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Show I REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 93 merits of the bill, as, in my opinion, the bill doen notcontain a meritorious feature. If it passes, it will simply be the doath knell of a hoppy, progressive, induetrious, law-abiding, and deserving tribe of Indians, who haye a bright fnture before them if left to purane their present inclinations along the pathvay of civilization. The agent further reports that the homes of the Walker River Res-ervation Indians are in a state of good cultivation; that they have good irrigating facilities, which can be enlarged at small cost; t,hat the Indiaus are prosperous and cor~tenteda, nd under no circumstances would they exchange their present holdi~~gfosr a tract of barren, rocky hillside, which would require years of hard labor to put in a ntate of cultivation; that the proposed legislation with reference to the Pyramid Lake Beservation would throw open much valuable laud, which the whites. have been illegally using ,for many years past as a cattle range; that it would give to the whites the use of more than half of the Pyramid Lake (which virtually means giving them the entire lake), a body of water full of fish,.which furnishes the Indiaus a fruitful source of revenue as well as a bountiful supply of food during the winter time; that the Indiana wouldview the taking of this lake from them in the light of a bold robbery, as they were promised when they settled there that it would be reserved for the exclusive use of themselves and their children for all time to come. The proposition to build an irrigation canal for the Pyramid Lake Indians is not only in his opinion impracticable, but it is s serious question whether or not water could be brought upon the diminished Pyramid Lake Reservation to he used by the Indians in irrigating their land. Moreover, if the Walker River Indians are kept upon their own reservation, the Indians now residing on the Pyramid Lake Reservation will have, as he thinks, facilities for irrigating all the lands they ever will or can cultivate. A dam will probably have to be built in the near future, but outside of that it will require little or no expense to keep their present irrigating ditches in good condition. Ili view of the report of Albert E. Smiley, above referred to, who was upon the ground and made careful aud personal investigation of the whole matter, and also of Agent Woottsn, who is among these Indians and knows their status, needs, and wishes, I reported to the Depart-ment April 4, last, that I was unwilling to recommend the passage of House bill 7579, and on the contrary urged that it should not pass. SEMINOLE INDIANS IN FLORIDA. By a clause in the Indian appropriation act of August 15,1894 (28 StaLL., 286), the sum of $6,000 was appropriated for support, civiliza. tion, and instruction of the Seminoles in Florida, "one-half of ml~ich sum shall be expended by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in pro-curing permanent homes for said Indians." Under this clause there were purchased from the Florida Southern Railroad Company, in June, 1895,1,280 acres of land, at $1 per actre, being sections 24 and 26 in townah@ 48 south, of range 32 east. |