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Show authority is too laxto enforce attendance. Thereis a pood, though smsll, school-housssuitnbly furnished aud supplied with books, &o., pureh~sedw ith Gavernn~entf unds, and a. teacher well qoalified who speaks tbeir Imgnrge.. Still the school cannot be csiled a success, nor isitlikely tube, until thereis a home provided in connectior~w ith the ~chool,nndth echildren separated in *great measure from rhe villagc,aod subjected to a. different training. Miesionsry work, I am sorry to say, has uot been attended to. No minister or missioosry has been supplied. Perhaps thore is s su5eicnt reason; I can only say that attention has beon time md again oalled to the subject. Civilizing influ ee has always produced a marked offect, not only in the appearance and deporttnont of thexhoshonss, bnt in restraining their migratory habits, ehungiug their senti-ments in repsrd to labor, desire to raise domestic stock, and live in houses. They h ~ v bee en supplied during the last year constantly with fresh beef, bacon, andflonr, and the greater part of the time rvith coffee and sugar, also soap and sslerntus. A fair supply of suitable annuities were furnished snd used with more eoonomy than ever before. Ism, very respectfully, your obedient servant, .-T -A- M--R R. I -R --U 'TN. United States bdian&nt. Hon. EDW. P. SMITH, Contmissioncr of Indian Affsirs, IVasIrinzton, D. C. DENVER, COL., Septonber 1, 1874. SIR 1 For t l ~ ein formation of the O5oe of Indian Affairs, I have the honor to present the followin ~epa rotf the condition of affairs at this agency during the year ending August 31, 1874, an$'; respeetfuily ask your sttentian Lo the suggestions made herein zegsrding certain important chauges t h t should be made in the conduct of this branch of tbe Indian service. The first departure from the present method of treatment of the Ute Indians who come to this place, to mhioh I wish to call your notice, is to sdriiss some immediate provision far their sustenance and comfort whiie here during the winter months. Numerous small bands visit Denver in nearly every week, from October to April, from the north, south, sast,snd west ; either on their wsy from the agencies, at White River and Los Pinos, to the buffalo-grounds, or oicenersa; or they came for the special purpose of disposing of the furs and skius they have taken in the chase, and to supply themselves with the means of continuing their hunt. Even were they ever so ~~r.ealbll e to pay for hotelaoeammadations, they nrenot s. desirable das8 of customers to the proprietors of any of our public-houses; and as they do not come to make prolunged visits, it is not their elletom to brin aith tbem their canvas-houses snd their faithful housewives. Thc coosequence is that tfe; are, in s great degree, dependent upon the charity of a few white persons for food and shelter, aud I am repeatedly asked by these good-natured nnd hospitable citizens why it is that the Go~arnmsndt oes not take care of its wards. I can only reply that they are off of the reservation, and me, there-fore, not entitled to the benefits promised their tribes by the powen that be. My answer to this ntHtemeut inGwiably is, "then why don't the powers that be keep them on the reserva-tion 1" And just here is where the inconsistency of the Bureau is made apparent aa regards its treatment of theseIndians. I believe I am correct in stating that they are allawed to hunt an the buffs.10-range ar elsewhere on the publicdomain, 80 long sa theykeep the posee. They could not stay at either af the egenoies during an ordinary Colorado wiuter witheither comfort or rsfety to themselves or their stock, if they wanted to. They will not stay, unless forced. on the resemstion, where the.~as reno buffalo, when they can find this gsme, as they ' do now, wi thb~s few days' journey east of Denver. This city is nearly in the direct line of their march from both agencies to the hunting-ground: and these h u n t i n . q ~ ~ t i ense ver would miss it, going or coming, even if they had to travel many miles out of t elr way, for the reasons alredy dluded to, that they find here the best market in the'perritory for what they have to sell, nod the most complete assortment of goods from which to select !he articles they need. As their ramps are seldomnearer than twenty miles to Denver, it is something of a task for them to ride beck and forth and do their "shopping" in a day; and innsmueh as these visits are sanctioned, aod an agency maintained here by the Department, I would recommend that the sgent he authoriaed to provide eomfortabla quarters for such parties, at a ressonabie rent, and allowed to issneau5. eient rations to preclude the necessity of their begging from the community. Iwould also earnestly recommend the employment of 8. competent physician at this agmy, st least during the period intervening betwean October 1 and August I, during rbieh the Utes are in this vieinityio large numbers. I take it to be the intention sod the desire of the Department to make every effort to civilize this people: and I fail to understand how this object can be eccomplished or approached in this world by silowing them to die of disease. Such a consummation, I have no donbt, is devoutly wished by many of our pioneer citi-zens, who csn see no good in any but a dead Indian; but I cannot believe thst this senti-ment ia indorsed by the 05cera of the Depertment ; because it is neither in aeoord with the diotates of humanity, consistent with common sense, or .becoming the dignity of great Government, pledged to tho care and advancement of a harmless and helpless people. |