Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-09-18

The order establishing tine San Carlos Indian Reservation was issued about eight years ago, and its boundaries are still unmeasured and unmarked at any point. This office has by letters and an- nual reports, repeatedly shown the ne- cessity for plainly marking its bOunda- ries by permanent mic posts, and also the danger of postponement of the work It has shown how each year multiplies the difficulties in fhe way of an easy and satisfactory performance of the work, because of settlement and mineral de- velopment on every side, how its present undefined condition keeps wide open the doors for unfaithful officers and TnscrlI- puious men to foment trouGle Nith ahu' in effect. punish industrious and we'll disposed people who are trying to make homes and fortunes in legitimate ways, and how trihing if not actually dishonest officials failed to cooperate with the Secretary of the Interior ID hls efforts t0 have said boundaries well dehned l have heretofore expressed the belief, and now reneat it, that there are now and have been luen of power and influence who do not want them properly marked, for the reason that If done certain op- portunities for questionable gains would be destroyed.
 '- tuel + a large want in Arizona. There is much timber in the mountains but It k difficult of access, and hence fuel from if is expensiye, and the scrub trees of the valleys and table lands will soon be all cut off. The Government IS rightfully endeavoring to protect the
 ~1,nl,ar and ffIG growth of more, and in no way can these objects be so efTectually attained as by local and cheap supplies of coal. Dis coveries of coal have recently been made; railway men and other capitalists have investigated them, are satlned wlth their extent and quality. and want 10 make them generally available. One or the most extensive of these dlscoyerles is near to and perhaps partly on the southwestern portion of the San Carlos Reserve. but for the want Of any author itative boundary measurements or marks. controversies have arisen, clalm- ants are merely holding on m state oi fear. doubt and expense, and capitalists decline to systematically open the de- posits or construct means Of transporta ton.
 In the meantime the country IS being stripped of its timDer Of all grades, the Indian mind misled, and generally evil results are multiplying without any good to any good and true man, be he an or ficer, citizen or Indian. In a letter to the Honorable Secretary of the Interior some months since, l suggested that the Commissioners of the Indian Office and General Land Office be constituted a commission to personally visit the San Carlos reservation, examine the conflict inr and adjoining interests, and recom- mend proper action in the premises. l am now convinced that the suggestion ought to be acted upon, and the sooner the better. The interests involved are very large. These high officials would certainly examine the whole case m the right spirit and entirely free of local ln- l tluences of an unjust character and re- commend accordingly. The Secretary could then act both safely and lntelll- | gently. It is feared by many that spe' cial agents would fail to accomplish any thing of value, but every miner, coal claimant and settler with whom have ! exchanged views on the subject, and 1 they are hundreds. believe the said com missioners would act right, and that | their recommendations would meet wltl almost if not entirely unanimous ap proval.
 It may be said, and a few doubtles. | will say, that | am rather freely airing
 matter which does not directly belong
 to my public duties. To all such l re
 ply: In the eight years existence O that unmeasured, unmarked and par
 tially unknown San Carlos reservation
 I have been called upon for information or action, in one or another form. by th,
 Secretary of the InteT!eT, by the Com missioner of IgGuan Affairs, Commls lz=ii,c,;fFi. oi the General Land Office, U. : Indian Inspectors, San Carlos lndlaI 1 Agents. Military officers and citizens b.
 the hundred.
 Decided and early action should b, taken in the premises. Pubhe survey cannot be closed upon reservation whose boundaries are not marked, an' honest men have no certain means O knowing what Is public and what Is re
 served land along its three hundre'
 miles of exterior, which ought to be 8 plainly marked that none but blind peo
 ple could plead ignorance thereof
 Military reservations need the atten
 ton of Congress. Their areas are gen
 orally many times larger than needed
 for military purposes. The Public Lan'
 Commissioner of 1880, reported thirteel
 military reservations in Arizona, cover
 ing l97.052 acres of land, amounting t
 about nine townships, whereas the sam
 authority gives California mneteel
 military reserves covering ?, AGO acres
 nine times less. Fort Buford (partly II
 Montana) alone embraces 576.W0 acres