culable value. Mining can be carried on north of the St. Louis river at much less expense, with much larger returns, than the present operations on the southern shore of Lake Superior. 2d. It would bring into market an immense pine region, superior in quantity and quality to any in the western country; a matter that is of great importance, considering with what rapidity this northwest corner is filling up with the "hardy sons of toil." It would be carrying out and almost completing what has long been the policy of the government, to remove and concentrate the Indian tribes west of the Mississippi river, Respectfully, your obedient servant, D. B. HERRIMAN, His Excellency W. A GORMAN, No. 17. CHIPPEWA MISSION AT GULL LAKE, September 6, 1853. DEAR SIR: Agreeably with your request, and for the sake of the poor Indian, I gladly embrace the opportunity of making an informal report to the civil authorities in charge of and administering Indian affairs in the Territory of Minnesota. The Gull Lake mission originated in the belief that there was some remedy in religion and civilization for the paganism and barbarism of the red man. We had evidence enough in history and before us in the country that the mere mechanism of the school-room was insufficient of itself to effect this. Having had charge of a manual laboring school upwards of ten years for young men, amongst whom were Indian youths who, in the course of four years, learned house-building and other mechanical arts, as also the breaking up of the virgin soil, driving their five or six yoke of cattle without help of the white, we were led to believe others might be taught the same, and far better, amidst their own people. But not to make my words tiresome, let me here state that the first year of our labor has seen the Indian man of grey hairs, and the middle-aged man, the women, and many children, engaged in work so constantly, day after day, and week after week, numbering already months of the coldest and of the hottest weather, that those who have been eye-witnesses of these facts are ready to concede that the Indiau may become civilized. The past winter averaged twenty-five to forty persons daily engaged in clearing wood-land, whilst about two hundred different Indians have wrought during the year in one form or another of the domestic and civilized life. A few log-houses have been erected through their own exertions under the direction of the mission carpenter, and several acres of land have been brought under cultivation. At the first, all the Indians begged; but after becoming acquainted with the rule of the mission, to give nothing without a compensation, they willingly commenced work, and have continued it up to the present time. They have wrought for clothing as well as for food, and have, in several instances, already adopted the habit of the whites. This makes work come easy to them; whereas the blanket is a great hindrance to the free exercise of the limbs. Our school is in the field and in the shop, and in the house far more than in the school-room, and embraces all classes, old and young, male and female. The field is the plantation, at first principally intended for the growth of vegetables, which the Indians cultivate under our direction. This is in addition to their own several private patches of corn and potatoes. The shop and the log-house they build for themselves, and when built, it is still the various articles of household furniture, or farming implements, which they are taught to supply for themselves and the house, and the domestic life; wherein cooking, washing and ironing, sewing, knitting, and preparing their own clothing, are the things taught. The school of the field, the shop, and domestic life, occupies old and young six hours per day; whereas the learning of letters in the schoolroom does but two, and is confined to the English tongue. We would endeavor to make them men, in order effectually to make them Christians. Thus far the mission has succeeded beyond our best hopes of what would be possible short of three or five years, especially with the adult portion of the Indians. Our support, as a mission, is derived wholly from the interest we can awaken abroad in behalf of the reformation and civilization of the redman. There is no board of missions or society assisting us, apart from the individual members of the Protestant Episcopal church, whom we may arouse to a sense of duty to the aborigines of our country. Our mission family is as follows: Rev. James Lloyd Breck, missionary. Mrs. Wells, matron. Miss Mills and Miss Allen, teachers of domestic life. Mr. John Johnson, interpreter. Mr. John Parker, carpenter. Mr. Ahira Richardson, farmer. Mr. Charles Selsrig and Albert Wells, teachers of gardening, &c. Also the wife of the farmer, and a female over the culinary department of the mission, render efficient help in the civilization of the Indian women. It is intended the coming winter to pay such attention to the Ojibwa language, as well as the manners and habits of the nation, as will en able us to send out a portion of our household to the new mission station at Otter Tail lake, where we are now building a mission-house and preparing to break up land in the spring. I cannot close these remarks without observing to you the monstrous evil and hindrance to us in the way of benefiting the Indian that we find in the fire-water. That continues to pour into the Indian territory, 5 notwithstanding all the several penal laws enacted by the general government prohibiting it. With much respect, your obedient servant, Maj. D. B. HERRIMAN, JAMES LOYD BRECK. Ind. Agent for the Chippewas of Mississippi and Lake Superior. No. 18. CHIPPEWA AGENCY, Sept. 8, 1853. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report of the schools and mission of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions among the Chippewa Indians, for the year preceding this date: At the commencement of the year the board had two stations among the Chippewas-one at Lapointe, and the other at Bad river, on Lake Superior. The following persons have been employed as missionaries, teachers, and assistants: At the Lapointe station: Rev. S. Hall, missionary; Charles Pulsifer, teacher of the school; Henry Blatchford, interpreter and native assistant; Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Pulsifer. At the Bad River station: Rev. L. H. Wheeler, missionary; Mrs. Wheeler and Miss Abby Spooner. The school at Lapointe was under the tuition of Mr. Pulsifer until his removal to this place in the early part of the summer. It was suspended after the first of March, from the time the Indians removed to their sugar camps. The whole number of scholars in attendance during the fall and winter was thirty-five; the average number of each day was nineteen. The studies pursued were reading, writing, spelling, geography, arithmetic, (mental and written,) history, and composition. The school at Bad river has been principally taught by Miss A. Spooner. This school has been maintained with more regularity during most of the year than formerly, and attended by more scholars. Forty or more have been in attendance, more or less; but many have been very irregular in their attendance. The studies have been similar to those pursued in the school at Lapointe. Since the removal of those formerly connected with the station at Lapointe to this place, the mission family of Bad river have gone there to reside temporarily, and have maintained a school there since the first of July last. Manual Labor School.