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Show REPORTS OF AGENTS IN UTAH. ...= ~ -, SIR: I have the honor to submit the following as my sixth annual report of affairs per taining to the agency under my charge, from the date of my last, August 31,1876 : I t is gnltifybg to me to he able to state, as I doubt not it will be to the Department to learn, that the year covered by this report has been, all things considered, the most plel~smt and prosperous one since my connection with this agency. Though the statistics may not show as gratifying results in the farming o erstions and in some otber respects as last year's did. yet the disere~ancym ust be attributefmaio1.y to causes over which neither myself nor thiindians nnder'my Ehar e had control. The unfortuna!~a ffair rekrred to in my last of the accidental shooting of Charles Bentley, my blacksmith, by sn Indian on the 8th of September, not only created canaiderable alarm for his safety, but also involved considerable extra expense and deprived the agency of his services for nearly three months, at the season when his services were most vslusble to it. ISSUE OF ANNUITY-GOODS. Imrnsdiately nfter my atrival at the agency, I commenced making arrangements for tha general issue of anuuity-goods. Though all the Indiana were not present, the greeter num-ber were, and were anxious to rsoeive their supplies. The issue was made on the 2d of December. I had no regular interpreter, but by the assistance of one of my emplogBs who could talk and understand Indian, and some of the Indians who could speak and understand English pretty well, evetythiog was fully explained and the issue passed off quite satisfa-torily to myself and the Indians. There were by our, count 350 Indians present, and I never witnessed so much general good humor and satisfaction at any former issue. We issued not merely to the heads of families, but to every member of the tribe present, ltud tried to observe the directions of the Department as far as possible by giving to each accord-ing to their deserts as indicated by their industrial habits. But it is, as every Indim agent knows s very diffioult matter to observe the instructions in this matter fully. The best we can doiat l e s t in our situation, is to approximate as noar1.y as we can a eomplianec with the spirit of them. |
