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Show REPORTS OF AQENCIES m UTAH. 351 REPORT CONCERNING INDIANS IN UTAH. REPORT OF AGENT FOR UINTAH AND OURAY AGEXCY. UINTAHA ND OCMYA G ~ C I , Wh* Rocks, [?oh, dug& el, 1899. AIR: In compliance with your instructions, I have the honor to submit my first annul report as agent of the Uintah and Ouray Agency Utah. I m e d charge of this,agenc October 1, 1898, r&eving Capt. (now Major) George A. Cornish, of the ~ r t e e n tUl nited States Infantry. In,the way of farming I found these Indians all anxious to get somethi% for noth-ing; I. e., they all want farms sssigned to them, then they want the wh~tem en to farm for them, the to receive a share of the crops and do nothing. I have stopped that, and do not aiiow the Indians to have any share of the crop unlesa they work. Whte men me farming about 400 acres on the reservation, hut it is all new ground, and it required considerable work to clear the same of webrush and to level it. The Indians do not get an share of this crop. In addition to the extra work on the land, the white men wig 've the agent enon h ain to seed the land next year. This grain will then be loanzto the Indians wit% g e understanding that they are to return like quantity each fall and borrow it ain the next s ring These few white men farming among the Indians is agood 3ject lesson, anishows themwhat can be done on their reservation. I believe the Indians under my charge are improving in their desires to be self-supporting. A number of them have la e alfalfa fields, and in every case I make them hire other Indiaqs to help put therg%ay in the stack. I think the amount of grain raised by the Indians on the resemt~onw ill be more than double what it was last year. The hay will be about the same. Thm Indians are veryanxious to hare their reservation impmved by having more irrigation ditches, housetl, fences, etc., and in order to do t k t.hey want me to ask your Department to releaee $100,000 of their money now on interest, rtnd to spend it on the reserration for the purpoee above stated. I think this moneywould do them much moregood, if spent this way, provided that none hut Indian labor be employed, and Irecommend that their request be granted. I would recommend that small farms, or some way of making a living, he provided for every graduate of the Eastern Indian schook that returns to the reservation. Nothing is more pitiful to see than a bri ht, educated young Indian come to a reser-vation without money or any way of mhng a living. In many wes they become the worst Indians, when they might be saved if some of their own money was properly used for them. When I first took charge as a nt, the Indians seemed to be able to obtain all the alcohol and whisky they conld E d money to purchsse. I immediately endeavored to secure evidence against the people who sold it to them, and, with the aasistanceaf the officers, have succeeded in sending two to the penitentiar , and have warrants out for three more, and have evidence on which I think a numKer of others could he canvicted; hut they have all left the count and I do not believe there is anyone now eelling liquor to any of the Indians unzr my cha e The notoriaua "Strip," where most of the liquor was sold to the Indians, hasxen completely broken up, and the building8 are all deserted and fast going to ruin. I wish to reiterate a11 that my predecessor, Major Cornish, said about these Indians being entitled to receive pay for their Colorado land now in the forest reserve in that State. As the Government never expects to sell this land, the Indians should have pay for it, and they should be permitted to employ an attorney to present their case to Congress. If the consent of the Indians is necessary to he obtained in order to open the Uintah Reservation, it will be uselass for Congress to pass any mare laws or spend any more money for that purpose. for I do not believe there is an Indian on the resews, tion who is willing or favors selling any part of their land. They look with favor on leasing when they can be assund that it will not bring too many white men among them and that they will not be cheated. I think the Uncompahgre Indians have been treated very badly. They have always been p d In hans; their chief, Charley Shavanaux, is exceptionally so; his advice is always good. They fee! very badly that Washington will neither pay them for their Colorado land nor permlt them to hire a lawyer to present their case to Con-gress. Their reservation in Utah wae taken from them seventeen months ago and thrown open for settlement. In doing this the Indians were injured and the whites |
