The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-12-28
UNEASY urEs.
Statement o: the condItioa of Affairs at Tho
whiia River Agency.
CHEYENNE. WYo., Dec. p. Isl

10 He Edtt0r o. Ihe Leader:
Noticing in a recent issue of The
LEADER a statement of affairs concern
ing Routt county, Colo, as given by
Judge Clements to the Denver Times,
regarding the condition of the Indians
at White River Agency, 1 would res
p~ectfhlly state that to the best of my
knowledge, that Agency has not yet
been supplied with the rations issued
by the Government for 1876. I have
seen the Indians, both on Green and
Snake rivers, trading for flour at ten
cents per pound, while the agent and
his employees at the Agency, forty-fve
miles from Bear River, were comforta-
bly, provisioned for the Winter. In my
travels between the two rivers 1 saw
six OIL eight wagons going to the
White River Agency with supplies
for the Utes. On examination,
and by the report of the Indi-
ans themselves, the wagons contained
nothing but blankets, clothing, etc.
No flour or provisions at all.
The Indians are dissatisfied with the
present condition of things, and the
settlers are trying to assist them in
every way in their power. never was
at the Agency, but from reports of all
kinds it seem that Mrs. Danforth is
the agent. The Indians give every one
4 name who resides in that country,
and Mrs. Danforth r~ejoices in the name
oft "She Agent, "or''SquawAgent,"
while her lord and master comes in Sec
ond best. The inhabitants of Routt
county are dissatisfied with the way he
manipulateS affairs on the reservation.
For some reason he has an aversion
toward Americans, and especially tie
inhabitants of Bear River. He will
neither trade, buy or sell, or have any
dealings with them. They do not
know the reason for his indifference
toward them. They expected an out
break among the Indians two years ago,
and they all collected at the house of
the Hon. II. Hulett, but, after a few
days, the Indians, seeing them prepared
to fight, concluded to so back to the
Agency. Mrs. Danforth confessed,
sometime after, that if the settlers only
knew what she did, every one would
have left the river. The Indians them
selves have little or no confidence in
the agent: "He heap steal; me savie;
he heap hide annuity; no wano; bad
Observation-Disclosures strengthening
their assertions with some very EN-
phatic language.
A movement is on foot in the county
petitioning the authorities for his re-
moval, IS Il detriment to the country.
1t would be a pity, indeed, for the in
habitants of Bear River to be compelled
to leave their homes.
THE outbreak has been looked for by
the settlers for some time, and Mr.. Ute
is liable to receive a warmer reception
than he desires. and from observation,
and what l was told, I believe the In
dian is more sinned against than sim
ming. 1 am not an Indian lover, by
any means, but I like to see fair play,
and SO long as such men as Danforth
occupy the positions they do, just so
long will the Indian be 4 nomad.
Routt county is thinly settled. The
county seat is at Hayden, on Bear river.
Windsor, where Judge Clements has a
store, is 14miles farther down the river,
within ritic.shot of the main Indian
trail for White River Agency. My
circuit was on the main trail from Bear
to Snake river-45 miles, and l saw
about as much during the time l was
there a any one, and what l did not
know was easily supplied. I often
heard the people on both. rivers speak
about the possibility of an outbreak,
and they realized the danger they
were in.
About the LIST of October the Utes
began to leave the Agency for Whisky
Gap. They rested at Windsor for a
few days. I held Divine service in
Judge Clements and one-half Of my
congregation were Ute braves, who
behaved with great decorum. Shortly
after they began to teach me their lam
guage so that 1 could piscerne (speak to
them. They remained on the two
rivers over a month, and set fire to the
sage brush in every direction, often
causing CONSERVATION among the set
tiers. When they left Snake river for
Rawlins the old squaws and papooses
remained behind, and shortly after it
was noticed that some of the squaws
were returning every day, escorted by
some of the young bucks, who were
naughty in their demeanor toward the
whites. Some of the old ones told some
of the old settlers on Snake river that
they were going to shake hands with
the Arapahoes this winter. I saw them
in Rawlins waiting for something to
eat, and their condition was truly pitt
able.
1 should be sorry to hear of anyone
being oblige to leave Bear river. There
are only five families there now, and