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United States. Office of Indian Affairs / Annual report of the commissioner of Indian affairs, for the year 1905
Part I ([1905])
Reports concerning Indians in Kansas, pp. 224-227
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Page 224
224 REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. REPORTS CONCERNING INDIANS IN KANSAS. REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT IN CHARGE OF KICKAPOO, SAUK AND FOX, AND IOWA. HORTON, KANS., August 23, 1905. There has been an unusual and excessive death rate among the members of the Kickapoo tribe of Indians of this agency during the past year, the excess of deaths over births being 15. The cause is directly traceable to the want of proper sanitation and hygienic laws in the homes, tuberculosis and venereal diseases being the most numerous causes of death. There has been a great decrease in the sales of inherited Indian land owing to the new ruling, but every dollar of the proceeds which has been expended has been applied to some good purpose. There are four allotments on this reservation without known heirs and consequently remaining idle. Two of these allotments are now being investigated by proper courts in order to deter- mine the heirs, and two of them are without heirs, traced back as far as the grandfather of the allottee, who was an old man when he died. - There are over 40 tracts of inherited Indian land on this small reservation. Over $200 has been voluntarily contributed by the Indians of this reservation toward improving the roads. The rural free delivery has been extended to every farm house in this county, which carries with it a necessity for better roads on the reservation which the county officials have taken up and are aiding in main- taining good roads throughout the reservation. Informal leasing on this reservation has been eliminated. The number of formal leases has been somewhat diminished and a proportionate increase of land cultivated by Indians resulting therefrom. Drunkenness has been greatly diminished and would have been practically eliminated but for the decision in the Heff case, which was fought very stub- bornly to a decision adverse to our interest. There was great rejoicing among the licentious classes when this decision was published. Albert Heff, the defendant, although successful in winning a decision, was put to so much expense as to put him out of business. The State authorities renewed tl4eir active opposition to illicit whisky selling, and have done much to overcome the bad effect of the Heff decision. With the increase in amount of labor performed by the Indians on this reservation, a decrease in idleness and drunkenness, we can discern a small and appreciable advancement in the moral tone of these people. Kickapoo Training School.-This school is located on the Kickapoo reserva- tion, 7 miles west of Horton, Kans. The buildings consist of one large dormi- tory with a capacity of 70 pupils, and is in good repair; one employees' cottage in good repair;'one office building in good repair; one new superintendent's cottage, which is nearing completion, and several minor buildings in fair con- dition. The dormitory is heated by hot-water system and lighted by gas. The water for school use is pumped over one-half mile, from spring in pas- ture. The pump is run by windmill during the windy season and gasoline engine at other times. The hot-water boiler burst during the coldest time last winter, which delayed reconvening of pupils after holidays for over three weeks. The new boiler has been placed and the system is now in excellent repair. With the exception of the break in work caused by bursting of the boiler and smallpox quarantine prohibition the schoolroom work advanced along very satisfactory lines. During the year the health of the pupils was very satisfactory. Highly satisfactory results have been obtained on the school farm during the year. Twenty acres of wheat yielded over 325 bushels. The yield in the garden was unusually large. Over 300 bushels of oats have been thrashed, and it is estimated that we will have over 2,000 bushels of corn. The increase of stock has been very satisfactory, and the interest the boys have taken in farming has increased to a commendable degree. All the departments under the matron have obtained highly satisfactory results. Sauk and Fox of the Missouri Reservation.-The Indians of this reservation are making a very gratifying progress in farming and stock raising, several of them having bank accounts which are the product of their own labor and economy. The school on this reservation did excellent work under the very able manage- inent of G. H. Marshall, who, I am sorry to say, resigned to accept a more
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