OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF AGENT IN COI.ORAD0. REPORT OF AGENT IN COLORADO. REPORT OF SOUTHERN UTE AGENCY. SOUTHERN UTE AGENCY, Ignacio, Colo., August 8,1897. SIR: I have the honor to submit my first annual report, and having assumed charge on July 1, 1897, have had but a brief season in which to acquaint myself withconditions at this agency. As the census of Allotted and Unallotted Sonth-ern Utes was forwarded by registered mail July 14, repetition is not deemed essential in this report. Allotted Utes.-The Moache and Capote tribes of Southern Utes have, with few exceptions, taken advantage of the allotment act, as provided for in act approved February 20,1895, and seem contented and p!eased with ownership, despite the fact that no evidences of indiv~dual possessions have as yet been granted by GoverumeuZ. Farming.-The work of farming was greatly retarded through inability of pre-ceeding Commissioner to issue seeds last spring, but idleness was not by any means the result, as post trader and preceding agent advanced a considerable quantity of seeds, and the bulk of those farming have small fi?lds or tracts seeded to oats and wheat, vegetablea, pease, oorn, etc., the aggregate acreage being estimated at 365, and the yield will equal the average in thls section. Many will have much more flour than sufficient for their needs, and cats and hay for work stock. How-ever, it is to be regretted that seeds in su5icient quantities were not avaihble, as land fallowed has grown up in sunflowers, which will, under the coming year's crop, foul or necessitate increased labor. The small acreage of fall or winter wheat has equalled expectations, and we hope to enoonrge its growth to the exclusion of the spring article, as it commands early market values and is superior to spring-sown grain of like character. Irrigatioa-The work of constructing ditches for irrigating the Pine River and Spring Creek lands was inaugurated by my predecessor, under superintendency of Engineer Wigglesworth, and moneys for continuing the work having been pro-vided by the Department, work will be resumed during the present month, or as soon as the Indians have attended to their wheat and second crop of alfalfa, as they are competent to perform all pick, shovel, and scraper work and are anxious for the opportunity to toil. Engineer Wigglesworth and one whiteemployeeas assistant, wil1,aside from heavy teams for plowing, inolude the white labor to be employed. Sufficient ~ o r tko hold the water rights on La Plate River will be engage4 in and balance of funds granted expended in direction of continuing work on what we term the east and west side ditches on Pine River, where the great bulk of allot-ments have been made in an unbroken and compact way. The land under the ditches in question is very fertile and conducive to growth of all grains, grasses, and the hardy vegetables. 1mpmvements.-No authorities for betterments having been received as yet, nothing other than such road and bridge work as agency employees could aceom-plish has been attended to. The heavy rains last fall and this spring have placed the roads in bad condition. and funds will be required to compensate Indian labor for making them passablebefore self-hindersand thresher can be handled withont danger of damage. The 85,000 for completing the agency buildings at Navajo Springs became available July 1, but the present out?ook !$icates that it will remarn uuexpeuded, as the water supply at NavaJo Spnnns 18 Inadequate to meet domestic demands, and hence water for manufacturing azobes can not he secured unless the ranchers on the north line will allow their waste water to flow to the reserve after the irrigation season oloses. Unallatted 1anda.-The unallotted or diminished reserveembraces what I consider, after thirty years' residence in Colorado, the most valuable section of our State. With water the soil is of various characters, ranging from the rich, sandy loam, red lands, and bottom lands to adobe, which is valuable for grasses. The altitude ranges from 4,500 to 6,000 feet, and is especially adapted to the growth of about every vegetable, cereal, grass, and variety of fruit grown in the West. Yet upou all this vast domain (the unallotted portion embracing about 808,000 acres) water has not been provided sn5cient to farm an acre, and every season the Indians are forced to abandon the reserve and seek the mountains for water and pasturage, and by so doing incur the displeasure of whites, who imaglne that the public domain is for their sole use and benefit. The honorable Secretary of the Interior having been authorized by Congress to confer with the owners of the Montezuma Canal Company, or olller persons, for the purpose of securing hy the Government |