Page 235

REPORTS OF AGENTS IN           DAKOTA.                  235 
The progress made by the teacher in the school with the children, and in
modifying the 
conduct, manners, and dress of older ones, has been very encouraging, especially
consider- 
ing the facilities for regular work in this direction which has been atherhand.
About thirty- 
two children, altogether, have been under her influence, with an average
daily attendance 
at the school of nine. Some two hundred garments have been made by them und'-r
her di- 
rection. Most of the thirty-two have learned to understand and talk Enrlish.
Five boys 
have learned to read, write, and reckon in simple numbers, while they have
received and 
answered letters in written characters. Many of the older ones have learned
to understand 
English tolerably well from their intercourbe with the teacher, who is with
them more or 
less every day, visiting their camp and giving out their medicines. Up to
the present time 
there has been neither a school nor boarding-house for the Ute children.
This has been a 
serious obstacle in this work, which will,. however, be removed soon, as
I have a boarding- 
house for the accommodation of fifteen or twenty boys nearly completed. Shall
commence 
upon a separate school-building immediately. It should be borne in mind that
nothing 
but a boarding-school, at which the children shall remain, can be of any
advantage to 
them at present; and it is a slow and difficult work to induce the Indians
to leave their 
children in our care, even for a few months at a time. Some good friends
of the cause have 
contributed between $300 and $100 to procure an assistant to the teacher,
and enable her 
to carry out the work of the school, in which they have faith, although the
numbers re- 
ported are small, the Department being unwilling to contribute any more money
for this 
purpose until a better showing can be made. 
. The year has been as favorable, perhaps, for agricultural pursuits as the
preceding one, 
although a long period of dry weather in May and June threatened, for a time,
to render 
useless -our efforts in this direction. Had not the irrigation of the crops
been attended to 
faithfully, nothinog would have been realized. As it is, I am inclined to
think, from the ex- 
perience of two years, that intelligent farm-labor on the irrigating plan
would bring from 
this valley-land, which, however, is very limited in extent, fair returns
in crops. Owing to 
insufficient seed, I was unable to plant any more land than was tilled last
year. About three 
and a half acres of wheat, superior to that ot last year, yielding about
25 bushels to the 
acre ; two and a half acres of oats, not more than 30 bushels ; about one
acre of potatoes, 
which I estimate will yield 250 bushels ; one-third acre of turnips, at the
rate of 600 bushels. 
Eighty tons of good hay have been cut. A few garden vegetables have been
raised, suffi- 
cieiit to assure me that with proper attention, which it is impossible to
give here, the culture 
of hardy vegetables would be successful. Seven or eight acres of new land
have been 
broken up, and will be sown in a year. 
The agency herd now numbers about one thousand. The cattle are fine and in
good 
order; not so wild as last year. In the spring I had the entire herd branded,
a matter 
which has been neglected by the previous agent. The summer range for these
cattle is 
fair; the winter range nit so good, relatively. One herder is now allowed
for these cattle, 
which is insufficient. Oiher emplods assist in this service. It is hoped
that the Indians 
will receive and care for their cattle during the coming year. 
The agency buildings remain located in their old positions, the matter of
their removal 
not having been considered by the Department, and no appropriation for the
erection of 
new ones having been made. Such improvements as their time and facilities
afforded have 
been made by the employes without any outside expense to the Government.
A frame 
building, 32 by '24, has been erected over the engine and boiler of the saw-mill,
and a very 
fine new stone furnacehas been built around tha boiler. One small Ute house
has-been 
built ; a good warehouse, 20 by 16 ; a shed, 34 by 17 ; a corral, capable
of holding 2,000 
head of cattle; a roof cellar, '20 by 16, partially completed, and a boarding-house
for Indian 
children, 54 by 16, with an L, 18 by 15, nearly finished, and a few repairs
made on the old 
buildings of the agency. 
Very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
E. H. DAN FORTH, 
United States Indian Agent. 
Hon. E. P. SMITi, 
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C. 
REPORTS OF AGENTS IN DAKOTA. 
CHEYENNE RIVER AGENCY, DAKOTA TERRITORY, 
September 1, 1875. 
SR: I have the honor to submit this my third annual report of affairs at
this agency for 
the year ending August 31, 1875. 
The Indians under my charge at this date number 7,586 souls, composed of
Two Kettles, 
2,261 ; Sans Arcs, 1,778 ; Miiineconjoux, 2,817 ; and Blackfeet, 730 ; all
of the Sioux tribe. 
F