| OCR Text |
Show . wfcitUW-tlfaitl *»*>»•* I / - » J M - • - f * - 8 INDIANS WEST Of Till', KOCIvY .MOUNTAINS. made in Iheir civilization, The sooner Ibis country is entered by while i pen I ile and the game destroyed so I hat, the Indians will be. com pel lei I in gain a subsistence by some oilier means than hunting, the better it will be. for them. 1 am inclined to think il will be best, lo let the inllux of population, and the slow progress of civili/ailiou in that way, settle Ihe question. , j ( Mr. PAINEY. The Indians tire quiet and peaceable now? . J Major POWELL. They are quiet now, but the people of that country ; were apprehensive, hist year, that titers might be a general war with | them. i Mr. P.YiNKY. Do I understand you that there are 3,000 Indians on j that si rip of country or l,(»()l) only I Major POWELL. I. have not counted them, but, have lived with Iheiii for some time, and taking into consideration my own knowledge, and the facts which have been developed in the bargain made with a part of them this psist summer, 1 am satisfied thai there are not more than 1,000, but they tire estimated lo number more than 3,000 in the report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs for Ihe last year. Mr. MrXi'i/i'A. floes Ihe law provide that these Indians shall receive a certain amount iter capita or for the issue, of a certain quantity of goods to I hem irrespective of their numbers/ Major POWELL. It provides for the disposition of a certain amount of goods without specifying the number of persons who shall be the recipients. Question. How are these Indians armed ? Major POWELL. With guns; and they are very well mounted; they have line horses-much belter than any other Indians I have ever seen. Question. Where do they get their arms? Major POWELL. Prom various sources-Utah and Colorado, chiefly. Mr. LNGALLS. There is 6S1,000 given to the Indians of Western Colorado reservation j they are much better treated than most of the Indians. The CHAIRMAN. Eighty-one thousand dollars given to 1.G00 Indians? .Mr. INCALLS. Yes, sir. Question. Will this amount be increased under the agreement made this past season with them? Major POWELL. I believe it is to be increased $20,000 annually forever, in consideration of their yielding one million acres of land. It is better to give them this amount, and very much more, in fact, than to light them-; it will be cheaper. It should be remembered iu favor of these Indians, that they have not heretofore cost the Government any excessive sums on account of wars in which they h:\ve been engaged. Very little difliculties arising between Indians and white men sometimes result in very serious consequences, entailing much expense. Some hungry Indian kills a beef or tired Indians steal a horse; white men go in search of the thief, and perhaps kill the first Indian they meet. Then the Indians-retaliate, and the news is spread throughout the country that we have an Indian war on baud, and troops tire sent to the point, and the expense of a war at least is incurred. The CHAIRMAN. What effect, do troops have-good or bad? Major POWELL. I think their inllueuce is bad, and that every soldier should be withdrawn from all this territory inhabited by the Indians who are willing to cultivate the soil. If one fifth of the money now used in supporting troops to overawe these Indians could be used to provide means for their civilization, the Indian question in this region could be settled without much dilliculty. The presence of the troops is ; IV .1 a standing •-., . .,.„ soldieiu. |; ,,, „ , People,Mi, | „ ... t I'ess In L!! ;.. . ,„ who care i, .-. children ,is, ,,' r and loath-. •-.- .; ,., The CII \\-.. ' , • ing Ihe In.tiv , • .Major I'.e.i. ; :, sellable iinle.. ,.,., to I he 1,".. i', ,. ,, Question. V, , .; .,,., w h i t e iinii J Major I'..-.M : • ;. . . remove « hit.. , ,.. mil lleeili ,| , , ; Indian- il,;.. Q l l e s l i i n i . II v v • Major p..r. i Where the It '. . . ., > .... be no way b\ v •, ,. . . sible to ha\. j ,, -,, - . knows iinili.:'„- i. . • me t h a t i l • ' ; v, on rescrva;.'. n, v .•• . a. have a c u e : : " • • > . out of I lie pr> •« ..'. J« ... .- . avoided. Mr. 1;.\IM.\ . IU-« • '•• i," now as thev ••«" : '. i • • • would they li.ii.- «»••.!•'! '- Major Pu\\ I . I . I . V.. . w». ... • • is no law to secur.- '.!-' ••- --• ' ••> >• Mr. IuViNLV. !>" >•»» i quieting tho restive «.;••.• ' " from a good icserv.n i>-i i •* < not be made arable vu'.l; Major POWELL. Tit- t.- •- ••_ ••' reservations are quite .i» ,- • •' •-• is no land in that section ••' ' " irrigation, ami where it n l •• homes the soil is good and l ties for successful laiintn.'- ' ' • If the Indians were roller!''• '" be assisted and taught to "•• ' We have made pretty cat.-' • £100,000 for' Ihe Pi-Uti-. J " ' shones, Pannacks, &c., at I '••'' it is proposed to collect at the amount 632,030 arc needed to • on the Moapa reservation in >• will benearlv 6100.000. H i *' Indian family should be ('tin.'-' small buildings should be enc:- as these, and 1 think tiny won.- I I . Mis. SG 2 I !. 1 : - 1 1-c f " ' - - , " ^ . - |
