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Show 295 REPORT OF THE C031MISSIOliER OF IXDIAN AFFAIRS. chased for a moderate sum, thst could be saved in time by the redooed priop of trans portation of supplies t,o that place, but I doubt very mnoh if the Indiana oould be kept at the Crwiad.2 ALmosa auy more effectually than when theglived there, or since they have been at Tularoaa; on the contrary, I am thoraagblfoonvinoed of the faot that there is not form enoueh in this militarv district to comnel the111 to remain a.n ietlv " upon any reservation. The great object to be accomplished is to keep them quiet anywhwe, and to control them by any and all means poaaihle, and hundreds of people livinn in Southern New Mexico, who have soffered in their parsons and property by the rai& of theae Iodiros, have abundant reasons to complain of a failore to do this. Between now and next spring the fitness of the Tularose Valley for sn Indian resurvation can be properly and thoroughly tested, and should it prove to be unsuitable, and the objections of the In-dians are found to be real and reasonable, then a change of looaticn can be oolontarily offered by the Government, If, however, it is ancertained that these objections are fauoied or suggested by interested parties, the Indians shoula be made to remain, and is eitber oaae I would suggest and reapectfillly urge the necessity for decisive and striagent meanurea to oompdl them to remain upon their reaervatiou wherever it may be lneoted. By authority of CeoeralHowad, Speoial Indian Commissioner, the ordinary ration at this agemy has been inoreased by the addition of half a pound of flour to eaoh ration, and coffee and sugar in the proportion issued to troops. This will have s tendeucy to Intake the lndiaus contented, and to enable them to di~pensew ith their favorite wild fruits. The agent reporta on the 5th instant that over four hundred Indians arr now at the agency, and estimates that six hundred will be there within ten days from that date. There have not been over four hundred st Tularosa at auy previous time. The number of the Indians df tbis agency has been greatly ooerestimsted heretofore, and although tile agent haa had instructions forover a. year past to oo~mtthemh, e has failed to furnish me the exwt number, but has estimated them br t,he number of rations issued, and I doubt if there have been more than one thousand at the C~ftada Alamoaa at any tima. Contracts are about to be let for a six months' suppiy of beef, ooro, floor, sugar, and coffee. Agent 0. F. Piper has been granted a leave of absence, with permission to np-ply to Washington for an extension, and Mr. John Ayres has been pleoed in ohsrae of the agency during his absence. MESCALER0 APACHE AGENCY. This agency is located st Fort Stantoo, in the sonth.eaatern part of'the Territory. The Indians, .ccording to the report of their agent, number over eightoeu hnudred, bein an increase of about fifteen hundred shoe the date of my last annual report, aud furing the pastyear ihey have been remarkably qoiet and peaceable, in striking contrast to those of the Southern Apaohe Agency st Tulorosa. They have committed bot few, if any, depredations upon theoitieens, aud no complaints have been made to me of my serious diuturbances. A canatant Bource of tronble rst tbis agency ia the illegal and peralstent traffic in whisky with tho Indians, which is carried on in defi-nuee of law by persons who have nothing to gaidby peaon orto lase by-war, and with a total disregard of t,he poasible oonseqnenoes to the respectable %ad laa-abirliug por-tion of the community. Every effort has been ~ a d bay the *put , aided by the civil anthorities, with but partial suocesa; but I trust the late mesvuresinstituted will wrevt this traffiu, the evil effect8 of which oannot be ove~.estimated. Doriug last spring abont three hundred Apaches, belonging to the Tularosa A ency, were living at and near this sgenoy, attracted by theliberal treatment of the gesoa-leras; ond on aoaount of t,heir objeotions to be removed to Tularosa, Agent Cnrtis was instructed, in the latter part of May, todirect them to go to their agency, and to take st,eps to compel them to go; bqt i! was thought best to delay any forcible measures for the time, and I believe t, e msjorltp of them have returned peaceably to their agellcg. Their presence at Fort Stantau n.as disagreeable to the Meaoalercs, and was the cause of some trouble between the bands. Io Angustlostthe~av4oestlttlajom~esevrea~ild supon thestook of the oitieens and Me% cnleros, and succeeded in stealing about forty head of horses and mrles, but, owing to the inedenoa,te force at Fort Stanton, it was found to be im~osnible to Dnrsna the thieves wl'th any prospeat of artcoe~s.' The locatiou of this agency ia verf mncb ex-pused, andl agee with Agent Cultis that there should be a larger force at tthe post to insure the proteotion and oootrol of these Indians. Havingbsen snthorized to remove the Jioarilln Apaches from Cimamon to this mgency, efforts have been made to indocs them to remove peaceably, and there is reason to hope it will be finally eeoomplished. A anitable resemntiw for thew Ind'ian8 will be selected tbis fall our inter in the immediate tevaoinity of Fort Stanton, where every inducement will be offered thsm to plant largely nextspring, and it is Delieved tbst with a continnanoa of the good influ-ences stzrroundiog them at present there need be no serious apprehension of trouble. |