At the opening of the twentieth century, the Indian population of the United States was more than 270,000. This did not include Alaska, and is a clear increase during the preceding ten years. More than a third of the Indians wear civilized dress, and a half of this third know how to read. Nearly a half of all the Indians are on "reservations" or at schools. The five civilized tribes, and their members in round numbers are: Cherokees, 30,000; Chickasaws, 7,000; Choctaws, 15,000; Creeks, 15,000; Seminoles, 2,500. They have fine schools, churches, banks, newspapers, factories and all the luxuries of modern life, with a system of government copied after our own. More than a million dollars is spent every year by our government for the support of the various schools formed for the education of the Indians. These schools are at Albuquerque, N. M.; Chamberlin, So. Dakota; Cherokee, N. C.; Carlisle, Pa.; Carson City, Nev.; Chilocco, Oklahoma; Genoa, Neb.; Hampton, Va.; Lawrence, Kansas; and twenty-four other places. You know that while the color of the Indians shows different shades, it is so similar that, leaving out the Eskimos, it is certain all of them had the same origin. The "pure-bloods" have coarse black hair, black eyes, high cheek bones, and not much muscular development, but they can stand a wonderful amount of fatigue. They are generally of a melancholy disposition, brooding and sullen by nature--though there are many exceptions--revengeful, unforgiving, treacherous, and yet they do not forget favors or kindnesses shown to them. The fact that from the day the first white man set foot on this continent he has abused the Indians, had much to do with the hatred shown by them toward these invaders from across the ocean. Now, when you bear in mind that a good many tribes number only a few hundreds; that four hundred languages and two thousand dialects are used by the natives of North and South America, you will see how hard it is to classify them. Yet it is said the members of each tribe can be recognized. A good many systems have been used in classifying the Indians, but the best is that which divides them as follows: The Panis-Arapahoe family, including the Panis or Pawnees, the Arapahoes and the Jetans, called Comanches by the Spanish. [Illustration: COURTSHIP AMONG THE INDIANS] The Columbian family, including the tribes in the North-west, of which the principal are the Snake or Flatheads, and the Shoshones. The Sioux-Osage family, in which are found the powerful and numerous Sioux or Dakotas, the Assiniboines, who live in alliance with the Chippewas, the Mandans and the Osages. The Mobile-Natchez, or Floridian family. This is composed of six independent branches, each divided into several tribes, including the five civilized ones already referred to. The Algonquin, Huron (Wyandot) and Iroquois family. The first two named are residents of Canada, while many of the Iroquois live in Central New York.