Our Indian Population

[Krom the New York World ) The painphlet on the various estimates of Indian population which John Eaton, Commissionor of Education, has submitted to E. A. Hayt, Commissionor of Indian Affairs, is full of interesting information, and affords the best attainable basis of facts for the theory that the race is not destined to absolute extinction. Of course, any atttnipt to trace the advance or decline of the Indian population is attended with great diffioulty. In the very beginning of the t;isk we havo to deal with couiecture, and even in taking up the last enumerations preparéd by the authority of the Government we are eompelled to rest content with guess-work. The duty of estimating the Indian population of the country was conscientiously undertaken iu 1789, and it may be worth while to eopy a table of eighteen estimates completed sinoe tb at time, premising that those made previous to 1850 did not inelude the tribes of Texas and the territory won from Mexico, and wore generally fragmentary nul incomplete: 1. 1789 -Estímate of Scerctary of War 76.000 2. 179i'-91- Estiiualc of Gübert Im:ay '. 60,000 3. 1820- Report of Morse on Indian affaire. 471,)'3G A. 182- Kcport of Sooretary of War .l'29,36fi C. 1829- Repurt of Secrctary of War 312,9tfO 6. 1831- Rrport of Secretaiy of War 312,610 7. 1KC - Keport of Superintendent Indian A ffairs 253,464 8. 1837- Krport of Superintendent Indian Affairs .i. 302,498 9. 1850- Report of H. 11. Schoolcraft a8B,2l 10. 1853- Report of United S'.ates census, 1850 400,764 11. 1855 - Report of Imlian Office 314,622 12. 1SÖ7- Hc,ortof H. It. Schoolend 37,24 13. 1SC0- Bcport of Indian Oflke.V„4.4...26i, 8H1I 14. 1865- Report of ludían Ollice 594,574 15. 1870- Report of l'iiitcd Stiltes census 313.712 10. 1870- Report of Indian Offlco 313,371 17. 1875- Kcport of Indian Office 30S,06L 18. 1876- lieport of Indian Office 291,882 Little information as to the teDdencies of Indian population can be gathered from these statistics, as the area covered in one census may dift'er from that covered in ii previous one, and the good judgment of the estimator forms an imporfamt element in the calculation. Accepting the figures given since 1850 as aearly appioximating to the truc ones, we may assume that the Indiana are holding their owd, or at least that the process of extermination is much slower I tban it is popularly supposed to be, the apparent decrease in 1876 being duo to the non-enumeration of the Dacotahs. The exarnination of the history of particular tribes throws furüicr lighton this matter. It -was estimated in 1722 that the Cherokees numbered 30,000; in 1768 Mr. Jefterson estimated them at 15,000; in 1809 a census was taken, and they were found to amount to 12,395. Since then, notwithstanding the bad offects of removal and civil war, they have inoreased to 21,072 in 1876. In 1821 the Seminóles were estimated at 4,560, in 1835 at 2,083, in 1833 at 3,000, in 1860 at 2,267, and in 1876 at 2,553. In 1660 the Iroquois were estimated at 11,700, in 1763 at 11,650, and in 1877 at 6,715 in this country and 6,950 in Canada. These faets do not support the extinction theory. The testimony of missionaries anieng the Sioux is adduced to óhowthat that great braucli of Indians is not only retaining its strength, but aotually growing. Furthermore, the proportion of births and draths among the Indians lor the last three years points to the same conclusión. This record has only been kept since 1874, and too much stress fchould not be laid upon it, but, with other indications, it has some forcé. In 1874 the excess of births was 21.54 in a thousand individuals; in 1875, 9.83; and in 1876, 6.07. If these statistica be fairly gathered and fairly presentd, there is some reason to tliink there is still hope for the preservation of the Indian. Hangiiig a Man for Iturgrlary. Tlie extraordinary speetacle of the execution of the death penalty for the crime of bnrglary was witnpssei) hero to-day upon the person of Hilliard Morgan, a mulatto, aged 35 years. On the night of the 8th of February the house of Thomas Gelverton, a wealthy farmer of this (Wayne) county, was forcibly entered while the fatnily was asleep and the sum of $395 stolen. For n considerable time no clue could be obtaincd as to who the burglar was, but at length snspieion attached to Hilliard Morgan, who was arrested ou the night of July 6. Upon beitig searched, $230 was fonnd upon his person, a portie n of, the notes being fully idejjtified as the property of Gelverton. Otlier circumstances corroborated this evidence as to the criminality of Morgan, and on th 4th of October, at the regular term of the Wayne Cotinty Superior Court, ho was afraigncd tor ti ia]. The trial lasted fonr days, when the jury retnrued a verdict of guilty, and Morgau was sentenced to bc hanged to day by Judge Eiire. At ten niimitr s paat 1 to-day Morgan was led to the gallows, whioh he ascended with a lirm and stealy step. Hisconiposuro and extraordinai-y firmness amounted almcst to indifference. He knelt in prayer and said he feit thnt God had forgiven him. Sheriff Granthain then read the death-warrant, after which Morgan addressed the crowd, declaring that he was not guilty cf the burglary, lmt that Nelson Thornton, a colored witnessagainsthim, was the real culprit. Morgan adhered to this statement to the last, and said he feit his forgiveness; that he forgave Thornton; that the sting of death only remained, and he was then bound for heaven. At half-past 1 the drop feil noiselessly, and Morgan, guilty or innocent, was suspended in raid air. Morgan had generally sustaiued a bad character, and was tho third of four brothers who slmred the same terrible fate. - Ooldsboro (N. V.) Cor. New York Herald. Dyecl Cignrs. The artificial dyeing of cigars has jet attracted but little attention arnong sinokers, and is couilncted very quictly and is apparently harrnless, yet under all oircumstanofs it sliould be condemned. Every artificial change of a natural product like tobáceo, to givo it a better appearanoe, shonld of itself be branded as (mproper. Wüen we must take into consideration the faot tbat the natural color of the cover has an efsential influonce upon the strength of the cigar, and consequently most smokere placo great value on the colox'. By artificial coloríog, on the eontïfiry, the jndgment is deceivcd, jiiul it makes it impossible to determino the qunlity of the cigar irom the color of the cover ; for every dealer now has it in Iris power to mako splendid dark cigars irom liis yexy light ones ■without any troublo. But we liav especially to notico tliat now poor coloree! and refpee oigar nmy acquire a fine color, and niiiy be sold for good ones. On all these grountLa dycing cigars must be ranked as an odulteration for the purposo of Smndling tlie publip, Unfortunately no meaiis have yet been devieed whereby the people can distinguish such cigars in all canes frcni the gemiino. All we cm do at present is to cali attention to the faot and rí.commcnd caution in tlie matter. -Sloientific Anu riem. The rector of the Episcopal ohnrch at Corpus Obristi, Tpx.,openfd the Biblea iew Bundiijs ago in bi pulpit, auil muoh to iba Furprise of tho con{?regation a euohre deck. tumbler] PHi