Early in the spring of 1799, more of a spirit of industry seemed to exhibit itself among some of the Indians, and several who were settled near Friends began to work at splitting rails, and fencing in lots of land, as they saw Friends fence in theirs. Some who inclined to work, that had no families, were employed at the business of the farm, and seemed capable of doing as much in a day as the generality of white people.
The use of whiskey and other strong drink had considerably decreased among the Indians, in the course of the last year, and many of their chiefs seemed desirous of preventing its introduction into their village. Notwithstanding which, as many of them went down the river in the spring to Pittsburgh and other places, to dispose of their skins, furs, &c. which they had taken during the late winter, they brought in return for their peltry, kegs full of this destructive article--although Friends had cautioned them against it, previous to their going away--with this many of them were for a considerable time intoxicated, so that little could be done in promoting their improvement while the liquor lasted.
It was believed expedient, from this affecting circumstance, to have their chiefs and principal men collected in council, and to remonstrate against such conduct as well as to encourage them to avail themselves of the present opportunity of gaining instruction in the cultivation of their land.
At this interview, Friends seriously expostulated with them on various subjects relative to their moral conduct, and endeavours were used seriously to impress on their minds the evil consequences of introducing so much strong liquor into their villages, and that it greatly obstructed their improvement in agriculture, because for it they bartered away their money and other articles with which they ought to purchase horses, and cattle, and implements of husbandry, to enable them to till their land; and that this operated as a serious discouragement to Friends in their arduous undertaking to instruct them.
The Indians appeared seriously attentive in this council, being convicted in their minds of the truth of what had been declared to them, and in a few days after, they met in council again, and informed Friends that they had seriously considered the subjects proposed to them, and that their chiefs had come to a resolution not to permit, for the future, any of their people to bring liquor into their villages to sell to one another; that they had appointed two young chiefs to watch over the rest, and to endeavour to promote good order among them--and they desired Friends to be easy in their minds respecting them, for they were determined to take their advice and try to do better; that they had made inquiry among themselves, and could find no fault in Friends, or discover any fraud in any of their actions, but on the contrary, that the fault and bad conduct had all been on their own side, but now they were determined to quit those bad practices, and to assist their women in the labours of the field.