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Show Fsther in times past. The neglect, if ahy, must be owing to their being so far removed from any sgeney. I snpplied them, however, with a few articles of food for their immediate wants out of my own pocket, and would recommorcd that such provision be made for tltem in future thst they too ma receives shareof the annuity goods with theirneiglabors, the Sha~hooes. These ann no cis %s~iilnodoubtedrleyt urn to this agency once or twice during the rear. , The supply of presents for the Indians of this sgency reached me in due time, wso smpie in qnantity, nndgeveuniversalsatisfaotion. Shortly before tho distribution1 had the pleasure of meeting, inoompany withSuperiotend-snt Hesd, \Yaphskee and his chiefs in council, on whirh oeension the superintendent made 1 them s speech, and the best of good feeling prevailed. Wnsbekee has lately received, nndrr the pledge of friendship from the President, a fine large silver medal, bearing the image aud superscription of the Great Father. There were prerent at the distribution about one hundred and fifty Utes from the Uintah I agency, who came for the purpose of trading with their nei hbors, the Shoshones. Some of my Indians were dilatory in coming in this season, but I %id not distribute the goode until all, or nearly all, hnd arrived. The cause of this delay is the scarcity ofp.me and the can- ) se uent diffioulty in maintaining an independent sustenance at this past, for they have but lit& money to buy food with. I would here observe that the lourtion of this agency is a bed one, and far this reason: the Indians are obliged to come e Ion way from tbeir l~uutir>g grounds to receive their resents, and by. the time they raaeh me t%eir stock of pravisious is / well-nigh enhsosted, antfor them to maintnm themselves in this vicinity without an sbund- , suee of game is an impossibility, md discourages some from coming at all. I would there- ! fore recommend thst a portion of their annuities be given them in money, to enable them to defray the expmses cf subsistence during their visit at this agency. In this eauoeaion I would again recommend the plan of lacatin this tribe upon s perma- I nent reservation and establishing thereon an agency, sad make sue% other arrangements as I i have heretofore suggested for improving their condition. The valley of the Wind River mountains is the territmy which the tribe have selected for their home, and this is the plsee where suoh a reservation shunld be set apart and an agency aotablished. The county abounds in game, has s v e y mild climate, and possesses agricultural advan-tages which msko it s great desideratum to the white man. Numerous oil springs have been discovered and located in the valley of tbe Pawpawgee, but this tribe are stmngiy o p posed to my invssion of their territory by the whites. I greatly fear thst these mineral and agricultural resources of the count^ will turn out to be n bone of contention between the whites so4 the reds, and would therefore urge that the tribe have a reservatiun staked out which mas be held seared to them, and not be encroached upon by the whites:, Several of our eltlzros are looking toward the Wind Rirer county nith s riew to its development, and I gire you a few extracts from a letter written by one r h o passed the win-ter and a part of theepriog in the rdley. He silrs: "The air is pnre, the water of the best, the climate mild and rerular. The soil is not sEcond in fertilitv to that of Illinois or lows. fatmin land eoou-h tto~upporta popolatian of two hundred tb-ousand parsons, the climate well afapted to them rowth of small grain and fruit, especially npples and vegetables. There is plenty of timber k r building and fencing purposes. The seenary is most boantiful and ioturoaque. There are two oil springs in the rslley, one of wid& pours forth one hundred ge.tre18 per day. There arc good indications of stone-oasl and imu, with numerous quanies of limestone suitsble for building purposes. The foot-hills and valleys are covered, winter and summer, with a lururisut growth of nutritious grass, making the finest grazing region west of the Missouri. The mountains give indiestions of mineral deposits. But little snow fell, and what did fall soon disappeared. Stock can be wintered without my feeding. Buf-felo, and other game, abounds," &e., &c. Bs long ss our Indian tribes are permitted an sxiatenoe in the lsnd. I contend that they should haye s territory assigned them where they can rooure a living, instead of baing driven sway to the poorest tracts of oountry, where a wEite mo, nith all of his superior knowledge, would fail to make a living. . Washakee and hi tribe deseme a permanent and exelwive resomstion in the valley of the Wind river, and I pray you to let them have it at once. The subject demsnds serious attention, and I hope it will meire s proper eousidera-tpieonns. e The Indian must be mclirimed from his wild s;%ys. or he ,rill eontione LO be an ex- to the country so long as he live. -; and no plan of rendering him s self-supporting and aw-&biding citizen is 80 effectual as that one which ciriliza, educates, sod ellristianizes him, and this work cannot bedone ssye on a reservation. The Shoshones have not been engaged in any warfare, offensire or defensive, during the past year with neighboring tribes, have been at p e w smong theruseh-er, and, I am proud to say, contiuue faithful to tbeir treaty stipulstione. I am, very respectlully, your obedient servank LLTHER MANN JR., UmilLd States Indian Agent. Hoo. F. H. HEAD, Superintendent Indian Affair*, Salt Lck Cilg, L: T. |
