Arizona weekly citizen., 1884-09-13
THE APACHES.
Full Text Of the Report Of tn. ,Io, n
 Wilcox. Indian Agent.

hr. SoLnnlssioner Of Indian
 Affairs, Washington, D. c.
 Sr:-l have the honor to submit tc your consideration my second annnni report. For the fr-t tune in tb,. his. toly or this agency, a year O. uuinter. I9Ptea peace, free from exciting rumors oI 'hre stchel outbreak, has been Ie@ilzed Reservation Indians. who Inn, a h1tie more than year ago, were fine cause or serious alarm to the neools o, arizona, and of anxious solieitnd. to lhe government, are HOW walking m ,ba Pitns or peace with a steady step. and advancing rapidly to a condition of comparative civilization. To discuss InIy the causes that have led to tbis ehanged condition of affairs would require more space than can reason aoiy clalm 1T 1t IS true, es asserted Inv many, that the cause of Indian ont breaks may always be traced to bad ialth and injustice. contentmept and friendly relations with citizens sbould De accepted as evidence that these in- centlVes to hostility do not exist.
 INDIAN PROGRESS.
 Since the date Of my last report. suostantlaI progress has been made. Tn Decemoer of last year 596 COWS and 23 pulls were purchased from the hest herd Of hlgh-grade cattle in Arlzona- The present excellent condition of these cattle ls sufficient evidence of careful attention on ihe part of the Indians to whom they were issued. and he great natural Increase since the purchase WAS made, fully establishes the fruitfuIness or the cows. A careful investigation of several CT the more convenient herds amounting n the aggregate to 600 COWS. including about 5U0 of the purchase referred tU, dlscloses the fact that 70 per cent Of the number have calves by thelr sides, and many others give evidence oi an increase at an early day.
 EaTly ln January active opera u"ns were commenced Tn farming, and commendable zeal was displayed by many Of the Indians in the prosecution or the work. Under the direction of the Agency Farmer new ditches were taken out, dams constructed and repaired, fields cleared ani llowed and grain sowed. ihe quantity of land prepared Tor cultivation was largely in excess of any previous year, and .he Indians were stimulated with high hopes of success. - n q NhA AseAA cAuA unuEudllN UeANA rains caused disastrous floods in the Glla and San Carlos rivers. seriously damaging many farms and entirely de- stroylng others. The misfortune was quite disheartening for time to the sufferers, but most of them set to work with renewed energy to repair their losses. Every irrigatiDg dam on tbe reservation had been destroyed, head gates were washed away and serious damage done to ditches. Fourteen new dams have since been c instructed across the San Carlos river, a stream averaging about lOO feet in width. requiring dams SIX feet higu; and six across the Gila, W hose desp, swift waters present at all times a formidable obstacle to work of the character required.
 IL Is highly commemorable Of the en- ergy and perseverance of the Apaches that they succeeded, with no other con straint than the moral suasiOn employed by the agency farmer and his assistant, in turning sufficient water upon their crops to supply, m most eases, all needed irrigation. The extent and eff cheney Of the work IS shown ID the bountiful harvest of barley and wheat already completed, aad iu the numerous fields of growing corn that promise an abundant yield, ;o- -clher with a liberal supply of melons, pumpkins, etc. The barley sold amounts to 31J,OO0 pounds. for when they received g. D per 100 pounds, aGgregating the handsome spm uf S9.375. At least 25,000 rounds of barlry is stIll unsold, making d to.al : .eld of 100000 pounds.
 The quantity of wheat raised cannot be exactly arrived at, as none of it has been sold, being held for home consumD- tion, but 1t may be safely estimated to amount to 50,O0O pounds. Of corn the agency farmer estimates that about 2J0 acres have been planted, which may be fairly estimated 10 produce 2jDOOO pounds.
 LAZY INDIANS.
 When We consider the fact that the Agency farmer has had no police force to assist him iB bringiHgin the indolent, Of whom there have been many, to aid in the work, but has had to rely solely on tue voluntary efforts Of Indians for continuous labor m the fields, 1t becomes a matter O. surprise that so much has been accomplished. With the aid of an efficient pulice force under the control of an Agency employe in full sympathy with the agent in bis endeavors tO com Del united acfIou on tine part oi the h. dians. it will be an easy matter to secure greatly increased production during the next year.
 That the Apaches at this Agency can be made entirely self-sustaining at an early period in the future I have no doubt, but to accomplish this the divided authority that has worked with so much friction during the past year must be and the Indians taught to rely upon the Agent for instruction and to render him cheerful obedience. In my last annual report 1 called attention to the anomaly of a dual government, as 1t then existed, and the experience or the past year only serves to confirm my iudrment in that regard. In thls con uection I earnestly recommend that fu!l authority he restored to the Agent 10 exercise police control of all the Indians on the Agency for supplies, and charged with the duty of keeping the peace on the reservation, and pre- venting the Indians from leaving It ex- cent with his coDsent. The Indians ln the vicinity of the Agency are well dls- posed anu easily mdhdtSN- f'., ence of A military officer clothed with such power ss is assumed by the Captain at San Carlos, under the a apreement of July [, 1883, and backed Inv a strong military force, serves only to demoralize the Indians and deprive fine agent of an influence over them that is inseperable from successful arrangement. I therefore earnestly urge that the agreement above referred to' so far as 1t applies to the Indians living peaceably near the agency and conducting farming operations under the direction of the agent. be cancelled and that the lawful authority of the agent be restored.
 The question of the location Of all the Indians occupying this reservation within m area easily accessible to the accent should be settled with as little delay as possible, SO that the different hands may have an allotment of land and he made to feel that they possess Q secnrer title to their homes than IS vested in the stronger ss against the weaker claimant. Ofthe forty-hve hun STad Indians (not including Chirica- bussl living on the reservation, about fifteen Lund ed have withdrawn rom