Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-09-18
HOW TIE INDIAN DEPARTMENT
 DOES IT.
The Good Indian Gets Nothing. the Bad Indiaz Gets Everything The Good May starve. but the Bad Grow Fat from the Abundance of Good Things from Uncle sam.

The Apaches are among our most war
 life Indians. They are smart, cun-
 ming and bloodthinsty; they have been
 and are still taught that it is right to
 steal, murder and plunder either whites
 or neighboring tribes of Indians. They
 have murdered more Mexican and Amer
 lcan citizens to the man than any other
 tribe of Indians in the United States.
 For more than two hundred years prior
 to the acquisition of this Territory by the
 United States they were terror to
 Mexican citizens, and hundreds upon
 hundreds of Mexicans were murdered by
 the Apaches, and their graves may vet
 be found in every canyon in this section
 of the Territory and upon almost every
 hill top. Ten years ago they threatened
 to depopulate the Territory. Even the
 Department was forced to recognize the
 hazardous situation of the people, and
 appealed to the army to protect our citi-
 zens and If possible bring the hostiles to
 terms. General Crook, recognized In
 dian fighter of great renown, was sent
 out here, and for the first time the Apa-
 ches were conquered-but not subdued
 The wars that have been waged against the Apaches have cost the country mill ions of dollars, and directly and indi-
 rectly millions more have been expend- ed on them in compliance with treaty
 shpulatiOns. They have been placed
 upon the land of their chOice-a country above all others which should be accept able to Indian life. So much for being sworn enemies of the white man.
 Now we have another tribe of Indians among us-the Papagos. They are the reverse of the Apache in everything. The Apaches are lazy, warlike and thiev- ing, while the Papagos are industrious, peaceable and honest. The Apaches are the sworn enemies of the white man; the PapagOs are his friends and many times have fought for him against the hostile Apaches. The Apache murders white men every time he gets a chance: the PapagO has never been known to Kill a white man. The Apaches have 36OO square miles of reservation. The PapagOs have about a township and a half. Yet they are as numerous as the Apaches. Millions of dollars have been squandered on the bloodthirsty Apaches, but nothing on the peaceable Papagos.
 The little reservation of the Papagos. which Is but few miles above Tucson, accommodates but about one-tenth of the tribe, the remainder eking out a precarlous existence on the arid plains of southwestern Arizona, where there Is no game. but very little water and but little land that will produce anything. owing to the scarcity of water It is a fine grass country, and they raise considerable stock, but during the dry season large numbers of their cattle and horses perish of thirst. During the rainy season, in the months of July and August, they collect water Tn tanks or reservoirs, in the low flat valleys, where they have little fields fenced and cleared on the richest spots, unto which they conduct the water and raise corn, species of pea, melons and vegetables. If the year Is favorable as 1t was this year, they raise considerable quantities of corn; if dry as it was last year, they raise nothing. Having no land of their own upon which they can raise wheat, except a little strip on their near San Xavier Mission, they go down on the Gila river and plant and harvest for the Pimas and MancOpas, taking wheat for pay. In their little fields we have seen them blowing with the crotch of a mesquit tree, and for q hoe using a sharpened stick. They are all members of the Catholic Church, and white man is as safe among the Papago Indians as he would be with the Friends of Pennsyl- yanla- Their women are virtuous; the Papago blood runs pure, consequently they have escaped the loathsome dis eases so common among most Indian tribes of the West Here Is a tribe of Indians the humanitarians could help. and they are worthy and deserving. Even the hard-hearted people of Ari- zona feel kindly towards their old friends, the Papagos, and would gladly see the Indian Department give them aid in some shape. While they are dealing out hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Apaches every year, they should at least give a few hundred dollars to the poor Papagos. They do not ask for four and hams by the hun dred thousand pounds, nor for iron bed steds, chairs or tables, nor do they ask for wagons, sugar, Java coffee, rice or salt. All they want Is a few blows and hoes to till their fields to help them drive the wolf from the door and stop the cries of their starving children. The bountiful rains of this year have been a godsend to them; next year their fields may produce nothing.