OCR Text |
Show REPORTS OF AGENTS IN COLORADO. hunter. As Isaw €he ground growing np to weeds, I myself hoed it outseveral times, and, as theseasonwasunexpentedly dry, I oarried more than a hundred psilsof water, whereby the whole we8 brought into a most thrifty aondition. When theyreturned, , afbr an abssoce of six weeks, the wife visited the gardeu, expressed surprise and admiration and said she was "muoh obliged" to me, for she can speak English. Naturally, k had supposed they had wholly abandoned the garden, and, as I had none, I was expeoting aome of the products, hut they have entered npon possession, and I have no vegetables of any kind. From this, I now easily uuderstsnd why, on several oocasiooa, the Indiaos hevelaughedat theemployBswhilepawiog thecropsmeotioned. Of course, this style of Iodiso farming has, ander my admioiatratioo, come ta an end. Authority has been received for removing this agency to Powell's Vslley, '20 miles below on White River, where about 3,000 acres of level lsod of superisr quality can he had in a solid body. Oue hnudred acre8 will be plowed thia seailon, and feooed in the spring; an irrigating caoal several miles long is to be built, and the agency build-ings will be so centrally located that the fields will be under easy superintendence. It is intended to make farming under suoh conditions profitable to whoever will work, whioh oughtto furnish inducements to some of the Iodiaos at least. Hitherto, they themselves must have seen that opper&tions were on suoh alimit,ed sode that it could not pay them to work, for they would make more in hunting, while it was s. spsoiea of entertainment to see the white employ& aot aa their servants. It is extremely doubtfnl whetber the majority of adult Indians oan ever be induced to labor ; hut it is true that three or four yaoog man have learned to do severd kioda of work, soch as caring for cattla, driving team, ohoppihg; k c . But the prevailing sentiment of Iodisn lLsooiety" is decidedly opposed to all kinds of labor, and it is now over a. year since soy of the young man would accept the offer of $40 a month a.aa.h n~e no~rnrn~on l.ab.ore rs. In one casechief U.>unlasf orbids vouns man fulfillioe a ~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~ " cootract, at gvud wager, w alrira a ream Cram ~ r >K w r to 1)drlrcr h,r r'men.hi;~t, saying, '.While man work; IoJisn !I<* work, bur bunt!' Atlar the Indian3 eball lbdva a chatwe I<, work ar a profir, nnJ in 8offictm1rn unll,era l o fdrm socier~a. nd ofi,ln$ooo f rhrir owe, aod a l ~ oaf ter the ebiet ah:,ll c ~ u 1o0 n ilitl',n:ror rmre of I I I I I ItIh~n,g ~~c~srion will be on the wax t o n aoln~riu~lT. he prubub>lirj-l a rhar a i a r portbon, esl,r:taIly of nomen. will be wtllio-z., aud eve" elad, lo aecavr rba situalidn., aud r-r ow f ~ ~ d ftluterir families. n.. n. .n .. k. .i. n "o ia a-l.a.z-A inr. nnd chief onrsnit. " Bookskin" is sold to the traders in heavv ~ ~~" ~~~~ ~ sg~wgrrt,,nwouotsa,u el ir haulri to therailroad by rbe tu!,,x tou bring worth !1,006. WIICI1I 0 ritihreeource :tro added nout~i lyg 110dh aod weekly ir*uz$ uf btvf, rl,ur,aogar, r.o. t i...~, .*.t t.. ~-c,t ., B~c~.~. I.I id 60Ull tlnar rhe~tIlo daatts XIP nlaced iu a romiol.rable ~ortlioo. ~~ ~ Tl ~ aag ,ury Iwrd n umb t . ~1. 50) bead, c:ared f u r aimoar \rhoil,s by u.htta e ~ p l ~ ~ ,avndd ~ , it lue pmred r d,,eidealls prurirnble lotordar. Tire IuJiarla lmvo fh:llll~l#llIym un re-aln.... led lo h ~ v c nd ivisioh of r l l c> c ~ t r l em uda alnoog the falo8lli~d.b t11 they ~ l ~ a l l i l y refimu. tlowaver,al,o~rr :SO coal are k,:ibr .DJ. them, attd rl~egl~urn t8nilli and make burrr.r md pot-checsv, which roey rnl1~11I, agLIy, bur aheuav-r tlla buoriu: se:ta,o r o t~~ethre . do uot Le-irate to leave thacdtvs iv. r.ll.~rcoo f rh? an~plu\.6rn, .wsoclnim- ~~ ~ ingthem Gn their returu. It is evident that the facility with whioh the Indians get ammunition off the raserva-tion is an obstaole to their eugsgiog in rural pursuits. It is true that in the sale of ammunition the law is violated, hot the agent heri oo power to prevent the sale. The iasue of duck, tioking sod denim ss annuity goods furoishea them with houses easily moved torernoteroouoteins, and the indooawents to live infixed habitations are hereby diminished; in faet, hereditary habits ere more stroogly established. The progress in eduoation ia not marked. Hitherto youog men have been bosrded and alothed sod iostruotsd, aod they learned readily, aod some write their ualnee quite legibly ; bot the means in the hands of the teacher wereitmited, the achool-room was rude and uncomfortable, sod now all of them are off to the bunting grounds. Tne olan now is ta take y.o un-g children, gpve them the care of a mother, and have them oan-itantly in heod. The standardof health among these Indians is low, and the average duration of life must be considerably below that of the whites. The prevailing di~uarei 6 generally supposed to be communicated by soldiers and sailors, but as there are uo half-breed* this disorder must haveoriginated among themselves. These UteIndians arepeacable, respectera of the right of property, and with few ex-oeptions amiable and prepossessing in sppearaooe. There are no qusrrelsoma out-breaks no robberies, and perhaps not half a doeeo who pilfer, aud these are wall knowd The marriage relation is striatly observed, at la&st fur the time it oootiouea, and polyggsmg is practicer1 to but a limited extant. Ou the whole, this agent is im-pressed with the ides thac if the proper rnethodsaan be bit upon they can be made to develop many useful sod mauly qualltias and be elevated t u a atate of sbsoluta inde-pendence. N. C. MEEKER, Indian dyeat, Wh~tsIl iver. The COMM~SSIONEORF INDIAN AFFAIRS. |