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Show REPORT OF UTE COMMISSION. 203 the opening oooocil. The meetiogwas postponed, and Ignatio informed that we would wait a reasonable time for the arrival of those whom he expected and desired to par-tioipste in the firet council. Ooray arrived on the 18th of Angnst, and on the 19th we oal~seda message to he sent to Igostio, Iagalor, and Toopsuohe, the head chiefs of the Weeminuche, Muache, and Capote bands, th,at wwe desired to have the first council with them and their peo-ple on the 20th, at 2 o'clock p. m. At thishour on tbg day indicated, theseohie 2, w ~ t h their followern, to the number of 123,arnong whom were the priocipslmen ofeac tn.h' e, met Mcssrs. Manypenny, Bowman, Ruasel1,and Mears, and Mr. John R. French, the , disbursing olerk, sod Iatergreter.8 Curtis and Borns, th8 latter speaking the Sp%nlsh language, io the grove near the osmp of the commissioners. The Indians were corn-, plimented by the oommiasioners for their promptness in assembling, and the Wash-ington agreement,, aa amended by the act of Congress of June 15, together with the provisions of said act, were read and rendered into Bhe Spanish language by Mr. Burns, and into the Ute lmgoage by Captain Curtis, and the Indian8 requested to oon-sider and actupan the sohject-matter submitted tothem without any unnecessary delay. Appi~rentlyn pon his own motion, and without any consultation with his fellows, Alahandra, s, eubohief of the Weeminnohe band, who was one of the Indian police at the agenoy, aroee a t once and made s, very vigorous speech against the ratifiot~tiono f the agreement. No Indian folbtwed either to approve or diaavow the utteraoces of Alahi~lldra,b ut Ignatio suggested that i t woold be well to allow the Iudiaos a few day8 in which to consider the grave matters submitted to them, and then they would, he thought, be able to come to a, oonclusion. To this end the next aouocil was fixed for the 23d of August. On that day, at 2 oo'lock p.m., the Indians and oolnmiasioners again met in open coonoil. The only result reached after a protracted discussion was the announcement from the Weeruinuche Utes that they mwre not inclined to ratify the agreement. The Muaches n,nd Capotes were silent. The counoil adjoornedover until the 24th. Before t,he hour for meeting on that day Chief Ourag, who we8 ill when he arrived at the agency, expired. His death ooourred about 11 o'clock a.m. Prom the time of the arrival of the chief until his death every effort possible was made to arrest the disease nod save his life, bat all efforts end the skill of pbysicians were of no avail. As rapidly as the sad news resobed the groups oflndian tepees dis-persed along the banks of theRio 10s Pinos these were strock, and the inhahitautsfled as from a pestilence. None of the Indians appeared again in council until the 26th of August, when about sight of the chiefs and headmen met in open oouooil in the grove near ollr camp. Several hours were consumed in discussing the agreement, followed by a? invitation to the Indians present to come forward and execute the instrument ratifying the same. In response, Ignatio and others replied that they thought theUtes had done all that oauld be asked of them; that they had already given up the mountains in whioh the minerals were, itnd wished toretain the remainder of their country. Where-upon the oouncil adjourned without day. On the morning of the 27th of August, the commission met to dispose of some rou-tine businesa preparatory to breaking up camp and removing beyond the line of the reservation, there to await events for a few days, andthe olerk was direoted to notify Captain Pollook dhat the members desired to move early the following morniug. About noon, and scarcely an honr after the oommission had adjourned its business meeting, Ignatio, Iagalar, Toupoache, Bnrkekin Charley, Sararo, and ahout 70 more of the msle adolta of the Southern Utes, rode to ouaosmpin a body and requestadthat another council he at once convened. Immediately the repeat was oomplied with, and the oommisaiooera, joined by the elerk and the interpreter, met the Indimsin open council in the grove. Without oeremony Ignatioannouuoed that there had been sufficient talk, and he desired no mare. that the Ipdians present had now oome to ex-eeutethe instrument of rstifieation,an$ it was the desire and hope of all of them that the oommissioners would be careful to see that the government faithfully fulfilled and carried out its part of the agreement. Seventy of the Weemiouohe, Musohe, sod Ca-pote adult male Indians joined their head chiefa, Ignatio, Iagalar, and Toupauohe, and ell oame forward and as rapidly as their names could be written touched the pen, and then each of them assented to and ratified the agreement. On the morning of the 28th of August additional male adult Utes, chiefly from the Maacheand Capote hands, came to our camp, and hefore noon theae, to the number of 59, affixed their marks to the instrument of ratification. The intention of the oammiesionera to leave the reservation on this day was modi-fied by this unexpected action of the Indians, and in the evening a meetiug was held at whiob it wae determined to request the agent to aid the olerk in taking the cenans of the Sonthern Utes, and that a committeeof three membera he det,ailed to visit the La Plata Valley and the country in the ~icini tyw, ith a. view to the selection of lands on whioh to looate the Sonthern Utes, and that the other members remain at the agenoy to supervise the taking of the censns. Messrs.Bowman, Rosseli, and Meare were detailed to visit the Ls. Plats, and the ohsirman and clerk remained at the |