-I was informed in July, 1852, by J. S. Watrous, then agent for the Chippewas, that he was instructed by the Indian department to establish a manual labor school for the Chippewas of Lake Superior and the Mississippi at this place, and was offered by him the superintendency of it. In September last I visited this place, and on examination thought it favorable for the location of such a school. In March last I arrived here and signed a contract with Mr. Watrous for the school for the term of seven years, by which I was to act as superintendent of it in behalf of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Under this contract I immediately commenced preparations for erecting buildings and opening a farm preparatory to opening the school. I was subjected to unexpected delays on account of the difficulty of obtaining lumber, being under the necessity of waiting for a saw-mill to be erected, before lumber in sufficient quantities could be obtained for the buildings. Early in July my family removed to this place, together with Mr. Pulsifer and Henry Blatchford, and their families. Mr. P. came to be employed as a teacher in the school, which we then anticipated would be opened early the present fall. About the first of August I was informed that the contract was not confirmed at Washington, and that it had been submitted to Governor Gorman, superintendent of Indian affairs for Minnesota Territory, for his opinion with regard to it. He informed me that it would not have his approval without some modifications. Thus the matter stands at present. We are waiting for the decision of the department, ready to go on with the work we have began, and complete the buildings necessary for the accommodation of the school, as soon as we are furnished with the means. But one small building has yet been erected, which was designed for the temporary accommodation of a family, with the workmen who should be employed in the erection of other buildings, and afterwards to be used as a storage house and shop for the school establishment. Some 70 acres of land have been broken for the use of the school— a sufficient quantity for its accommodation. We had made arrangements for obtaining lumber for the school buildings at considerable expense, not anticipating that any change would be required in the contract by the department, after having been in their hands over two months. This derangement and consequent delay is subjecting us to much expense and inconvenience; and we would respectfully ask that we may have the decision of the department at their earliest convenience. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, SHERMAN HALL, Superintendent of the Manual Labor School, &c. To Major D. B. HERRIMAN, Agent for the Chippewa Indians, No. 19. WINNEBAGO AGENCY, September, 10, 1853. SIR: The report which it becomes my duty to make of the present condition of the Winnebago agency and Indians will represent them in a condition far less prosperous and encouraging than that in which they were reported by my predecessor last year. I am aware that a comparison of said reports will furnish no flatter ing comment on my ability and faithfulness as an Indian agent; still it will be borne in mind that the reported thrift, industry, temperance, advancement in civilization and general prosperity of these Indians for two years past, remain to be reconciled with the enormous debt which they have, in the meantime, contracted, the dilapidated condition of their farms, the destruction of their houses and furniture, and the anticipation of a considerable portion of their annuity for the present year. And I find difficulty in reconciling the reports of my predecessor for two years past, that the Winnebagoes have committed no depredations, with the fact that claims for over four thousand dollars for depredations alleged to have been committed within that time are already pending against them. I find less difficulty in accounting for the fact, that although my predecessor disbursed over fifteen thousand dollars for buildings and improvements, and some six thousand six hundred dollars for teams, agricultural implements and labor, the aggregate value of the property turned over to him in 1851 far exceeded the value of the property which he turned over to me. It is possible that the department and the public would obtain more correct information of the condition of the Indians and their affairs if competent persons were sent, annually, to inspect the different agencies; and it is not improbable, if agents were required to account strictly for crops raised by employés, that reports of astonishing crops, indicating great skill and industry in farming, would be somewhat curtailed. The employés at this agency have, during the past summer, performed their duty, generally, in a commendable and satisfactory manner. The saw and grist-mill has not been in use; no logs were hauled in the winter, which is the only season in which pine lumber can be procured, and we have had no grain to grind. The miller, who is also a carpenter, has been employed in the shop. The improvements in building have been confined chiefly to repairs. On my arrival at this agency, on the 11th of May, some sixty acres of land had been ploughed by the farmers employed. The Indians and half-breeds had sowed forty acres with oats, and have subsequently sowed ten acres. They have also cultivated on the farms at this place one hundred and twelve acres in corn, fourteen acres in potatoes, two acres in rutabagas, and two acres in turnips. The farmers employed for the Indians commenced sowing oats on the 19th of May, and put in eighty-nine acres, which have yielded a good crop. They have also cultivated on the farms here forty-nine acres in corn, nineteen acres in potatoes, and twenty-five acres in rutabagas and turnips. The corn was planted late, and yields but an indifferent crop. The potatoes bid fair to be an excellent crop. One field, containing seventeen acres, was turned over to the superintendent of the school, in compliance with the school contract. One hundred acres of the farm on Watab prairie was ploughed in the spring, and most of it planted in corn and potatoes, and sowed in rutabagas and turnips, but the Indians there did not cultivate the crop, and it will not amount to much—the usual result of farming operations at that place. The Winnebago school is at present conducted and supported by virtue of a contract entered into on the first day of January, 1853, by and between Alexander Ramsey, late superintendent of Indian affairs, and the Right Rev. Joseph Cretin, bishop of St. Paul. For information respecting the condition and management of said school, the depart |