The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-11-15
HUNGRY uTEs.
Douglas and -Four. Hundred Of His Band
Leave Their Agency in Search
of Food.
RAwLINs, W. T.,
Nov. 18th. 1877.

" 1850
To The Editor Of The Lender:
Please allow in your columns space
for a few facts in regard to Jul Ute
neighbors. Douglas and some four
hundred of his band have come to
Rawlins in search Of something in the
shape of food. When they were within
so miles of Rawlins they sent a messen-
ger in for Uriah NJ. Curtis, their for
mer interpreter, to come out ard see
them. 1 accompanied Mr.. Curtis to
the village. They said they were
obliged to leave their Reservation or
~starve, as there were no provisions at
their Agency, nor game in The vicinity
to subsist upon, and that they had
learned that Il portion of their pro-
visions was in Rawlins. They there
fore wanted to make arrangements
with the Indian Department to get
them here at Rawlins, as the snow was
too deep to get them taken TO their
Agency this winter. We stayed over
night with Douglas, the head chief, and
l am prepared to report on the condi-
ton of the camp.
They save us Of their Highland cheer;
The hardened flesh of mountain deer
And it was hard enough, for they
had nothing in the way of eatables but
dried meat, boiled in water, and not
much of that. They said that they
had not received any flour from the
Government for over six months. If
anything is heart-rending, it is to see
those poor suffering human children
begging for bread, and their mothers
have none to give them to hush the
great voice of hunger.
The Ute Indians, as we all know,
have always been peaceablc and friend
ly disposed toward the whites, and
why is it that they should not get their
rights and what is allowed them by our
Government? There are goods stored
here in the u. +. warehouse that these
Indians should have had a year ago,
and have not got them yet. Now l
would like to know who is to blame for
this. Is it the Commissioner of Indian
Affairs, or is it MI. Danforth, agent at
the White River Agency? We know
that these Indians would not leave their
Agency unless they were badly treated.
The Indian question around here now
has n most portentous aspect. Raw
Inns to-day presents n very gloomy ap-
pearance indeed. Starving Indians
are running all over the town, and
great fears are entertained that an out
break is very imminent. L nm sure
that they would have taken the war
path before this, had it not been for
Mr.. Curtis, the interpreter, who has
been advising them to be peaceable and
friendly towards the whites, and so far
they have taken his advice. To-day
Douglas and two under chiefs tele-
graphed to Washington to the Commits.
sioner of Indian Affairs to see if they
could draw their flour that is here.
Should an answer come that they can't
get their flour, there is no telling where
it will end. There are 200 warriors
camped at the Cherokee Springs, three
miles from Rawlins. They can easily
capture the town and take what they
want. There are also % lodges which
have gone on in the direction of Wits.
key Gap, for what purpose no one
knows. Governor Thayer, or Delegate
| COrlett should see to this mt once. and
prevent trouble. Yours in haste,
BoNEY EARNEST.