REPORTS OF AGENTS IN         DAKOTA.                  49 
sions, W. K. Morris, esq., superintendent, began its session November 1,
1884, and 
closed June 26, 18S5. The total attendance was 60 boarding and 6 day scholars,

with an average of 50 boarding and 3 (lay scholars. The educational and girls'
in- 
dustrial work of this school was good. The boys' manual labor was confined
mainly 
to cutting wood, hauling water, some garden work, and mending shoes. The
school 
hours, however, were longer, instruction being given from 9 a. m. to 12 m.
and from 
1 to 4 p. m. The school is partly supported by contract with the United States
In- 
dian department. 
The Ascension girls school is an institution for small girls, kept in the
house of the 
principal, Rev. John B. Renville, one of the native pastors, 6 miles south
of the agency. 
His house accommodates only 14 scholars, the average for this year, owing
to some 
changes, being only 10j. The school, however, held for ten mouths and cost
only about 
$135 per scholar. The resuilts attained are excellent, the scholars are mainly
the 
children of former pupils of this worthy man and his excellent wife ,ho have
for 
many years been educators of these people. They should have a school-room
added to 
their dwelling with sleeping-rooms above, which would enable theta to enlarge
their 
school with very small additional expense. 
LAWS AND CRIME. 
During the year th re has not come to my knowledge a sia-gle case of murder,
nan- 
slaughter, rape, assault with intent to kill, arson, burglary or larceny,
the crime&. 
which section 9 of the Indian appropriation bill approved March 3, 1885,
provides shall 
be tried by territorial law; and the, courts of this people, held under the
authority of- 
their constitution and laws, have been able to care for all minor offenses.

The operation of these laws still proves to be beneficial, although they
greatly need 
extension and revision to make them reach offenses not thought of when the
code- 
was made. The Indian officers and courts have been especially efficient in
punishing 
drunkenness and bringing alcoholic drinks upon the reservation. No amount
of cun- 
ning has seemed to be successful in evading their diligence, and no mercy
has been 
shown to offenders. 
CIVILIZATION. 
In December last this people, by their representatives and leading men, asked
of 
Congress that they might be recognized as a civilized tribe, and given the
privilege& 
now granted the five civilized tribes in Indian Territory. In my judgment
they are 
fully entitled by their progress in civilization to an affirmative answer
to their re- 
quest, and I am further fully convinced that if they are so recognized by
the next 
Congress they will soon be in condition to dispose of their surplus land
and become 
citizens of the Territory of Dakota and of the United States. 
MEDICAL. 
A much-needed change was made in this department in April last by sending
anew 
physician. There are no "medicine men" among this people, and the
prescriptions 
and directions of the agency physician are followed as faithfully and intelligently

as they would be among white people in the same conditions. The physician
recoi- 
mends that he be allowed to select and instruct an Indian as nurse to be
detailed to attend 
severe cases, act as physician's interperter in his visits to patients at
a distance from 
the agency, and assist in various ways at the dispensary. The expense of
such an 
assistant need not be over $300 per annum, and if the idea was properly carried
out 
-would no doubt be a means of assisting the sick and educating the people
in proper 
ideas of their care. The health of the people has been about as usual; they
suffer much 
from consumption andl scrofulous diseases. 
CHURCHES AND MISSION WORK. 
There are 6 Presbyterian churches upon the reservation and one at the Brown
Earth 
Homestead Settlement, five of which have native pastors and two are without
minis- 
ters. These churches are assisted and supervised by the Presbyterian Board
of Home 
Missions, and are doing good service in the Christianization of this people.
This so- 
ciety conducts the Goodwill mission school reported above. The membership
of these 
churches is 435, a net gain of 69 over last year's report. They have associations
for 
young men and women in each church, for church and charitable work, and contri-

bute, in addition to a large part of the current expenses of their churches,
quite a fund 
to send the Gospel to other Indian tribc.s. 
The Protestant Episcopal Church has a mission church at the agency, under
the care 
of Rev. E. Ashley, missionary. He reports for the year, baptisms, 27 ; present
nunt- 
5067 IND----