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Show INDIAN AFFAIRS. 179 1 ilker- but his hand has grown too weak and palsied to control his people as ¥ 77** i v. m. U- r, more progressive and vigorous man might. 72 » . ennd'chief, " Manuelito," was once a great and good chief one who ied t . « « id whose voice was heard in council, but he has become a drunkard, and ?, IU i. « r • than a common beggar. Has lost most of his former influence and power I .. V, l i n e means could be devised to place a strong, young, and progressive . man at lb* lit- iin to advise them aud look after their interests.^ - SCHOOL. ' The awnev school for the past two years, has not been a success. My predecessor i, ll" m, rthat this was mostly owing to his inability to procure competent employe's u, -.. i. d. u- t it and that those who were here in that capacity were continually quart s ," •\ nunA themselves. The superintendent ( Mr. Logan) told me that during the ZLZuv haifcbarge of this school ( seven months) he did not believe there was one i- n- l,. / lav when all of the school employds were ou'speakiug terms with all of their co-iltr. r. Ts that the chiklreu would come and remain a day or two, get some clothes, thn. run away back to their " hogans." But few attended regularly; consequently, tbcM- liool did but little real good. - ?. ^ I have adopted the plan of having one of the " police" in attendance, and if any » ( the < hihlivn leave now without proper permission he promptly brings them baek. I . U. mike it a test of worthiness with Indian parents to send and keep their chil- « ln- n in the school here, and have secured new employe's, with one exception. I will it ka*! .' uarautee that there will be more harmomy and union ol effort as well asem- « « cn « ' v among the school employ6s. I will also use every effort to increase the number of pupils? and to improve it in all other ways. We have a good school building, km) ibis is the onlv one among all of this people; therefore, I ieel that it should be » ril attended, and shall use all of the power which you have given me to that end, » a.| I f.- el quite confident that this term of our school will be a comparatively suc- Tl" poor condition of the public buildings here has been so often complained of to rou. that I do not care to say much about them now ; but they are very poor. Still, *. vou have, led me to believe that you would allow the expenditure of ?> o, 000 during lh." present season for the construction of a new store- house, and for repairs to the buildings now here, with this I think we can make them quite sale and conitort- » bh- for a while. ' ,, T ,. _ ., . I am told bv competent judges, men who have known these Indians for years, that th- v have made more progress in dress and in their general way ol living in the last * ra'r than tbev did in the five years preceding this. They all wear clothes that cover tlntn in some'way now, aud have recently begun to build themselves houses under vour authority I have given all of those who were ready to build the necessary window ami door casings, & c. There are now about twenty- five houses in process of fon- truction. and I believe that at least fifty good snug little houses will be built and occupied by them during the present season. Three months ago there was not on this entire reservation one single house or cabin built or occupied by any member of this tribe In my opinion the* most essential thing to do in order to elevate these i*- op! e is to induce them to build better places of abode ; they will then become less nomadic in their habits, and that alone will create a desire to " accumulate,' to improve their conditions and surroundings, and to better their stock. They should be induced to raise fewer and better horses and to speculate with them, better and fewer sheep and goats and to take better care of these. There is not the slightest danger of these people going to war, or ever making a K « meral outbreak; they are essentially peaceable, aud have too much stock to go on vhe war- path, even if that were their nature. , _ , ... U'iring the past year nocrime of any importance has been committed, with one exception. Burin" the month of March four of these Indians killed two prospectors, Wakott and McNally. This was done abont'JOO miles from here and near the northwest corner of their reserve The guilty Indians were members of a band whoseldom cam.- to the agency and of which but little was known. I have succeeded in effecting fbo arrest of three ' of the guilty ones, and they are now in prisou awaiting trial. The Villaining criminal has left his people, and I have been unable as yet to find him. The • « *! et of this crime seems to have been a desire of revenge for some real or iancied wrong done to one of these Indians by some other white man years before. Tlwme Indians practice polygamy to a great extent, Their marriages are not very ^ retnonions; the " wooer" simply turns over the required number ot horses, ( this * « -' ns to be about the only use they make of most of their horses) and takes his bndo !' « » matter bow many others he may already have. They seem to possess no more » ' b'a of virtue; to them it simply represents a market value. The Navajos still hold some'slaves. They are the descendants of war captives, « JteB. Apaches, Moquis, Mexicans, & c , but their condition is nearly the same as that |
