New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-08

country has sooner OF later brought settlers who.
accepting the common doctrine that Indians have
no rights have attempted to encroach upon the
reservations THIS route passes just below the
lands Of the Navajos, Of whom have spoken IN a
previous letter. and station near the Arizona line
is named Manueito for the venerable and wealthy
chlet. short time since there were reports that
oil had been struck" on tho Navajo reservation,
and that country was promptly invaded by a crowd
of excited prospectors OF the trrspass committed
there was no thought. There was more regard
for reservation boundaries than is entertained by
Oklahoma PAYNE Nor has there ever been IN, the
face of rich strikes OF gold silver the exist
ence OF coveted grazing lands within q reservation.
In this instance the troops acted promptly and tho
invaders we're expelled. The expulsion was doubt
less rendered more easy by the discovery that the
oil was CT pOoi quality, very thick. black aud
impure, much inferior to the oil In Southern Cali
fOrnia and limited 10 quantity.
This is but straw, showing the constant danger
n reservation is exposed to when railroad makes
il easy of Had the oil strike proved genuine
a cry would have been raised throughout tho Ter
ritory Tat the reservation must be thrown open
II is dangerous matter TO trlhe with. however
and sound discretion will dictate to the neigh
bors OF the Navaios severely let-slonc policy
For the Nqvaios arc probably the only Indian tribe
which is steadily increasing in number. Among
these 3 600 Indians there are probably 1000 war
rors and II they shUnld he driven to take the war
path all tie Apache outbreaks which the Southwest
has Know would be as nea-Oite Dy the SIDE OF
their uprising
THE zUNI SPRINGS.
Not so with the Zunis. They are by nature men
of peace, and " hatever depredations may be CON-
mitted upon their reservation, they would probably
sooner starve than fight. And starvation mas
seemed imminent within the last year for power
full attempt has been made to secure the springs
from which they irrigate their farm lands.
About u year ago claim was hed to the Nutria
spring, which the Zunls have used for generations
and which was supposed to DO within the reserva-
ton. But it was found that the spring had been
inadvertently left outside the reservation lines
DR.. Thomas the Pueblo Indian Agent in New Mex
leo. says that this occurred through mistake Of
the surveyor. Here came the point of greatest i'm
portauce, however. If the Nutrla spring was de-
cared outside the reservation and assigned TO cattle
men, the decision would affect i'll the same way the
Peso adero and third spring from which the Zunls
derive the water essential for raising the crops upon
which they subsist. Thus they would be deprived
of their means of support. These facts made
known partly through the guish cd young men,
Der OF the Smithsonian Institution, Mr. Cushing
who is stu pursuing his valuable chronological re-
searches among the Zunis An order was issued
from Washington extending the lpe of the reserva-
ton to include these springs
But Il seems that the end is not yet 1t has been
publicly ntimated within short time that the at
tempt to secure the springs of the Gums would be
continued Moreover Mr.. Cushing bias been sub
iected to much vil:hcaton. absurdly unmerited as
any one who knows his life at Zunl must acknOwl-
edge simply because he explained tho facts of the
case believing thit the squatters were acting under
a mistake Neither the Efforts OF Indians to become
gelfsustainiug the labors Of American scientists
In home fields are likely to receIN much encourage
me MT from this experience.