I was horrified at the state of things I found. For many years an agency had been established; thousands of dollars had been expended; a great many men had been employed. But I saw that the Indians were discouraged, doing nothing, sulky and averse to effort. I arrived at the agency early in April, and found that the fields had been left for a year untilled and in a filthy condition. I had had early experience as a farmer. I called the Indians together, and told them they must clean their fields. They said they had no teams or ploughs. I asked if they couldn’t at least clean them up? They said yes. I told them to begin and I’d see what I could do for them, but there was no time to lose. They said they would start to-morrow. The next morning I was waked by loud talking. I looked out and saw at least fifty women with hoes, axes and shovels on their shoulders—not a man among them. I took an interpreter and went out to them. They said they had come to clean the fields. I said that was good, but I hadn’t sent for them, but for the men. They laughed at that idea—it was a novelty. I told them the men must come, gave them some good advice on household work for women—on which I am well posted—and sent them home. They went their way, and that was the end of the work. I couldn’t get an Indian man out that time. I was puzzled what to do next. I went out to the fields with the interpreter, and we did find one old man who had gone to work. I told him to go on, and I’d plow what he would clean up, which I did. This encouraged one and another by degrees, with the gift of extra rations, and so at last we got the fields cleaned and planted. The first year, though, was very trying, owing to my ignorance of the Indian character. I spoke to them as I would to any one else about truth and duty, etc., but met constant, persistent opposition. I was wearied to death with their councils. Fifty to a hundred great stalwart Indians would walk into my office, sit down on the floor, and begin to smoke. Then I would wait with patience till one of them would rise and make their wants known, and I would answer them. But everything I proposed they would oppose, for some reason I did not understand. They would tell me my words were sweet, but that like all other white men, I was a liar. So it went on for a year. It was rather hard to take their plain talk, especially as I am somewhat of a muscular Christian. I gave them, however, as good, plain talk as they sent, and let them understand what I thought of them.