Arizona weekly miner., 1874-03-06
Prom Wednesdays Daiy.l FRIGHTFUL CONDITION OF THE APACHES IN AEIzONA-PROPO- SAILS FOR THEIR REMOVAL.

SdLS TUX IUEIH LflthOD1Le
 Washington, February 2o.--Dr l. A. Touner. special conmissioaer of the Indian Dcpaftment. has written letter from Prescott to Comm, s. sioner Smith, giving doubtful account Of tl. cOndftion Of the Apacbes on Inc Verde ruserya. tlOn. Arizona. From bis account h seems tbit the military onicvrs arc making good Indiana very f,st and tha Ibe Apache arc cling tO the ha ,- py hunting prOunds as fast as disease and bullcis can send tbsn. Ne reports tlat la Jaly last thpfe were loOo Indians on the reservation. Now thcrr are oDly SS0 left. All tue others have died of nr, 10 tue inOuutains, preicrring death there by war. itre to death by disease ou tbc reservation. Tue Apache. iumas have been reduced from GI3 10 St!, and the Apache Moares from JoS to 30g and the Toutos from 96o to 222. TbeFo has been no complaint on account of food treatment from those who have ,en the reservatloa, and there has been no depredations or murders committed ty them since they have gone. The troops folio V them In the mountains and have Killed tuany 0. them, Two scouting parties are now in the field None Of tue descfters, however, havo returned and will not 20 to that reservation, which is vefy sickly. Dr ToHnor recommends the removal oi the Apache-i umas md Apache-Mojavt= Go the Colorado River reservation, where tue climate |. healthy, where there Is abundance of good land, and where tbe cost ot supplies Is mueh les. than at any other reservation tn the Territory He recommends the removing of the Tontos to the White Mountains, where there is an abun. dance Of unoccupicd lands. General Crook ob. jccts 10 these recommendations, lest the Apache. and MOjaves might think they had gained point inasmnch as they returned to the Colorado River reservation In defiance of orders Dr Toencr thirks they have been suf1cbeutiy punished, ,bnt he says he will insure their sOod behavior. Ls-a Crook also objects to the removal of the ToB,os tO the White Mountains, on the ground that they are not friendly with the White Moumain ird- ans. Dr IOnner says he is assured Ihat there would be no trouble, and demands a Sslnge for humanity's sake. Gen Crook recommeids tha, the Indians be set at work making dith for ir- rgating Dr Tonucr says that If they 10 not re- moved next summer will cause the dtath ot a the rest, and there will be need of | ditch or ar appropriation to construct it. On tt; Cobra do river the Indians can be taken care pf at very little cost, and be made sei-sustaining ,ery soon
 The MINER dislikes to quarrel win an old friend. Dr Tonner is an old fIicm of ours, but friendship to the dogs when . title less than tOa of false statements crop,ut os the above lying letter, the reading of which has changed our old opinion of Dr Tonier, upon whom we now look as a second ,dition of that chief of llars--Vincent Colyer
 As proof that he has not told truths, we advance the following:
 The military first forced the lndi,ns spoken of to come on yerde,-a reservation estab- lished by Vincent Colyer. The Isdian De- partment sand they were ready |, feed and otherwise take care of said Indian, but they have not done sO save in the matter of furn- isbing meat and flour. At the tine of com. ing in, nearly all the Indians were poor in person and almost naked the nights grew cool, and, the Indian Department not issuing any clothing, the poor Indians suffered until fever and ague took of many of them. Their agent, Dr Williams, did every ytling in bis power to relieve their sufferings. So did Gen Crook. So did nOt Dr Tonner, who now comes forward with scheme for the removal Of these Indians to place of safety where himself and set might rob them.
 He predicted that Indians who had desert ed the reservation would never return alive but over 600 of them have como back and lately, when informed of Tonner's kisj in- tentions towards them, swore that they would sooner die by inches at Verde--in their own country--under the eyes of Gen Crook and Indian Agent Williams, than sub. nit to be taken to strange country and robbed.
 They are now the healthiest, best fed and happiest Indians anywhere to be found, and, to prove it, every warrior on the reservation has volunteered to go out and fight Indians who have been petted, robbed and ruined by such agents as Dr Tonner, man who, while having the ''cheek" to say that he will be re- sponsible for the acts of Indians, would not, has not, dare not, travel through bad h. dian country without military escort, and who cannot keep his own handful of Indians at home, as they have frequently left his reservation and committed murder and rob bery. Then, it has been a sort of asylum for Indian robbers of this section, and would always continue such, even with Dr ToBner in charge. It sickens us 10 hear such men talk about controlling Indians the very men, too, who cannot control themselves. And the Indian Department, what can it do without the Army to back it2 Nothing. save sqvander funds entrusted to its keeping. To prove this, Verde has been a reservation, with large population, for over year, yet there are no Indian farms there, no ;rrigating ditches, no houses for Indians or any ybody else; no nothing, save what Gen Crook and Indian Agent Williams have strained points 10 accomplish.
 No, Gen Crook has kept the roads clear of Indians; has ruled all Indians entrusted to his care well and kinky has forgotten moro about Indians than you ever learned, and is just the nan the taxpayers Of Arizona and the Pacific coast want for the place.
 MILITARY NEVIS -DEPAR7AENT OF
 ARIZONA.