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Show 14 REPORT OF AGENT IN COLORADO. malignant~irit tbere would not be so much groond for complaint. But, aa with the whites, so with the Indisss, the temperate, ~ndustriousm an is often the greatest sufferer. On the morning of the 25thof September last one of my best Indiana was shot dead by sn Indian from an adjoining county wllile under the iduenoe of whisky. The reservation Indian had taken a contract to gather a orop of corn in the neighbor-hood of Porterville. The evening after the eorn was gathered two or three of the Indiansaho had been employed in the work want to Porterville and procured enough whisky to make them all drunk. Returniu to theIndian camp earlythe next morn-ing in a frenzied ooudition, thia viaiting ~n s i a nw, ho hod been employed as teamster in securing the orop of corn, demanded of his employer a. horas to ride up t,o the agency. Being aeaured that he could ride up in the wagon after breakfast, and that he was then too muoh intaxieated to be intrusted with a horse, without furtherprovo-cation oenght up his employer's Henry rifle and shot him through the neok, killing him instantly. The murdered man's wife ~ 2pr~esesnt , and of course w n s p t l y excited, and being in a delicate condition, premature labor was superinduce , resulting in a, few d q s in the death of both mother and infant. The only surviving member of the family, a bright little boy of two years of age, was taken sick about the aame time, and, from want of proper attention. just as he was passing the' crisisfronl nu attack of fever, also died. All fonr of these deaths were unquestionably caused by the sale of about two dollars' worth of wbiaky, and that by ai white man, who kuows very aell tbet the life of the innocent ia always imperiled wlmn an Indian is made orsey by drink. Civilization, indeed! Under such oirculustanoes it is almost a wonder that my Indians have made any progress whetaver. Rum-imbruted convicts of San Quidan and Sing Sin are poor specimens of American oivilieation. Whisky with Indians has the s m e %basing effects. I am, sir, very reapectfrtlly, your obedient servant, C. G. BELKNAP, United State8 Indian Agmt. The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN hFAIRS. 80IlTEERN UTE AGENCYC, OLORADOA,a gusl18,1885. SIR : I have the honor to submit the following as my first annual report of the af-fairs pertaining to this agency. I ~ s u m e dch arge on the 15th day of Febroary, 18R5, mlieviug my predsoeeaor, William M. Clark, and have since that time endeavored to perform the duties of my offios to the beat of my ability and in accordance with in-atructiona. This reaenrstionislooatsd in SouthwesternColorado, borderingonNew Mexico, and consists of a strip of bud 15 miles in width end sbout 110 milee in length. I t ia ee-pecially rulapted for greeing purposes, being well watered by numerous streams. There is also a considerable amount of arable land, capable of producing good arops when properly irrigated and tilled. The gms, which in former years was abundant on the reserve, has almost entirely dis?pueareA, having been driven away by the numeroan herds of oattle belonging to nelghboriug settlers. The Southern Ute Indians number 983 souls. They are divided into three bands, the Musohes, C'clpotes, and Weomenucher. The Mueohe band, originally at home on the Cimsmn River, in New Mexico, have been in coutact with white8 and Mexicans for s. nunlber of yes.rs,and may be considered partly civilized. The Capotea are numerically the smallest hand, but own considerable horsea, sheep, and goats, and are qaite wall to do in their way. The Weemenuohes sra the strongest bsnd in number dso the least civilized and most warlike of the entire Ute nation. The latter band inhabit the more western parts of the reserve, while the two first mentioned are located in the esstern pard. All of them are on friendly terms with one another. The Soathern Utes are little inclined to adopt oitizen's garb, although mast of the males wear some part of the whits man's clothin generally a veat or ashirt. They tenaeioualy adhere to their blankets, and, with t%Lexception of the police, a Ute In-dian is seldom seen without a bltsnket wrapped aronnd him even in the hottest weather. There are none among them who can speak the Engliah language suBciently well for ordinary conversation. The majority understand some Spanish,nnd oan make themselves understood in this language to some extent. Conversation with them, however, has mostly to be carried on in the Ute language, wikh the aid of an inter-preter. They are nstupally inolined to pastoral papnrsoita, and nearly all of them awn some horses ; some also p-ss small herds of sheep and goats. Severs1 of the more indns-trious however, have been engaged in farming for the last few yearn, snd have suc-oeeded in raising very fair orops. They have labored snd tended their farmsfaith- |
