Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/19

 RECOLLECTIONS OF AN INDIAN AGENT. 11 wants as a guide by which to manage the agency. Mr. Pinto had been promised the school teacher's place and had been there a year waiting for the fulfillment, and certainly they would not have me violate the promises made to him by dis- tinguished men at the seat of government. Doctors move from city to city and town to town and white folks get a change of doctors without making any fuss about it. They frequently change from choice, and there is no agreement among them as to which is the best doctor. It is likely fortunate that they do not agree, or they would all want the same doctor. No doubt doctors differ, although they learn from the same books. Some are better surgeons, others are preferred to treat women and children, and each is best for some one disease. As for Dr. Roland, I know nothing of his success in practice, but I do know that he is a better educated physician than Dr. Teal, who is what is called among the whites a home-made doctor. The interpreter informed me that some of those present said that Dr. Teal had told them I had turned him off. To this I answered : ' * I have told you the truth, and Dr. Teal will not tell a different story in my presence. " The meeting broke up with a changed feeling and no more was heard of their discontent. The whole of the next week was spent in trying to obtain a knowledge of the present conditions, and with such a purpose in view one would naturally ask to be shown the record evi- dence of what had been done since the agency was estab- lished; the names and numbers of each of the tribes, where located, what assistance had been rendered by the Government and what response to civilizing efforts had been observed in the habits of life of these people ; but strange as it may seem there was not a scratch of pen to reward an investigator. There was a printed copy of the treaty made with them, in- voices of the annuity goods in store, a copy of the receipt given Mr. Barnhart for the property turned over to me, and a small list of articles from the annuities, issued by him to indigent Indians, but from these no comprehensive judgment could be formed as to what had been the method of treatment