OCR Text |
Show REPORT OF THE UTE COMMISSION. Our explorations at this timeweresuch as to eatisfy us thst there are sufficient lae ing and agricultural lands in the reservation for the wants of the Uintahths, &it6 Rivera, and such portion of the Ufioompshgres aa it may be uecossary to locate thero. In returningto Las Pinos we crossed the mountains via Evacuation Creek, reaching the agenoy on the 5th of July. Agent Berry and the two chiefs, Sappevanaro and Guero, were with us dwing the entire trip. We selected for the Uncumpahgres the lands in the valley of the Green River, for a distance of ten miles down and fifteen milesup from its junction with the White, and the lands in the valley of the White River from its junction with the Green es fhcesst as the boundary line batmaen Utah and Colorado, and also the lands along the Dn-chesne River from its junotion with the Green up to a point eight miles above the mouth of the Uintah River. After our return to the qency we had a consultation wit11 the chiefs and headmen in reference to their removal. It was difficult to obtain from them an expression of their wishes, except thst they were opposed to going to Grand River, and thst they were very anxious to he allomed to remain at Ourey's place, near the agency. They were again assured that this was impossible. We informed them that wehad decided, snb'ect to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, to looate them in the v&lleys of t i e White, Green, and Dnchosne Rivers, and reqoested them to make preparations to move &B soon 88 we could make the necessary arrangements. Mr. Russell was ordered to go to Washington and submit the notion of tho Commis-sion to the Secretary of the Interior for his approval, and to make arrangements for our future work. He at once left Lor Pinos and resohed Washington on the 18th of July. The Secretary promptly gave hie approval of the seleotions made, and Messrs. Mears and Russell, in pursnanee of arrangements made before ]caving LOB Pinoq started at onoe for the location of the new agency to put up the buildings and make the necessary srrangements far the arrival of the Indians. Mr. MaMorris remained at Los Pinos to superintend snoh arrangements as might be deemed necessq, prepsra-tory to the departure of the Indiana. We sstsblished the srgonoy on the south side of Green River, about two miles abore its junction with the White, the latter stream runuing about one mile south of the agenoy buildings. I t is our design to locate the Indians es near this point as praoti-cable. Messrs. Mesrs and Rnssoll. seoonlpanied by seven eoldier~,a rrived a t Green River on the 18th of August, and a t once commenced the erection of s~ichb uildings as were deemed essential for the temporary use of the agency. A11 afthe amterials, aside from the lumber, were obtained in Balt Lake and freighted over themountainn, a. dis-tmoe of nearly two hundred miles. The buildings are constructed chiefly of oottonwoodlogs, and consist of a wzcehouae 25 by 100 feet, three houses, each lfi by 53 feet, one 15 by 52, with an L 12 by 14 feet; also one building for a council house and office, one for o1nploy08, one for blacksmith shop, and one for cnrpenter's shop. In fitting up theae buildinpa we fouu<l i t difficult to employ and keep the worl~rnenn eoessary to their prompt completion. Neuyly ell of the men and teams employed were obtained at points forty milvs fiom the BgC1UDY, and thcg were frsqnently impelled to return to their homes by reports which were kept, constantly in cir~:~~latiboyu e vil-dispose<lp ersons, to tho erect that the Inrlinna s e r e opposed to the completion of the buildings, and were intending to massacre all ,\-ho were engaged in their constmotion. Mr. McMurris, having been asnured that the hilclings would he ready for the anp-plies early in September, mads the necessary arrangeutents to have tho Indialla leave Los Pinos on the Wtb of August, but they hes i tat~da nd deolined to go. They were assured that if they refurred to go peaceably the work of their removal would be in-trusted entirely to the military authorities, and fiually, oon the 28th, they all ettsted, and by slaw aud easy mmohes some of then, reaohed Green River on the %5th of Sep-tember; othem lingered along, hunting in themountains, and did nut wive until late in Ootober. The valleys which we have selected vary from one-half to six miles in width. The altitude is about forty-eight feet. Along the Green River there is an abundaooe of oottouwood timber for tho wants of the Indians for fenoiog and fire-wood. The bot-tom lands are rich, and een be easily irrigated and made available by inexperienced labor. Situated as they are, between the old agenoy of the White River and t,he sgenoy bf the Uintah, they have hitherto been practically nnoocupird beca11e.e of the snpposed danger in living between these rwo bands of Indians and along their trail from one amency to the other. Mr. Saddler now hnn an innproved ,snob in the valley of the Wh%e River, five or six miles from the agenoy, upon which he has this gear raised a splendid orop of wheat, corn; potatoes, and other vegetables. With Llleae lands the Iudians can, if they will make the effort, eventually support themselves. It will, however, require considerable time and enoo~u.agemenbt efore they will make the best use of the op ortunities now open to them. Pmctically apekiing, they ha r e never en~agedin t,he oultivation of the soil. With the exception of a, very few, perhaps a half a dozen, they have never cultivated even |