OCR Text |
Show REPORTS OF AGENTS IN COLORADO. Indians to follow the parsuits and adopt the customs of oivilized life. There is s cattle herd upon the reservation belonging to the Iodiaos, hut stiil in the hands of the agent. Every effort has been made to induce the Indians to receive and are for these esttis, hut they persistently refuse to do so. Contrary to my first expectation, I think they will sooner make farmers of themselves than herders. Fourteen different fsmilies hsve commenced in s small wsy at farming. ,Unfoltonatsly for them, snd for theesteemin which the wark sill be held in future, tbegrmshoppers, theextra-ordinary drought, and July frosts, have cut their crops 05 entirely. About twelvsscreswere prepared and planted by Indians. Oats, ram, potatoes, and garden vegetables were planted and s o w ; but the Indians will gel nothing for their labor. I think most of the Indians would wearoitizeoa'dress could they sfford it; but it is moch more expensive than their own costume, snd difficult for them to procure. What little the Government him heretofore sent them amona their annuities daesnot go a ouud among them; it is soon exhausted, h i t it is uauslly worikntil consumed. I have built two very comfortshie houaes for two prominent Indians, solely by em-ploy4 and Indian Inhar. The Iodisns with their families have occupied them about sight montha; one in particuisr keeps his ltouse very clean nod neat. I think many of the Indians desire houses, snd tbst they would live in thed could I supply then,; but, havlog noappro-prilrtion for the purpose, I am unable to build aplg as I can get the time of regular empio~-6s after doingother necessary work. SCROOL. A small boarding-sohopl has bpen kept open dunng eight months of the year nnder the direction of one femaleteacher. Six Indian bogs have been in attendance; the full care of these snd provision for their wants devolving upon the teaoher. The boys bave all learned to rnsd a little and to write from copy; one who was with the teacher last gear has made considerable progress in reading, writing, and simple arithmetic. Undor this department, sed receiving instruotion from the teacher, shonld be numbered eight families, the women of which have taken ears of caws, and have been taught to make butter, bread, rsodles, and sevaral of them to cut and make female garments.. In addition to the fundesuppiied by the Government, friends of the wark bave contributed about 8285 toward oarrying on the educational work. There is no active opposition to the school among the Indians; hut there is a grest indifference to it. .ST O. CK. TheGoveroment has 5 horses and 7 moles ,won the reserve that are used in the wark of tho a~encg. 'Tlw Indiana have 3,uOU hordeo,~u'mulee, :lOllgasts, 3J0 rlteep, aud uloul 1.25d catti.. l'ho catrlo sm xtili ill the hand* uf theageat. The LnrressP is rattle ltn-. brpn almuL 390 durinr the ys.lr. What heef is isstred to tlc ludians is iurna~hed by rattle-herd. Only one herd& is siiowed by the Depanment for the care of the cattle, which is very inadequaie help, and were it not fur the assiotanee given st different times by the Indians the wark ' could not be done. FARM, CROPS, ETC. The sgenoy employ& have cultivated about 14 acres during the season-wheat, oats, and potatoes. For the reasons mentioned above the crops have been nimost a total failure. Wheat was not harvested; oats cut green for hay to ssve them from grasshoppers. Of potstoes I do not thinkwe shall get enough for another year. I have out ?.boot 65 tonsof hsy, goiug over sbout twice as many acres to obtain it as usual. RUILDINQS, ETC. The old apncy bnildioga, in poor condition, are stiil in use. A few repairs hsve been made upon them. A few rods of fencing bavs been built; fmms far neww~rebcusse rected, and root-cellar built over new; dam for irrigating purposes built: two frame houses for Indims built and one repaired. All the above by regular employ6 labor withoutadditional expanse to tbe Government. The small ssw.mill of the agency is at prasent io poor oonditioo. An appropriation far moving the mill to a better location than the one occupied st resent, and for erecti.ting a new building over the mill, has been made, and the workwill be sono, if possible, this fsli; the timberwfor the new buildings are already upon the ground. About 5i,000feet of lumber have been sawed at this mill during the year. PREPARATION FOR IRRIGATION. The irrigsting-dam referred to shove is to save the water of s small creek, which even iu s favorable ear will no% he sufficient to irrigate more than 50 or 40 acres. Before the Indiaur can ge erpeotsd to do much toward supplying their awnwaots from agriculture, s good irrigating-ditch.must he "taken out" from the iirer by an experienced engineer. The Indians cannot do this for themselves, nor can the employ6 force of the agency do it. But if the Government intends to compel the Indians to temain upon this reserve, sod to deprive themof arms and smmuoition, it must rovide such a ditch, and additional sod ex-perienced he!p to instruct the Indims in the metgodsof farming by irrigation, peculiar to this country, or it will render them, very destitute. |