · took him to Los Angeles to be tried. As usually happens, the jury (white) decided against the Indians, and these poor people returned home discouraged, having barely escaped being locked up for housebreaking. Race prejudice is too strong in southern California to secure a fair administration of justice.

The women seem to be very industrious. One house was visited where they were ironing great piles of bedding, white as snow, each sheet and pillowcase trimmed with most exquisite lace. Ramona, at whose house I slept, spent the whole evening making new pillowcases. She wanted everything clean and new.

Besides the Government teacher, Mrs. Babbitt, there are two other ladies who are employed for the purpose of stimulating the Indians to lead a better life. One of them, Miss French, is in the service of the Government as field matron, and the other, Miss Hallowell, M. D., is in the employ of the Women's National Indian Association. These two excellent ladies live together and work in harmony, endeavoring to induce the Indian women especially to improve their mode of living and to practice various industries. They have only been partially successful, owing to the continual opposition of the Catholic element.

On Saturday I climbed the mountains of the finely situated and fertile lands of the Mesa Grande Reservation. Notwithstanding these Indians have some of the best lands in southern California, well adapted to fruits, grass, and grains, with plenty of water, they are the most degraded on account of intemperance and gambling. Mrs. Nickerson, the teacher of the Government school, says they have feasts (fiestas) every Saturday night, lasting till Monday morning, and the children are utterly demoralized. Monday there is almost no response to the teacher's efforts. The children fall asleep at their desks. These fiestas are held at nearly all the reservations and are especially demoralizing at San Jacinto. Severe measures should be taken to abolish them. They are a great hindrance to the moral and material progress of the Mission Indians. They tend to perpetuate the old degrading customs and beliefs of the Indians, pay a premium to pauperism, and are a veritable hotbed of disease, physical and moral.

A spelling match was arranged between the two schools at Mesa Grande and Agua Caliente, the latter going to Mesa Grande. The match was decidedly one way, Mrs. Babbitt's children standing alone at the end, and all the Mesa Grande children were seated, having missed. There was a most dissatisfied and sullen look upon the faces of the parents of the Mesa Grande children. Something must be done at once, and so the captain arose from his seat with a smile, and with an ingenuity equal to the