384 



IffE IRR1GA1ION AGE. 



consequences. With respect to the latter, 

 their proper disposition is more difficult. 

 It is admitted that great wealth is a source 

 of weakness to any Indian tribe and pro- 

 ductive of much evil. Two remedies have 

 been suggested. 



First The gradual extension of these 

 funds, setting aside a sufficient sum to 

 maintain the, reservation schools a definite 

 period of years say twenty-one and then 

 dividing the balance per capita and paying 

 each member of the tribe at certain ages 

 their share. 



Second As a corollary to this, division 

 of the land belonging to the tribe per 

 capita. The remedy proposed would al- 

 most invariably immediately relegate the 

 Indians to proverty, though the remote re- 

 sult might be for them to work to save 

 themselves from actual want. 



The general pleasing of their allotments 

 by the Indians to white men is denounced. 



There were 250 Indian schools of all 

 kinds conducted by the Government, and 

 an increase of 1412 pupils in enrollment 

 and 1142 in average attendance shown 

 over the previous year. About 8000 of 

 the 34,000 eligible school children are 

 unprovided for. Compulsory education of 

 the Indian children is strongly indorsed 

 and Congress is urged to authorized the 

 Commissioner to place every one of school 

 age in some school, the selection of the 

 school to be left largely to educated Indian 

 parents. 



The report controverts the commonly 

 accepted theory that by constant contact 

 with the whites the extinction of the In- 

 dian is only a matter of time. It says it 

 can be stated with a great degree of con- 

 fidence that the Indian population of the 

 United States has been very little dimin- 

 ished from the days of Columbus, Cor- 

 onada, Raleigh, Capt. John Smith and 

 other early explorers. The first reliable 

 Indian census was in 1870, and certainly 

 since then the Indian population has been 

 nearly stationary, whatever decrease there 



is being attributable to Indians becoming 

 citizens. 



Reviewing Indian Territory affairs, the 

 report says there are 50.000 children of 

 white parents there who should hare 

 schools, and that thousands of these child- 

 ren thus deprived of education are growing 

 up in vice and ignorance, already filling 

 the United States jails at Muscogee and 

 other points with youthful criminals. The 

 cost of education will not be excessive 

 compared with results. School benefits 

 also should be extended to the 4250 Choc- 

 taw frcedmen. Government control of the 

 schools in .the Chickasaw Nation is advo- 

 cated. 



What's A Mule Fit For? 



The question is so often asked by farm- 

 ers who have never used mules on their 

 farms, preferring horses, that we shall giv 

 a few of the merits possessed by our long- 

 eared friend. 



The mule is an easy animal to raise. 



He doesn't eat much as compared with 

 a horse. 



An energetic mule will make a trip 

 quicker than ahorse, though he may not go 

 fast the secret of his speed is his uniform 

 gait, steady and persistent. 



You hardly ever see a sick mule; he 

 seems practically immune from the dis- 

 eases which attack horses. 



A mule can endure more hardship than 

 a horse, will pull more in proportion to his 

 size, and will "stay with it" longer. 



A mule is easier "broken," or trained to 

 work than a horse, and is more reliable 

 after initiated. 



If a team of mules runs away they look 

 out for themselves, and though they may 

 make some close turns and go through a 

 needle's eye, so to speak, they usually 

 come out unharmed. 



We would rather plow corn with a team 

 of mules than with horses; they break 

 down less corn and turn around quicker. 



