The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1879-10-08
A KING
ouray, tine Head Chief of. the Utes,
Steps Down and Out.

tue WHITES ana tne UteS arc concerned,
and so far as the welfare of the Utes
themselves is involved, 1t may be, the
announcement of the fact that Ouray
has lost control OF the Indians Of his
tribe Is perhaps the most important de-
velopment which this mornings extra
edition OF the Tribune will give to the
public. For the past dozen years Ouray
has remained dt the head Of the Ute
nation-an important fact when We
take into consideration that the office
of head chief Is al elective office.
There have perhaps been times
when he WA held in i'll favor by his
subordinate Indians. In fact oppose
tion to him from the beginning was
natural, as in the election In which he
was chosen chief there were two par
ties. The party which opposed him be-
fore his election has never been espe-
cially pleased with his ADMINISTERS
tion.
The great question which engaged
the public mind In the Ute band during
this campaign IA hat of friendliness
or hostility to the whites. Ouray was
u peace policy man, while his oppon ent
for the proud distinction of the head
craftsmanship of the confederation WAS
inclined to assert the proud freedom
and Independence Of the noble red man
Ibis right to kill game wherever he
might find 1t; his right to burn forests,
to steal ponies, frighten women and
children, and murder whenever In a
particularly bad humor. 1t was clearly
to the interest Of the whites to have
Ouray elected, hence the report that
blankets were distributed far more
freely by the government before the
election than at ordinary times, and
that those Of the Indians who received
their blankets cast their ballots for
Ouray and against his opponents cleo
tion. However, this was before the
day Of investigating committees, and
we have no $50 page report to refer
to.
Ouray has, however, met with con-
slant resistance to his policy among
the Utes in various sections, and none
more than from his own immediate
tribe on the Uncompahgre. Next to
him, as has heretofore been fully stated
in these columns, stands Sapa-vanaro,
who is a war-like Ute. Early during
the present troubles this chief left the
agency on the Uncompahgre, carrying
with him from directly under Ouray's
nose II hundred of his best young war
riors. ~Sapa-vanaro has often given
trouble to Ouray in q sly way.
.Ignacio, the chief Of the southern
Utes, is a war brave and his band are
blood-thirsty aud mean. In fact it
must be said in Justice to all concerned
that the White River Utes have been
the most peacefully inclined of all the
Utes, with the few exceptions of Colo
rows, Piah's, Font's,and Washington's
followers.
Ouray's people have generally re-
manned quiet during all wars and ru-
mors Of wars. The one great source of
trouble between the Utes and the
white settlers has been the little strip
Of country along the Uncompahgre
river, known as Uncompahgre Park,
and this strip figures in the present
strife, mt least In the treatment which
Ouray received ut the hands of his fol-
lowers. This land, only four miles
long, was at first included as u part of
the land coded by the Brunot treaty in
1871, but it being discovered that it
contained u medicinal spring, to which
the Indians attached great value, Pres
ident Grant issued AN executive lorder
restoring that strip to the Indians. In
the meantime, however, settlers had
gone in and there some of them ha,e
remained since.
The commission above spoken Of en-
tered into negotiations with the Utes
for this section Of country, and made
them an offer Of $4,000 for it. The
Utes said that they desired to treat
with the Great Father at Washington
himself on the subject, and delegation
OF them went to the national capital
and agreed to recommend that the
offer of the commissioners be accepted
by the Utes. Now, 1t seems that this
money WAS never paid over. This fact
the Utes do not understand, or will not
understand. They prefer to believe
that Ouray has received the money
and appropriated 1t to his own purpos-
es. This is one cause of the present
dissatisfaction with Ouray.
1t is claimed that there Is another
Ouray's killing of u White River Ute
at his agency last summer. This young
buck, who it is now claimed, was u
great medicine man and warrior, went
to Ouray's place and engaged In u quar-
rel with Ouray. This the king of the
Utes would not brook, and. withou ut
submitting the insult TO the formula
Of u trial of the Ute for his insolence
shot him dead in his tracks.
The Utes at Ouray's agency have al.
SO become dissatisfied because Of the
recent change of agents.
How Ouray will accept his dethrone.
ment remains To he seen. But 1t IL
not believed that he will object serious
ly to surrendering his responsibility, as
lie has learned SO much about the
whites and their mode Ut living, that
1t Is believed that he would prefer to
adopt the customs OF his more civilized
neighburs, and that he would long since