Page 247

REPORTS CONCERNING INDIANS IN            MONTANA.            247 
The following amounts have been paid to the Indians during the past year
for the following purposes: 
Labor for Government, repairing agency buildings, build- 
ing roads, fences, bridges, etc---------------------$20, 969. 66 
Labor off the reservation-                                 327.00 
Sale of ponies  -----------------------------------      1,077.00 
Transportation of Indian supplies---------------------3,843.22 
Sale of hay to Government---------------------------3,000.00 
Sale of wood to Government --------------------------240.00 
Sale of coal to Government,--------------------------1 197. 25 
Total---------------------------------------30,654. 13 
Health.-The health of the Indians has been generally good. No contagious
disease has appeared among them this year. Some little improvement has 
been made in the sanitary condition of the homes of some of them, while at
other homes the same carelessness is observed that always has been there;
they 
- do not seem to be susceptible of improvement. 
Police.-The force consists of 2 officers and 19 men, who are distributed
about 
the reservation in the different districts as evenly as possible. They ride
over 
the reservation frequently while not on duty at the agency. 
Population.- 
Males over 18 years             -----------             369 
Males between 6 and 16 years-                           169 
Males of other ages---------------------------------139 
677 
Females over 14------------------------------------455 
Females between 6 and 14--------------------------141 
Females of other ages-                                  139 
735 
Total-------------------------------------------1, 412 
A small increase over last year's census. 
J. C. CLIFFORD, 
Superintendent and Special Disbursing Agent. 
REPORT OF TEACHER IN CHARGE OF TONGUE RIVER SCHOOL. 
When I arrived at this school the last of August, I found there had been
no sewing 
done, consequently it was impossible to receive pupils until sheets, pillowcases,
and 
towels were made. All the available force was put in the sewing room, and
in a short 
time we were able to receive pupils. The girls were obliged to wear camp
dresses until 
others could be provided for them. 
Nearly all the children were raw from camp life, and but few could understand
or 
speak a word of English. That, together with many of the employees being
entirely 
inexperienced in Indian school work, made the difficulties 'of organizing
doubly hard. 
When school first opened there was no matron to take charge of the girls
and the dormi- 
tories. The second teacher was detailed to act as matron, in which capacity
she did 
very good work. 
By October 3 we were able to take up the literary part of the work. We found
the 
children bright, affectionate, and responsive, but really wild. It did not
take long, 
however, to bring them under fair control, and their behavior in the schoolrooms
and dining room was as good as that of children ,who had been under training
much 
longer. 
Attendance.-The average attendance for the first month of school was 69.61;
for 
the quarter ending December 31, 1904, 81.73; for the quarter ending March
31, 1905, 
86.73, which is a very good showing for the school. 
School.-In schoolroom work the pupils have made wonderful progress. They
have 
not only made rapid strides in reading, writing, and speaking English, but
have shown 
great eagerness to learn the language. 
Thanksgiving, Christmas, Washington's Birthday, and Decoration Day have been
observed with appropriate exercises. 
Religion.-Religious exercises have been twice a day on Sundays; Sunday school
in the morning and song service, with preaching by the Mennonite missionary
in the 
evening. 
Industrial.-Some excellent work has been done in the industrial departments.
The 
boys and girls have been regularly detailed to each department and show marked
progress, 
especially the girls, who have had better facilities than the boys, as we
have no shops. 
The girls have been taught to sew, mend, darn, cook, wash, iron, and clean.
The boys 
have been taught to work in the barn, on the farm, cut and saw wood, clean
the 
school grounds, and to do their dormitory work and to clean their side of
the building. 
Stewing room.-There were 1,797 articles of clothing and household linen manufac-